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Thirteen Reasons Why

Jay Asher (Goodreads Author)

3.87 · Rating details · 883,600 ratings · 54,231 reviews

You can't stop the future. You can't rewind the past. The only way to learn the secret. . . is to press play.

Clay Jensen doesn't want anything to do with the tapes Hannah Baker made. Hannah is dead. Her secrets should be buried with her.

Then Hannah's voice tells Clay that his name is on her tapes-- and that he is, in some way, responsible for her death.

All through the nigh ...more

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Paperback, 288 pages

Published June 14th 2011 by Razorbill (first published October 18th 2007)

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Aug 27, 2011 Beth rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: yuck-yuck-yuck, everyone-loves-it-but-me, all-downhill-from-there, disappointment, good-beginning-bad-ending, not-for-me, could-have-been-better, pre-2011-reads, please-go-away, break-out-the-brain-bleach

I'm one of the very few people who strongly disliked Thirteen Reasons Why, so maybe I should explain to you why.

I hate Thirteen Reasons Why. And here’s why.

Most of all, it glamorises suicide.

I'm putting this at the top because I can't believe I missed it in my original review. And this is a controversial point, because most of my Goodreads friends, whose opinions I would hold up as gospel, loved this book for its realistic and harrowing portrayal of teen suicide.

This book is one big glamorous m ...more

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Jul 07, 2014 emma rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1-star, unpopular-opinion, contemporary, ya, nope, reviewed

THIRTEEN REASONS WHY I HATE THIS BOOK.

Note, 6/10/17: Tape #11 has been updated.

https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...

Alright. I really thought I wasn't going to review this book. But a status sharing certain anti-anti 13 Reasons Why sentiments (did that make sense?) just came up onto my timeline, and I, to put it cordially, fucking snapped.

Let me preface this by saying: If this book or television show helped you in any way, this review is not for you. We all have our coping mechanisms, we all ...more

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Nov 08, 2018 Miranda Reads rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-finer-books-club-reading-chall, audiobook

Wow. What a b*tch.

But...But...Miranda...how can you not love, cherish and worship a suicide book? Hannah was so brave, she dealt with life the best way she could...

Blah, blah, blah.

Are you sitting down?

Good, cause things are about to get ranty.

HUGE MOTHER-EFFING DISCLAIMER:

If you absolutely loved this book or if you think it really helped you through a tough time - I have absolutely no problem with that.

You are completely (and utterly) entitled to your opinion on this novel - just like I'm e

...more

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Sep 22, 2010 karen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: and-so-this-is-grad-school, why-yes-i-ya

oh god, somebody buy this girl some perspective! oh wait, you can't because she's dead. and i, for one, am glad of it because this character would have grown up to be a rotten judgmental schoolmarmy horrorshow of an adult. just horrible.

and people love this book like cookies!

backtrack. plot: a girl kills herself. but before she goes, she makes a series of audio cassettes and mails them to an individual, with instructions to pass them along to the next person mentioned on the tapes, which are a c oh god, somebody buy this girl some perspective! oh wait, you can't because she's dead. and i, for one, am glad of it because this character would have grown up to be a rotten judgmental schoolmarmy horrorshow of an adult. just horrible.

and people love this book like cookies!

backtrack. plot: a girl kills herself. but before she goes, she makes a series of audio cassettes and mails them to an individual, with instructions to pass them along to the next person mentioned on the tapes, which are a chronicle of all the things that were done to her that made her kill herself. it was because of you. and you. and you. the blame game, afterlife edition. what a dick, right?

and i understand the idea of cause and effect, and that teenagers of all people, need to be more conscious of the effects their actions have on the feeeeelings of others, and this book is meant to highlight that even the smallest things can have a profound effect on a person's life, but ugh - this character is appalling. and does she not realize the effect her accusations are going to have on the recipients of the tapes?? because it is a shitty thing to do when people can't defend themselves, particularly since the awful tragic things that happened to her are pretty standard stuff we have all been through. mostly. nothing suicide-worthy, frankly. and nothing to make other people feel shitty about for the rest of their lives.

when you are sitting on the same side of a booth at a diner with a boy on valentines day and you are laughing and you put your head on his shoulder and he puts his hand on your leg, that is not a problem, it is called flirtation. and if you don't like it, use your words, and if that doesn't work, get physical. which she does. and succeeds. so what's with all the boo-hoos?? that no one came to your rescue?? princess, no one is ever going to come to your rescue. you did what you were supposed to do - feel proud and call it a day. a somewhat shitty day, but no reason to kill yourself.

she basically uses her suicide to scold boys who have flirted with her or tried to hook up with her.or said she had a nice ass. these are teenagers! they are going to try to hook up with anything that is still breathing! i have dodged many an unwanted advance in my early years, and i have exhaustedly given in to others as the path of least resistance, but that's youth, right? chalk everything up to a learning experience and laugh about it in your adulthood.

are we supposed to feel that she is empowered for taking her life? because i don't. i fel like she had a normal sized problem that she willingly made a little bigger in a hot tub, but honestly, suburban new hampshire white girl, here is a book called push. go read that and tell me you have problems.

i know i gave this three stars, and it is because i did like the way the story was told, as a split-narrative between the transcripts of the tapes, and the voice of a boy who is one of the accused, as we wait for his part in it to unfold, as he wonders what she thinks he did to her (anticlimax, btw). but so as a plot-driven quasi-mystery book, it definitely held my interest, but the whole time, i couldn't help thinking what a brat she was and how unfair some of her accusations were, particularly to the narrator and the last recipient of the tapes. sheesh. brat.

