Hey, guys! Everyone recommended this book to me for probably three years, but I kept procrastinating reading it because it sounded depressing. It wasn't really though. Sure, the topic was said but the plot and tone were witty and dramatic. Don't let that turn you off.
The Cover:
The Cover:
It shows Hannah on a swing. There's no context to this picture, the publisher probably just thought she looked depressed and decided to put this picture in. I do like the 13 written in the title, though. B- cover.
The Cover:
It shows Hannah on a swing. There's no context to this picture, the publisher probably just thought she looked depressed and decided to put this picture in. I do like the 13 written in the title, though. B- cover.
Official Description:
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.
On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.
Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.
My Description:
Two quotes from this book just sums up the whole thing:
"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."
"The rules are pretty simple. They're only two. Rule number one: You listen. Number two: You pass it on."
My Review:
This book was amazing. I engaged with it more than any book I've read since The Martian and Challenger Deep (3 months ago). It was a short book, but almost every sentence was just perfectly intertwined with the rest. I can honestly tell you I had no complaints. Not even a small pet peeve.
The narration is split between Clay's first-person thoughts and actions as he listens to Hannah's tapes and Hannah's tapes. The tapes are in italics while Clay's thoughts are typed normally. This allows Clay to comment on Hannah's thoughts in a sort of one-sided conversation. It causes a neat effect and causes the book to move quickly. It is also written in a very casual, conversational way, which allows for easy reading.
The characters were beautifully thought out. Clay and Hannah were complex and interesting. Their relationships with the people around them, as well as their reactions to various situations felt realistic. The characters felt like real people, which was nice.
The plot was also very fast-moving. This was due to the narration as well as the premise. Hannah needs to go through thirteen people on her tapes and they're only allotted one side of a tape. There is no space for lingering.
This book was just phenomenal. I know I'm late to this party, but if you, like me, have not already read this book, do yourself a favor and pick it up. It is actually fantastic.
Audiobook Review (narrated by Joel Johnstone and Debra Wiseman) :
I read Thirteen Reasons Why as an audiobook and think that that is honestly the way to go! Even if you've already read it, consider rereading on an audiobook version. Lots of libraries have copies. This is, without a doubt, the best made audiobook I've ever listened to. Hannah's parts were read by Debra Wiseman and Clay's by Joel Johnstone. Both were wonderful at giving the words life. The sound stayed at the same level the entire time (didn't go from soft to loud back to soft).Also, this book just works auditorily. Half of the book is on tapes to begin with.
Phrase:
I pressed play.
Happy Reading!
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