I received a copy from the publisher (via NetGalley) in an exchange for an honest review!

I have to admit that I first started reading Thirteen Reasons Why a long time ago but only just returned to read it properly after watching the now infamous TV show.

With such a difficult issue as teen suicide a book like Thirteen Reasons Why is always going to divide opinion between those who think talking about such topics glorifies suicide and those who think doing so serves as a good prevention aid. Personally I believe Hannah's story falls somewhere in the middle.

Without turning this review into a big old comparison between the book and TV programme I will say the pacing is increased for the show. We do see the same heartbreak and devastation caused by Hannah's death and we're still guided through what leads her to suicide.

I often found myself wondering how nobody saw the signs and how things escalated to the point where Hannah sees no way of living. I guess this is the devastating truth about depression and mental illness - it's often easy to ignore whats right in front of you. Especially when you're busy and young yourself. 

Whilst I felt bad for Hannah and truly believe mental illness should always be taken seriously, it was Clay I genuinely empathised with. It's particularly difficult when faced with Clay's devastation over Hannah's death and her tapes.

I would have liked to have seen greater consequences for the characters who commit some pretty horrific actions. 

I'm glad I found the time to go back and read the story because it definitely gives more insight into the events and helps bring traumatic issues into the spotlight.

3 Stars in my Sky!

After all these years I've never come across a book in marginally like this. I have to say the format and style was pretty unique and that something you don't say a lot in YA. I feel like everyone should give this book ago, it doesn't matter if you've heard the negative reviews. Find out for yourselves why Hannah did what she did and her reasons.

I couldn't stop reading thats how good the writing was, he really got into the mind of Hannah and to read that I have to say was pretty hard for me (one of the reasons it took quite long).

One thing I'm trying to get around is; does it really glamorise suicide? For the most part I don't think so. It would be more of a suicide prevention book as the book deals with the reaction of people around Hannah as well as how she got to her position. 

It's important book, it's hard hitting but bare in mind if you have suffered/are suffering from any of the topics it would be a good idea not to read it yet. Mental Health is important.

I think I must be one of the last people to read this book. There has been hype surrounding this book since I first got into reading and it was one of the first books I ever read a sample chapter of back when it was first popular. More recently, though, with the success of the TV adaptation, the hype surrounding this book has been so crazy I felt like I had to read it to see what all the fuss was about. I mean, surely all those people couldn't be wrong, I was obviously going to love this, right? Sadly, not.

I am one of the apparently quite few people who did not love this book. In fact, I really disliked this book. I had heard some negative things in the midst of all the love so I didn't go in with very high expectations, however I was sadly still disappointed. 

This book is obviously about the thirteen reasons why Hannah decided to commit suicide. You would think, given that premise, that Hannah would be the kind of character you would feel compassion for and just generally like. Maybe I'm just heartless but I couldn't stand Hannah. She was probably one of the most annoying main characters I have ever read about and I just couldn't bring myself to feel compassion for her. Of course it was horrible that she felt the need to commit suicide, but I really didn't care about all of her problems.

I found Hannah's reasons for committing suicide completely ridiculous. I do feel quite heartless for saying that but it is true. There were a few 'reasons' explained in the tapes that were understandable and I could definitely see where the harm was cause but the majority of them seemed unreasonable. It just seemed to me that the ultimate reason for Hannah committing suicide was 'life is hard sometimes and people can be mean'. I could completely understand horrific bullying reaching such an outcome but I know a lot of people who would wish they were treated the way Hannah was rather than what they are dealing with. Maybe I missed the point but it seemed completely unreasonable to me.

While I understand they are essentially what makes the story what it is, I really did not like the idea of the tapes. These tapes that Hannah was essentially threatening people with beyond the grave, as well as Hannah's suicide in general, seemed almost like revenge. It felt to me like she was trying to get back at all these people for the things they had done to her by committing suicide and making sure they knew their part in it. It was uncomfortable to read about and, in my opinion, provided a very unhealthy representation of suicide and mental illness.