(if she heard me say that, she would try really hard to come back to life so she could make me a tape telling me how i wounded her soul and then she would kill herself again to make me feel guilty. but i would not.)

come to my blog! ...more

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Oct 10, 2013 Emily May rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015, contemporary, young-adult

“When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything. . . affects everything.”

Sometimes it's hard to see why other people might dislike a book you enjoy, but with Thirteen Reasons Why, I can understand it perfectly.

It is told from the perspective of Clay, but is mostly about the life of Hannah - a girl who recently killed herself. After her death, Clay receives a set of cassette tapes on which Hannah explains the thirteen reasons why she decided ...more

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Jun 27, 2010 Nina ♥ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

WARNING: I did not like this book. If you did, and would hate it if someone (me) ranted and bitched about it, then DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW.

REVIEW: I don't know why this book is so popular. And I honestly don't know what all the rave is about. I heard so many great things about this novel, that's why I read it. While this was a good book, well written and all…the plot was just not good enough—no, the reasons leading to Hannah Baker killing herself were not believable enough for me. I mean sure, t WARNING: I did not like this book. If you did, and would hate it if someone (me) ranted and bitched about it, then DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW.

REVIEW: I don't know why this book is so popular. And I honestly don't know what all the rave is about. I heard so many great things about this novel, that's why I read it. While this was a good book, well written and all…the plot was just not good enough—no, the reasons leading to Hannah Baker killing herself were not believable enough for me. I mean sure, they did some horrible things to her in high school, that doesn't mean you should just go off and commit suicide. As far as I'm concerned, those kinds of situations happen to everyone. And I don't believe for one second that no one noticed that she wanted to commit suicide. What about her haircut? Didn't the author mention that the teacher passed out a flyer called "The Warning Signs of a Suicidal Individual?" And wasn't there "A sudden change in appearance" on top of the list? What about "Giving away possessions?" Didn't they discuss suicide in the same class? Didn't Hannah leave an anonymous note telling the teacher that? After she told Mr. Porter? And he didn't stop her? Come on, they couldn't have been that dumb! Hannah, above all, just sounded whiny. And I just couldn't sympathize with her character. And committing suicide and then blaming people for it is just a stupid excuse for killing herself. She was the one that decided to kill herself, not them—not anyone. She just needed someone to blame. And poor Clay! If Clay wasn't one of the reasons Hannah killed herself, then why put him through the agony? Why give him the tapes? She could've just written him a letter. And Tony! Hannah put even the ones that had nothing to do with her in pain. For example: what did Tony do to her? Because I know he was hurting, too. He felt helpless because he couldn't have saved her.

It was also very difficult and confusing to keep up with what Clay and Hannah said/thought. One second I'm reading in Clay's point of view, the next Hannah's. And sometimes I had to reread a whole paragraph because I got the POV wrong in my head.

Also, I think suicide is a very serious issue so I didn't really buy Jay Asher's portrayal of Hannah's feelings. If someone wanted to commit suicide, their emotion had to be deeper, stronger than just hatred and petty resentment for having a bad reputation in High School. Therefore, I thought Hannah's emotions weren't very serious, even childish and overly dramatic at times. And after finishing the books I was like, "seriously?! That's why she killed herself?!" I honestly felt like Asher was making fun of the teens who have been through terrible things in their life and are still trying to stay strong after everything they've been through. This was like telling them, "what the heck, end your life if you're so miserable."

UPDATE: Just found out this is going to be a movie. Starring Selena Gomez.

Also, if you want to know more about Hannah's reasons, read message 6. ...more

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Oct 24, 2009 Hannah rated it did not like it · review of another edition

I figured this deserved a real review.

I'm a bipolar chick. I'm a girl who has struggled with suicidal thoughts since she was nine years old at the very latest. And I just do not buy 13RW's representation of a suicidal girl. The very premise of the book is flawed to me; you don't kill yourself for REASONS, you kill yourself because there is a bug in your brain gnawing at you and sucking out any valuable thought you've ever had, and I never saw that kind of bug in Hannah. I saw a girl who killed h ...more

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Apr 06, 2017 Emma Giordano rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

I REALLY REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK. I had heard very mixed things for some time and it seemed a lot of readers were very divided on this book, but I personally really loved it.

I do want to say I don't think this is 100% the best book in the world for depression/suicide, but I do believe it is an intersting narrative on how suicide impacts those affected, considering suicide is never a singular action. I also don't necessarily *agree* with the content of the book as guilting and blaming those who's I REALLY REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK. I had heard very mixed things for some time and it seemed a lot of readers were very divided on this book, but I personally really loved it.

