Thirteen Reasons Why

Wow.

That basically sums up my feelings about this novel at this point. I just finished it a couple of hours ago, so I'm still trying to process. I knew it had the potential to be intense given the general premise (to be expounded on shortly), but it was more so than I had anticipated.

I will get my little complaint out of the way by saying that I thought the ending was a little corny, but I'm willing to overlook it considering all that this book accomplishes otherwise.

So, a summary of what the book is all about (straight from the book jacket):

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice explains that there are thirteen reasons she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a first-hand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about himself--a truth he never wanted to face.

I will be the first to admit that that may not be the most catching description to some. Some may read it as potentially cheesy (i.e. you may be asking yourself how the author is going to pull this off without being melodramatic) but please please please do NOT brush it off. Read it. Like, right now. The topics addressed in this book are incredible, and I think especially poignent for teen readers: suicide, depression, love, sex, drinking, social pressures, friendships, loneliness, confusion, frustration, moments of elation over "the small things", trust, forgiveness, and on and on and on. It's intense, to say the least. I was blown away to learn that this was the author Jay Asher's first novel. It's so well done. The way he handles the emotions of both the individual characters and the story as a whole is so authentic. There isn't a moment of stereotypical-ness in it.

Just before writing this I read Anna's posting on this book (which I suggest you all read) and she made a fabulous point that I am going to share as well: While this book was amazing, and while I will suggest it up and down and backwards to anyone who may be even a little bit interested in reading it, I don't think that I will revisit it. Maybe in the classroom setting, but never again for the joy of reading it. When I say that Asher portrayed emotions authentically, I mean you will, no matter who you are or what your life is like or what your story is, undoubtedly empathize with Hannah's pain to the point of lasting personal discomfort. For those who have read it, or plan to read it: I wanted to vomit during the telling of Clay's story. I wanted to hit something or someone during Hannah's visit to her English teacher/guidance counselor. I honestly believe that her pain is too much to bare twice...even as someone just reading about it.

A super fascinating factoid (or at least I think it is) is that Asher got the idea for the book while using a guided audio tour at a museum. He was intrigued by the experience of being told exactly what he was seeing by someone who wasn't there with him.

Side note: While looking for the image included in this post I stumbled across the poster for a film adaptation of this book. It stars Selena Gomez and, based solely on my viewing of the poster, I am 99% sure that it blew any credibility this book had. Unfortunate.