The one redeeming quality of this book for me was Clay. Clay was the only reason I didn't DNF this book. I found him and the way he handled this situation he was thrust into fascinating. I really felt for him throughout the book and thought the way he was so invested in the tapes and following Hannah's story said a lot about him as a character. I highly doubt I would have finished this book if it hadn't been for him.

Overall, I was incredibly disappointed in this book. For still being so popular over 10 years after first publication, I expected the hype surrounding it to be deserved. I definitely did not expect to dislike it as much as I did. Like I said, maybe I just missed the point but this book was most definitely not for me.

13 Reasons Why by Jay asher.
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 returns home from school one day to find a mysterious box with his name on it, outside his front door. Inside he discovers a series of cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and crush. Only, she committed suicide two weeks earlier. On the first tape, Hannah explains that there are 13 reasons why she did what she did - and Clay is one of them.
If he listens, Clay will find out how he made the list - what he hears will change his life forever.
A very good read with good characters.  Found it a little slow in places. but then I couldn’t put it down  in had to find out what happened.  4*. Netgalley and penguin random house UK children's.

I would like to thank Penguin Random House and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this novel in exchange for an honest review. I love you to bits! ❤

The reason why I start developing an interest in this novel is from numerous rumours I heard from readers or friends. They keep saying how good the show and novel is. In addition, another reason why I want to read this novel is also that this novel is written in the point of view of a person with suicidal thoughts. I want to know the thoughts and behaviours of such people though I’m unsure if Thirteen Reason Why is an accurate representation. I thought this novel might be an eye opener for me and it certainly is. Moreover, this novel is portraying an important message: to be aware of our own words and action as it might hurt others even if you don’t intend to hurt them.

As stated above, this novel has been a page turner for me, allowing me to view things from a different perspective. The way this novel has been written makes it seem like I’m following Hannah’s footsteps as she recalls the memories/encounters she faced. I love the cassette tapes idea and the narration. Jay has done an excellent job in piecing the ideas together and sending the message across to the readers.

Over the course of the novel, I get more and more hooked to the novel after I start sympathising with Hannah. Though I feel that the situations which Hannah went through are common and people will usually forget and brush the issue off after some time has passed, I must agree with the idea of the snowball effect. I’ve witnessed the snowball effect firsthand. Certain situation starts getting out of hand and the adults and disciplinary board in school had to step in as a result.

I feel that Hannah should’ve sought help early rather than bottling up her feelings. She should’ve also sought help from a professional rather than a teacher since professionals are trained to deal with such thoughts. I’m sure they would’ve provided better advice.

Throughout the novel, some of the reasons are literally so screwed up, I’ve nothing to say. But for others, they seem to be more of an excuse than a reason. I feel like an emotional rollercoaster throughout the novel. From disbelief at what I’m reading to sympathy for Hannah to upset and anger. I find myself racing through the novel after I’m halfway through. I wanted to know the reasons and how much each reason connects to the other. There are so many questions in my mind as I’m flipping through the novel and at the end of it, I honestly feel so sad for Hannah. Her death could’ve been avoided if only she seeks help early.

Finally, the message in the entire novel, your actions and words might hurt an individual though it might seem like it is a joke at first or you’ve no intention of hurting them. Sometimes, we might indirectly offend someone though we don’t have any intention of doing that. I’ve personally offended someone just from being too straightforward. Sometimes we have to be more sensitive with our choice of words. This doesn’t mean that we have to sugar coat what we say but instead, we should see if the individual we are conversing with is able to take straight forward comments or is a tad more sensitive.

Did you know it is actually a book?

I wanted to write about the series for a long time, and now I bring you the actual book in which the series was inspired.

I really recommend everyone to see the series, parents, teenagers, bullies or someone that experiences what is written in this book/tv series.