I do want to say I don't think this is 100% the best book in the world for depression/suicide, but I do believe it is an intersting narrative on how suicide impacts those affected, considering suicide is never a singular action. I also don't necessarily *agree* with the content of the book as guilting and blaming those who's actions drove Hannah to her death is not an appropriate response that we should approve of, but I also don't feel this book condoned that idea. Maybe the author did not go about things in the best way (in my personal opinion) but I do think the message that your actions influence others in ways you may not realize came across well. The path to get there was not perfect, but the execution was.

I also despise the reviews on here saying that "Hannah had no excuse to kill herself, she was not depressed enough and it wasn't believable for her to commit suicide because of these reasons." Excuse me? Work on your stigma regarding people with mental illness. I am SO SO SORRY that you feel someone who is a victim of bullying, sexual harassment,t sexual assault, who reaches out for help and is told to "move on" is not a "good enough excuse to kill themselves" but I am NOT HERE for delegitimizing one's personal suffering because it wasn't something you have experienced. God forbid my reason for being depressed was a chemical imbalance in my brain, can't imagine what you'd think of MY excuse for attempting suicide *rolls eyes*.

Depression manifests in a multitude of ways. People commit suicide for a variety of reasons. I've been diagnosed with clinical depressed and spent most of my adolescence in a cycle of self harm and suicidal ideation. Can I related to Hannah Baker? No, I cannot. Our stories are very different. But that does not mean it is impossible for her experience to exist, or that others will be unable to relate to what this poor girl went through. If you view life through a singular lens, I promise, you will continually be let down by those who's lives do not perfectly mirror your own.

I also want to note that I DO see why this book has upset so many people. I really do see the perspective of others who disagree with this book and don't feel it achieved what it was trying to, I just personally feel differently.

Overall, I really really enjoying the mere HOURS it took me to devour this book. It was a great experience and I'm glad I read it! ...more

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Jan 30, 2014 C.G. Drews rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: mental-illness, contemporary, read-2014, young-adult

EDIT AND UPDATE, 2017: I read this book back in 2014 when I was a teen and I hated it. I still hate it. My review is getting a lot of traffic atm so I'm just going to do a little update and leave you some links to better reviews that tell how problematic the story is:

Tweet thread on the problematic show.
Article on why it's dangerous.
Goodreads review on why it's seriously bad.

NOTE: I'm not responding to comments because wtf is going on in the comment section I have no idea. I'm sorry my r ...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-new-adult, pissed-me-the-fuck-off, 1-stars

Update 7/10/15: A Conversation From Yesterday...

Co-Worker: "My kid just read this book and loved it. You are a reader, right? If you haven't read it, you should read it."

Me: "What's it called."

CW: "'Thirteen Reasons' or something. It's about suicide."

Me: Hmmmm, yeah I think that sounds familiar. Hold on lemme check.
*checking GR and finding review*

CW: "You find it?"

Me: "Um, yeah."

CW: "So you like it?"

Me: "Um...sure..."

description

LMAO

Original (pre-gif discovery)Review:

I see that this book is pret ...more

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Mar 17, 2008 stephanie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: EVERYONE.

Recommended to stephanie by: A.

Shelves: suicide, would-rec, young-adult, contemporaryfiction, 2008, absolutely-must-read

eta 2: this is also the perfect book to listen to on audiotape. usually i am annoyed with audiobooks, but i enjoyed listening to this one almost as much as reading it, because i was hearing hannah while driving in my car, much the same way clay was. still love this book and it's boldness.

*

eta: for everyone that thinks hannah's suicide was unbelievable, or that the reasons were just stupid and petty, take a moment and think about how what happened could have been the impetus for suicide. it's no ...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Giselle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I absolutely loved this book. What an eye opener. In Thirteen Reasons Why we listen to audio tapes that was sent to 13 people by Hannah who committed suicide, to explain her reasons why.

First I want to mention that to all the reviewers who say that her reasons weren't "good enough" for her to kill herself, you're wrong. Everyone doesn't cope with situations the same way, and problems that may seem minimalistic to you, can send the next person into depression. We all have our own ways of working ...more

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Mar 14, 2009 Elizabeth rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: mental-health, young-adult, terrible-influence, are-you-kidding-me, extremely-annoying-main-character

Things that happened to make Hannah Baker kill herself:

1.) Someone made up a rumour that she let a boy put his hands under her shirt in a park. REPUTATION RUINED.
2.) Someone was taking pictures of her through her bedroom window and she reacted by posing with a friend as though they were giving each other sensual massages... with oils? PERFECTLY LOGICAL AND INTELLIGENT RESPONSE.
3.) Someone asked her to drive them to and from a party. HOW DARE THEY.
4.) Someone stole the compliments out of her comp Things that happened to make Hannah Baker kill herself:

1.) Someone made up a rumour that she let a boy put his hands under her shirt in a park. REPUTATION RUINED.
2.) Someone was taking pictures of her through her bedroom window and she reacted by posing with a friend as though they were giving each other sensual massages... with oils? PERFECTLY LOGICAL AND INTELLIGENT RESPONSE.
3.) Someone asked her to drive them to and from a party. HOW DARE THEY.
4.) Someone stole the compliments out of her compliment box. SUCH A SENSELESS CRIME.
5.) NOBODY NOTICED HER HAIR CUT. AUGHHHHH THE CRUELTY.

