Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Publisher: Razorbill (Penguin Random House)
Publication Date: June 14, 2011 (originally October 18, 2007)

Format: eBook
Price: $9.99
Page Count: 336 pages
ISBN-13: 9781101539927

Reading Level: Grades 7 and up (ages 12+)
Lexile: HL550L
Interest Level: Grades 9 and up (ages 14+)

Annotation: Hannah Baker is dead. Before she committed suicide, she sent out a package filled with cassette tapes detailing thirteen reasons why she did it. But how is Clay Jensen involved?

Plot and Content Summary: Clay Jensen finds a box addressed to him in front of his house, filled with cassette tapes. The person who sent and recorded them? Hannah Baker, his former classmate and crush who committed suicide. In these verbal letters, she details thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is instructed to listen to every single tape to find out how he is involved, then pass it on. As painful as it is, he does, and what he hears is everything he wishes he could have saved her from.

 Evaluation: With such a difficult topic at hand, it is hard to review this without letting my feelings get in the way. In terms of the writing style, it is very straight and to the point. Asher is sharing a series of events, so there is not much on top of the general "he said, she said" monologue from Hannah Baker. Since we are hearing her story from Clay's perspective, it feels very vengeful. It is easy to interpret this story as Hannah choosing to commit suicide as a form of revenge, thus becoming a dangerous read for those who might not be in a good place, mentally. However, looking at things as a whole, we are prompted to think about our actions and consider how they affect others. It is a caution and a warning. The mystery of how Clay Jensen is involved in it all was intriguing enough to keep me reading, but Thirteen Reasons Why failed in meeting any type of emotional depth and nuance.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Those who are dealing with suicidal thoughts or tendencies should stay far away from this book. But it may be useful for teens who have friends going through the same experience as Hannah Baker. It can help them see things from a different perspective and encourage them to seek help.

Issues Present: The biggest issue that makes Thirteen Reasons Why controversial is the obvious theme of suicide. Although some say it "glamorizes suicide," this story can be used as an opportunity to bring awareness to these unfortunate feelings and circumstances. We see from Clay that he wishes he could have done something, and this can be a push for us to reach out. Because I do not feel like Thirteen Reasons Why discusses suicide in an appropriate way, I would not recommend it—but I strongly agree that books like this needs to exist in teen collections, as a comfort and encouragement.

Book Talk Ideas: I think discussing the "could haves" may increase urgency in bringing up these sensitive topics. Clay brings up many times that he wanted to save Hannah, but he did not really know what was going on. If teens talked about this together, it may help them be more aware of the things around them and how people feel.

Genre/Subgenres: First person narratives; Multiple perspectives; Realistic fiction

Readalikes: The Good Sister by Jamie Kain; Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia by Jenny Torres Sanchez; 34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues; Beautiful Broken Girls by Kim Savage; Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff

References
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