by Jay Asher

“I hope you’re ready, because I’m about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. And if you’re listening to these tapes, you’re one of the reasons why.”  – page 7

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Book: Stand Alone
Genre: Young adult/New Adult
Found:
Rating: 5 Voodoos

Two weeks ago Hannah Barker committed suicide. When Clay Jensen gets home from school he finds a package containing 7 tapes. 13 reasons why.
On each tape Hannah details how two people impacted her life negatively contributing to her death, one on each side, numbered. The second side of the last tape is blank. Once you’ve listened to them, you have to pass them on to the next person, if you don’t, the second set of tapes will be released to the world. Clay is on these tapes somewhere.
Pressing play has never been so hard for him.

Basically, this book made me cry. So much. It’s heart breaking. I actually think this has become a favourite.

I can’t even begin to imagine what receiving those tapes felt like. I guess, for some, it was nothing. A little annoyance at having your name on there, sheer glee at the other names, the secrets that are hidden there. For others, pure terror, at least 12 other people have/will listen to your crimes and judge you. And maybe for some a little touch of horror. The impact you made on that young girls life with something so casual as a forgotten good-bye.

I don’t know how to review this book, it’s such a taboo subject; suicide. It’s seen as a cowards way out. But really, you have to ask yourselves, what kind of society do we live in that some people believe it’s the only choice left to them? That they feel so alone and rejected they can’t take a moment more of their lives? This isn’t the only reason for suicides, I know, but it’s one of the biggest contributors towards the large number of teen suicides.

The plot of this book is so simple and I cannot properly review it without give away the reasons for Clay being on that tape, which I will not do.

Just go read it, please.

I have heard that this book is amazing as and audio book, that it’s read by both a guy and a girl as appropriate for the story.  As it’s technically a conversation between the two, or at least the fitting together of two monologues, I would actually consider listening to this. I don’t get on well with audio books, I forget to pay attention and wonder off at important moments.