All these and other teenage angst happen which Hannah deems unforgivable. And then she witnesses a rape that she could easily have stopped but didn't. And suddenly she's like "oh God the room is spinning my emotions I'm like so drunk and can't see through my tears... wahh, there's no way I could step in right now."

Literally all she had to do was step out of the CLOSET SHE WAS HIDING IN and say "Um, sorry can you not do that?" And the rapist would have FLED. But no, she stayed in the fetal position on the floor à la Bella Swan. So basically when she allows a classmate to be raped in front of her it's fine because, like, her head wasn't in the right place or something, but when other people don't acknowledge her new haircut it's because they are purposely attacking her and they deserve to be punished.

This book makes a mockery of suicide. We don't ever get a sense that Hannah is depressed. It's more like she's doing it as some messed up experiment. I found her to be way too amused by her own vicious stunt to feel even a shred of empathy for her. It's a book about a pathetic, selfish witch with a severe lack of moral fibre who kills herself and then sends out sick and twisted recordings to thirteen people telling them it was their fault so that what? They can feel guilty for the rest of their lives because they weren't the nicest person ever to Hannah one time back when they were a teenager? THIS IS BULLYING AT A VERY SEVERE LEVEL. I would argue it is much more severe then any bullying Hannah was on the receiving end of.

Ultimately, Thirteen Reasons Why waters down suicide to make it look like an awesome revenge tactic rather than an incredibly serious and sensitive issue that many teens are dealing with every day. It is not a game! WHEN YOU DIE, IT IS OVER FOR YOU. Nobody makes a TV show about you. Your classmates will only think of you ten years later when their memory is triggered and they go "ah, yes, a girl at my school killed herself once... terribly sad. Pass the salt please."

That being said, bye Hannah, have fun in hell. ...more

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Aug 31, 2010 Janina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: given-away, contemporary, young-adult

When I tried to structure my thoughts to write this review, I discovered that it’s actually very hard to write something about a book I liked but didn’t love. I definitely have no hard feelings towards Thirteen Reasons Why but I also don’t really have anything to rave about. Which makes me feel a little conflicted about the rating. This book will stay with me for a while, it made me think, but it also had its flaws.

I thought the novel was based on an original and great concept. We have a simulta When I tried to structure my thoughts to write this review, I discovered that it’s actually very hard to write something about a book I liked but didn’t love. I definitely have no hard feelings towards Thirteen Reasons Why but I also don’t really have anything to rave about. Which makes me feel a little conflicted about the rating. This book will stay with me for a while, it made me think, but it also had its flaws.

I thought the novel was based on an original and great concept. We have a simultaneous narration: We get to hear Hannah’s thoughts through the tapes she recorded, and mixed with that, we see how Clay reacts to the things she says. While that is without doubt the perfect way to tell this story (that can probably be enjoyed even more in an audiobook format), I sometimes found it hard to distinguish their voices. I read a sentence, and when I went over it too quickly, I sometimes had to check back if it was in bold or italic to find out who actually said what. While Clay certainly was a sweet guy, I found him to be almost too nice to be true and compared with Hannah, his character and voice felt rather flat.
Also, I expected this story to make me sad and touch me deeply because, after all, it is a story about missed opportunities, about a life ending much too soon, about guilt and grief. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

But, all in all, despite the fact that I wasn’t really emotionally invested, I simply HAD to know exactly what drove Hannah over the edge. I wanted to know her story, to get an idea what made her feel so depressed and alone. I read in quite some reviews that people thought her reasons to commit suicide were shallow. I don’t agree with that at all. They were her reasons and nobody else’s, and I think that she shouldn’t be judged by them. People don’t always have this big reason behind their decisions. Sometimes small things add up to each other, and when you suffer from depression, as Hannah clearly did, even everyday life can be too much for you to take. It can make everything feel like a chore.
Yet, I also found it difficult to understand why Hannah went to such lengths to record her tapes and make sure everybody received them. It seemed to be more about getting back at the people who hurt her than about closure and explanation. Those people did her wrong, no question, but do they deserve what they got? Do they deserve to live with the guilt of being responsible for Hannah’s death? I’m not sure. But this book definitely showed me that even small things we do (or don’t do) can have a huge impact on somebody else’s life, and that sometimes we should take more time to try to understand the people we deal with everyday – be it at school or somewhere else.
But all things considered, I’m glad that Jay Asher didn’t portray Hannah as a victim. She also had her faults, made wrong decisions and – in the end – gave up.

Now I’m still pondering over one question: What is actually worse? Knowing exactly why somebody killed himself and what role you yourself played in his decision? Or living with the fact that you will never find out what caused his suicide and that your questions will never be answered?

