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Why this book? It was one of the recommendations of students for the Summer Reading list. I promised to read as many of them as I could to decide whether they merited addition. I don't think this one does, though I certainly believe students will like it. I recommend
Thirteen Reasons Why for school-year independent reading. But to find out why, you'll have to read my review.
As far as content goes , I liked the idea. I'm not giving anything away to tell you that one of the main characters recently committed suicide and is communicating with students from her high school beyond the grave using tape cassettes. The book becomes a conversation between the dead narrator, Hannah, and the living listener, Clay. The moral of the story is less about the horrors of suicide, and more about how each person's behavior affects everyone else's. In fact, I would relate Hannah's life episodes to acts of bullying. The lesson is clear: people are hurting around us more than we realize. Don't make their lives harder, and if you can, make them better.
But why does
Thirteen Reasons not belong on the summer reading list? I have a couple of reasons. First, though bullying and suicide are both serious topics that deserve to be highlighted through discussion and reading, very little informative background is provided in this book. It is not the best representation of either topic to challenge an entire grade to read. I don't know if Hannah's contemplation of suicide is a good example of what others go through. The self-doubt, the fear, the longing for someone to step in even though she makes it nearly impossible for someone to help - these are good examples. But much of her narration is filled with confidence, anger, vindication at the people she is leaving messages for. Are these normal emotions for someone experiencing such a deep depression? We really need more research to back it up.
As a teacher, I also have to think about my purpose for you as students. The characters speak and think in juvenile tones, appropriate for their high school existance, I suppose. But there were no jumps or leaps for the reader to make. Everything is spelled out neatly for you in easy words and a plot it is impossible to predict because you don't know the full cast of characters. It won't challenge your mind. And that is the primary goal for Summer Reading.
So, when you ask me for a book recommendation during the school year, I'll tell you, "Several students have really enjoyed this one. I liked it pretty well, too." But I won't be adding it to the Summer Reading List.
