Reading Challenge: Thirteen Reason Why

 


I've been wanting to read this book since the first time I heard about it but have been waiting to see if my book club would choose it. It seems like the people who are really active in book club weren't that interested so I decided it was a pretty safe bet to go ahead and read it on my own. I am not at all disappointed. Just as the main character Clay Jensen was compelled to continue listening to the tapes of his deceased class mate, I could not put this book down.

In Thirteen Reasons Why, high schooler Hannah Baker has committed suicide and left behind thirteen stories from her life that contributed to the reasons why she chose to take her life. Thirteen people to pass the tapes to in order and a threat of exposure to all if someone doesn't continue the chain until the last person on her list receives the tapes. This story follows Clay Jensen, a nice boy who always had a crush on Hannah. When he listens to the first tape he is devistated to know that he's among her reasons, but through listening to the tapes he learns more about the girl whom he wanted to know for so long and comes to understand why she did what she did and how so many things could have saved her.

The stories Hannah tells about each thing that lead to her eventual decision could happen in any high school, it's a really powerful story about how one hurtful action can snowball out of control. I really think this is a book that should be required reading for high schoolers as well as parents. Especially in this day and age of bullying and so many young people who turn to extremes to escape. Though this story is fiction, it's a story that's probably happened in real life countless times.

One of my new favorites.

Book 25/50 (I'm a little behind, but finally half way there!)

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