#4 TBR Pile Reduction Challenge (Brooke)
...more

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Oct 20, 2014 Heather K (dentist in my spare time) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: narrator-very-good, young-adult, did-not-finish, hype-hype-hype, hated-it, audiobook, group-reading-challenge, little-to-no-sex-content, everyone-else-loves-it

*******
(edited on 8/15/17 to add:)

My face, when everyone keeps coming on my review to tell me that my feelings about this book are "wrong."

A review is simply my opinion. I'm entitled to mine and you're entitled to yours and they don't affect one another in any way.

*******
(Original review from 10/20/14)

Hated it, hated it, hated it. DNFed at 30%.

Do you know people who are suicidal? Has anyone close to you tried to kill themselves or had someone close to them kill themselves?

My best friend growin ...more

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Jul 13, 2017 Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kept-book

I bought "Thirteen Reasons Why" after hearing so much about it on the internet - and from my 3 sons - and I just knew I had to find out what the hype was all about for myself.
Actually I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found it very compelling so I'm a little apprehensive about leaving a positive review after reading so many negative comments about it, but I suppose it is only everyone's opinion.
I started reading this book at bedtime and whenever I woke up during the night and throughou I bought "Thirteen Reasons Why" after hearing so much about it on the internet - and from my 3 sons - and I just knew I had to find out what the hype was all about for myself.
Actually I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found it very compelling so I'm a little apprehensive about leaving a positive review after reading so many negative comments about it, but I suppose it is only everyone's opinion.
I started reading this book at bedtime and whenever I woke up during the night and throughout the next day when I wasn't reading it, I was constantly thinking about the characters - it had such a pull to it.
I didn't have a problem with the writing style at all, the unique way in which the author, Jay Asher, created a dual narrative between Hannah on the tapes and Clay listening to them and commenting was very unusual and new to me, and I really took to it - it played out perfectly in my mind.
I imagine everyone knows the blurb to this book so I won't go into that other than it is aimed at a young adult audience.
Some people believe that Hannah was selfish and petty with a 'I've been badly done to' attitude but who knows when the straw will break the camel's back? We've probably all experienced bad times at senior school at some point or another and know it can have a very profound effect on your emotions at such a vulnerable age.
Does the book glorify suicide? Does it make someone want to go out and take their own life? I have my opinions but you'll have to read the book and decide for yourself. What I do know is - it's a work of fiction and I read it as that, but I'm much older and wiser than most of the average readers of this book and I think that does make a big difference.
I don't think I'll be watching the TV show should it make mainstream English TV as it is primarily aimed at a much younger audience and I think I'd rather remember the book is it was originally written.
I would say don't be put off by any of the negative reviews you may come across, I dithered for a while over reading it, but I have to say it's a book that I did enjoy reading and I know will stay with me a long time.
5 stars!! ...more

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Feb 18, 2013 F rated it did not like it

Shelves: usa, 2016

I hope no one suicidal or anyone that has seen the effects of suicide ever reads this.
Hated this.

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Sep 20, 2017 jessica rated it it was ok

growing up, my parents taught me that no one but myself is responsible for my decisions. they are mine and mine alone. and that is a belief i still hold today.

which is why i found it so difficult to empathise with hannah and her ‘thirteen reasons why’ she committed suicide - each reason/tape entirely placed the blame on someone else and she took none of the responsibility for her own actions.

thats not to say people dont suck. yes, people can be mean and cruel and hurtful. but hannah took no act ...more

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Nov 30, 2008 Melissa rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This book was very engrossing and suspenseful, but in the end it just pissed me off. I don't know how to put this in more delicate terms, so if I make my case rather bluntly or insensitively, I do so only because I don't want to tiptoe around what I really feel.

Basically, I understand why some people turn to suicide as the only option out. I understand the feeling of helplessness and misery that could make a person decide that taking herself out is the only way to stop the pain. But after experi This book was very engrossing and suspenseful, but in the end it just pissed me off. I don't know how to put this in more delicate terms, so if I make my case rather bluntly or insensitively, I do so only because I don't want to tiptoe around what I really feel.

Basically, I understand why some people turn to suicide as the only option out. I understand the feeling of helplessness and misery that could make a person decide that taking herself out is the only way to stop the pain. But after experiencing the aftermath of suicides in my extended family and, more pointedly, in my graduating class in high school, I have erased it as any option I would ever consider for myself. And even though I understand why people would kill themselves, that does not mean I agree that they are making the right choice.

When the suicides happened my senior year, the school was loathe to talk about it except on a student-by-student basis. They believed that making too much out of the suicide glorified it and encouraged other kids to commit suicide in order to get the same attention. I don't know that I disagree, but I do know that not providing teenagers with information means they create their own answers, which can be worse. But I also remember that everyone wondered about their personal relationships with the people who died, if seemingly inconsequential statements contributed to the final act of despair. This book is basically saying, "Yes, in fact, your actions are one of the 13 reasons why I killed myself."

I find this horribly unfair. Don't get me wrong, the people who Hannah blames for her downward spiral were all jerks to her. But she wasn't the only person in the school tormented by these people. The tapes portray Hannah as the number one target at school, but didn't we all feel that way (except for those handful of people who claim to have loved high school and who I will never understand)? What makes it worse for Hannah than for anyone else? Why do some of us survive it and she couldn't? Or better yet, what actions of Hannah's, inspired by her own unhappiness, contributed to the despair of another person who may later consider suicide?

I think that the author was trying to say that there is never one single reason for a person to commit suicide, and that we should be aware of how we treat other people because we don't know the power of our own seemingly inconsequential actions. He was telling us to reach out to people who seem alone and vulnerable even if they try to push us away. I agree with all of this.

However, the author failed to make the point that different people deal with life in different ways and have different capacities for dealing with it. He needed to make the point that Hannah wasn't strong to begin with, that she was already emotionally vulnerable or unstable. Because otherwise, everyone who survives high school gossip and cruelty would be a triumph, when really I've found that it's quite commonplace. Most people did not kill themselves in high school despite 13 or more reasons to do so.

I've never been the kind of person who is comforted by thoughts like, "Think how much worse someone else has it." That's not what I'm saying here. Your own problems will always seem bigger that anyone else's because they are your own. But the author never explained why these experiences crushed Hannah while others somehow got by. I'm not saying it couldn't happen that way. But why couldn't she - specifically Hannah - handle it?

In the end, this book just made me mad because we are led through this narrative in which we succumb to Hannah's interpretation of events and her justification for her death. If the author's point was to show that the average cruelties of high school, when taken together, can lead someone to suicide, then he also needs to show why it doesn't. I don't believe in sugar-coating life for teenagers, and I don't believe in censoring books because they may "encourage undesirable behavior." But this book seems like the perfect way to push a suicidal teenager closer to the edge. And it pisses me off that a book would give me a reaction opposite of what I claim to believe. ...more

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Jan 29, 2017 Christy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-ya-challenge, 2017-audio

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“You can't stop the future
You can't rewind the past
The only way to learn the secret
...is to press play.”
 Thirteen Reasons Why is a book I’ve been meaning to read for about 5 years. My sister read it and told me I’d love it. I do love books that make me cry and since the book is being made into a Netflix series next month, I thought why not give it a go. As depressing as this one was, though- I didn’t shed one tear. I’m not sure what that says about me or the story. Honestly, I h ...more

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May 04, 2017 L A i N E Y rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: No one

Shelves: ya, contemporary, on-screen, much-heard-of, overrated-as-hell, reviewed, psychological

Lord. This was even worse than I thought it would be.

Hannah, I know you've been treated unfairly and you wanted to get back at the people who wronged you. But I was totally dumbfounded by this roundabout way of doing so which actually includes you losing your own life in the process.

All those preparations and time and planning.

Such a waste.

And Asher's writing didn't help the matter either: not suspenseful enough.

...more

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Jan 27, 2018 Matthew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, revenge, 2018, tear-jerkers, library, coming-of-age

I have seen a lot of mixed reviews on this book. The subject matter - suicide - is controversial. The show they made of this book is controversial. Because of that, I am going to avoid too much commentary on the subject matter and just say that the content of this book is serious and does affect teenagers in different ways. I didn't have the easiest if teenage years, but I made it through okay, so it would be easy for me to say that this story is an overreaction. But, I would be a fool to not un ...more

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Feb 04, 2008 Madeline rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 06, 2017 Alejandro rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, drama, novel

Nothing justifies suicide. Nothing.

This is the tenth anniversary edition of the novel which includes a new foreword by the author, along with some comments about the process of the original publication and even the original ending not used in the finished novel.

NOVEL V. NETFLIX: DAWN OF ADAPTATIONS

It’s not rare that if you haven’t read this novel before and now you’ll do it, it’s because the Netflix TV series, and that’s nothing wrong with that. Certainly films and TV series are great pr ...more

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Apr 23, 2017 Michael Britt rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Full disclosure: if you read this book and it helped you, don't read on. This is not for you.

This book has one of the most dangerous messages out there. It glorifies suicide. And I find that utterly disgusting.

I almost didn't review this book, because it's a sensitive subject: teen suicide. Or even just suicide in general. One of the saddest things ever is when someone so young feels like they have no way out other than taking their own life. It's never the right answer, but I still find it sad Full disclosure: if you read this book and it helped you, don't read on. This is not for you.

This book has one of the most dangerous messages out there. It glorifies suicide. And I find that utterly disgusting.

I almost didn't review this book, because it's a sensitive subject: teen suicide. Or even just suicide in general. One of the saddest things ever is when someone so young feels like they have no way out other than taking their own life. It's never the right answer, but I still find it sad. I wanted to find this book sad, I really did. But I feel none of that for Hannah, after reading this book. This isn't a sad story of a girl who tragically takes her own life. This is a story about a young woman who is cold, calculating, malicious and vindictive. This isn't a girl who feels utterly hopeless; it's a girl who says "this is ALL your fault and I'm gonna show you."

The only person responsible for Hannah taking her life is Hannah. Some of the stuff that happens to her is horrible, but most things are very petty. The most disgusting part is when she witnesses her friend being raped and uses HER FRIEND AND HER RAPE as one of her reasons. This was probably the part that caused me to hate this book. Yeah Hannah, your friend being raped must have been tragic for *you*. How dare her?

I think the only book with a worse and more dangerous message would be Mein Kampf. Like I said above, the book glorifies suicide. It sends the message that your suicide can be a weapon of revenge. This is by far the worst way you could possibly waste your life. Committing suicide is *NEVER* the answer. It also goes as far as using her one attempt to talk to her counselor, and her counselor ignoring her, as an example of "no-one will truly care for you unless you take your life". There is someone out there who cares for you. Taking your own life is never the answer. Never.

This is not the tragic story of a young lady that feels she has no way to improve her life: it's a revenge story. This is the first book that I've read that has made me legitimately angry. I've never felt so much disgust towards another person in a book. If I could give this book a negative rating, I would. ...more

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Jun 12, 2018 Luffy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star

I distinctly remember reading a review for this book and I said to myself, "I can see myself reading it." So now that I've read it, what's my impression on it?

Back when the term YA was not widespread, I used to read Christopher Pike books. This book reminded me a lot of Pike's books. Chain Letter was a masterpiece.

It's a sad story. My heart goes out to Hannah Baker initially. Her character arc made me sad and sentimental. The book is full of suspense but the human element is forever etched in my ...more

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Oct 11, 2020 Nataliya rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-reads

“I guess that’s the point of it all. No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue. Yet we push it just the same.”

It felt wrong to dislike this book, given its subject and what it’s trying to say. A teenage girl commits suicide and, through the tapes recorded prior to it, tries to explain why, tries to have us see herself, tries to show how even insignificant events can start snowballing until it’s too late and you are looking for a permanent way out. She tries to tell us that we should care enough to see what someone is going through and maybe - by caring enough - to be the one that can make the snowballing effect stop. She tries to show that it doesn’t have to be a grand event pushing you over the edge but a combination of continuing small quantities of shittiness of life that can become a burden too much to bear.

I see it. I understand it. I agree.

But I really dislike *how* it was done.

Because Hannah is so painfully selfish and melodramatically self-absorbed, and her actions with sending her tapes to those that she blames for her suicide and requiring for those to be passed on or else are quite awful and are bound to become an extra thing that just may cause the same snowballing effect in the lives of those that she’s taking revenge on with her tapes. Because let’s be honest - these tapes do seem like her way of hitting back, and not considering the consequences for others, after she is gone.

“When you reach the end of these tapes, […] I hope you’ll understand your role in all of this. Because it may seem like a small role now, but it matters. In the end, everything matters.”

She knows very well about the snowballing that even the smallest, most insignificant things can have on a person who is reaching the end of their endurance with life. And she does not really know what’s going on in the lives of those who will receive her tapes. Those who will be told - you are the one to blame for a suicide. Those who are disproportionally told - the responsibility is yours to bear for one careless act or gesture. Those who will be told - (view spoiler)- without even considering what it can do to the person who it was done to and who is now listening to the tapes and knows that so did - or will - several others who may be able to identify her no matter if she wants it or not. Hannah wants everyone to be wracked with guilt for something they could not foresee ((view spoiler); (view spoiler); (view spoiler) - because more guilt apparently is a solution when it comes to Hannah apportioning blame as Hannah is laser-focused on herself and herself only). She does not know or care if her tapes will be the last straw for anyone listening to them. She does not care at all.

And honestly, given Hannah’s state of mind, if the people she blames for her impending suicide haven’t done the things they did, I’m sure Hannah would have found something else that would have affected her the same way. She was spiraling down, and it seems almost anything would have pushed her deeper and deeper into the state from where there was no escape. Yet she prefers to single out a few people to lay blame on, and most of them do not deserve that, but the blame has been already doled out and witnesses made.

Misery loves company, and Hannah relentlessly soldiers on, blaming others for small and petty and mean things that snowballed for her and led to her suicide. And she knows where it can lead, and does not care. She’s going down but is determinedly taking those who slighted her with her. She wants to *really* touch their lives - and let’s hope that they find a way to deal with it that is different from the path Hannah took.

“You don’t know what went on in the rest of my life. At home. Even at school. You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life.”

I would have appreciated this book more if the set up was different. Not the revenge tapes that she makes sure reach the intended audience, but just a narration of a girl who is depressed and driven to commit suicide by the combined snowballing shittiness of life. It could have been poignant and shattering instead of frustration at her callously and vengefully deciding to upend the lives of those who were just a bit mean to her, by her own admission “messing with their entire life” so that they can be sorry for what they did.

I feel for Hannah but I abhor her selfishness and callousness and the way the story seems to condone apportioning blame to everyone around her, leaving them with the burden of guilt, mostly undeserved.

I dislike how he author chose to frame the story and the implications of those choices. Suicide framed as revenge is not good. A story of suicide told through vindictive finger-pointing pettiness cheapens the intended emotional effect.

So instead of touched I’m irritated and frustrated and a bit exasperated.

2 stars. ...more

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May 23, 2017 Aneela ♒the_mystique_reader♒ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, 2017, romance

Rating:

Review:

This novel was gripping since page 1. Even though I finished it like in 1 day and 2 sittings (I didn’t want to put it down) yet I am rating it 3 stars.
Hannah Baker was a newcomer in the town and school. Her reputation was tarnished by the guy (her senior) during her first days in the town. Later on, she was accused of betrayal by her new friend that she stole her guy (all three of them are classmates). That guy sort of used Hannah to make her ex jealous and to get back her ...more

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Apr 20, 2017 Mari rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017, contemporary, worst-books-ever

I've owned this book for years but never felt drawn to read it until the recent hype surrounding the TV show. I want to recap the show for Snark Squad, but I wanted to start with the book so I could talk to how the show performs as an adaptation.

What I found here was a story that I don't think had bad intentions, necessarily. I found that I understand, for the most part, why the ideas here resonate with people. It's a story perhaps about the ways we treat people and how those small interactions
I've owned this book for years but never felt drawn to read it until the recent hype surrounding the TV show. I want to recap the show for Snark Squad, but I wanted to start with the book so I could talk to how the show performs as an adaptation.

What I found here was a story that I don't think had bad intentions, necessarily. I found that I understand, for the most part, why the ideas here resonate with people. It's a story perhaps about the ways we treat people and how those small interactions ripple and snowball. It's a story that perhaps resonates with a lot of the experiences of high school and growing up and that strange microcosm where rumors are spread and believed and relationships are forged and dismantled over single interactions and where adults miss the nuances of what it means to be there, at that time and age.

All that said, I also found a story that I think failed on a couple of major levels. The first, I would say, is that it isn't written with much style, grace, emotional depth, description or nuance. I mentioned in one of my updates that it is very linear. Even when we are listening to Hannah talk about past events, the main action of the story is pulled by Clay's thoughts and steps and it reads in a very "I did this and then I did that and then I did that" kind of way. That, coupled with Asher's descriptionless and plain writing, made this seem so disconnected from the very weighty subject at hand. I know that must not be true for everyone who read it (obviously some people connected emotionally) but I just thought there was some emotional depth lacking here. It was almost too simplistic, too fast, too easily consumed. It felt superficial.

Another example of the poor writing was the repeated use of the narrative question to lead the reader. I know that Clay is discovering information here, but that is too often conveyed with some form of, "why would Hannah do that? What was Hannah thinking? Was it x person? Was it y person? Am I next? Is this me?" over and over and over again. It's a cheap device. The repetition in general just spoke to me of an idea that either wasn't fully fleshed out or a writer that didn't have the skill to give this story the treatment it deserved. Bad writing turned this into a reductive depiction of suicide.

I'll preface this next section by saying that I've never dealt with suicidal thoughts. As with all stories, I'm sure there are some people who do have first hand experience with suicidal thoughts who that this story spoke to their experience well, and I truly am glad if they found representation and solace here for themselves. I think, however, that speaking generally, this story is irresponsible in its depiction of suicide and metal health. I think Hannah's suicide is presented from a position so divorced from a larger conversation or even reference to mental health. By framing the story around the tapes, you frame the story on a sense of post-mortem resolution, which doesn't exist with suicide. That's irresponsible. You frame it on a kind of revenge. That's irresponsible. You frame Hannah's story around Clay, a so-good guy, his basic issue is being just too good. I hated that. It muddies an already oversimplified "be nice to people" message into "and you can be nice and still push someone to suicide." That's irresponsible. The version I read didn't even have any information about suicide prevention or a hotline to call. I mean, isn't that just basic? Wouldn't be that the first thing to do if this really was a story about suicide awareness instead of some backwards guilting into better behavior? [UPDATE] I originally wrote that my version didn't have the Suicide Prevention Hotline number listed, but after double checking, I did indeed find it: buried in the interview questions with Jay Asher in the back. So.

I originally had this between a 1.5 and 2 star rating but after sitting with it, I didn't feel good about that. This is just not a story I would recommend or that I have very much good to say about. It's major issues taint the whole thing for me, and I can't give it much credit elsewhere. ...more

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Sep 29, 2016 Elle (ellexamines) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: y-2000sreleases, z-2015favs, contemporary, favorite-characters, z-2015reads, 3-star

update: Instead of making fun of Hannah's motivations, you could consider the implications of calling a suicidal girl overdramatic for like, 2.5 seconds? Jesus. It's this thing called empathy.

“You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everyt

...more

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About Jay Asher

Jay Asher

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Jay Asher was born in Arcadia, California on September 30, 1975. He grew up in a family that encouraged all of his interests, from playing the guitar to his writing. He attended Cuesta College right after graduating from high school. It was here where he wrote his first two children’s books for a class called Children’s Literature Appreciation. At this point in his life, he had decided he wanted t ...more

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“You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything. . . affects everything.” — 4344 likes

“No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue. Yet we push it just the same.” — 3454 likes

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