As a parent, I have to admit I didnt had these kind of things back in my school, and I was in fact a popular girl but i always looked out for the “new people”, organized parties for everyone. I know that for other people High school was pretty much awful, for me it wasn’t at all, one of the best times ever.

Now as a parent, this tv series showed me what can go wrong in high schools nowadays and how different it become and I really felt afraid for my little RJ, but I think every parent would feel like me.

I really recommend the book and the tv series.

Thirteen Reasons Why

      Publisher: Razorbill 

      RRP: £7.99

      Author: Jay Asher 

      Published:  2007-10-18

 

 

 


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 returns home from school one day to find a mysterious box with his name on it, outside his front door. Inside he discovers a series of cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and crush. Only, she committed suicide two weeks earlier. On the first tape, Hannah explains that there are 13 reasons why she did what she did - and Clay is one of them.

If he listens, Clay will find out how he made the list - what he hears will change his life forever.

 

Utterly compelling.

 


Thirteen Reasons Why is a Young Adult title, first published in 2007, here repackaged to coincide with the release of the Netflix drama of the same name. The story is utterly compelling, a thriller told in reverse; the dénouement has already occurred, the worst has happened, but, via the means of audio tape recordings, Hannah gradually reveals the events which led her to end her life.

Hannah’s story is interspersed with that of Clay and his thoughts, actions and emotions while listening to the tapes, all on one day, and following the locations critical to Hannah’s tale. The story is heartbreaking and yet so very familiar. It masterfully illustrates how cruel humans can be to each other, especially in adolescence, and how the consequences of such actions can be catastrophic.

Not every event in Hannah’s story is life-changing, but the book powerfully portrays the idea that events can be cumulative and the consequences, unintended. The story illustrates that we may not know what someone is struggling with in private, and the effects of our actions, without being mawkish, sentimental or preachy. The book is as much about Hannah’s own choices as those of the thirteen people in her life set to receive the tapes, and is gripping as the reader wonders what Clay could have possibly done to have contributed to such a sad end to Hannah’s life. Clay listens to the tapes over a single day/night, and the book lends itself to being read in a similar time frame, with similar intensity.

It is, in places, distressing. Not just because of the ending we already know, but due to the hopeless humour that pervades Hannah’s story. It is particularly upsetting to witness Hannah’s oblique attempts to reach out, to seek help, and how these are missed by the people around her, time after time, and to hear about the moments in which her decision is made, when she gives up entirely.

Thirteen Reasons Why feels like an important work, which should be read more widely than just the Young Adults market. It shows the reader the potential consequences of one’s actions, the thought processes that might lead someone to end their life, and the grief and guilt of those left behind. Most importantly, it shows what some warning signs might be, how attempts to summon help may present themselves, and how those may be missed. For that alone it should be read by as many people as possible.

This is a heart wrenching read which had me sobbing. I found I had strong feelings for Hannah Baker and can imagine this book relating to lots of secondary school children. This book sends some strong messages about people's actions and encourages them to really think about behaviour and the consequences to another person. I think this would do well as a class read in secondary school.

My friend asked me to watch the TV version.
I watched an episode and then worked on finishing the book.
I just feel it wasn't for me. Nothing really connected with me and the POV character has so much "Oh they say I''m  good guy. I'm not!'
The subject matter is worth talking about though.
I'm glad I read it but I wouldn't say I enjoyed it.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Everyone knows what this book is about, everyone has heard about the TV show based on it, and how sucessful it has been. (I was still living under a rock, and kept myself from watching until I was done reading this).

"I hope you're ready, because I'm about to tell youthe story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. And if you're listening to these tapes, you're one of of the reasons why."

A few days after Hannah Baker's death, Clay Jensen received a package full of audiotapes. And while hearing these tapes, Clay's world take a full turn. 
He gets to know the details that got to her depression.. first kisses gone wrong, being joked on classes, shoved back by the ones she used to trust.. Reading this book got me emotional, as some situations sounded quite familiar.

I guess the main issue older readers (such as myself) have with this book is the fact that Hannah gets to emotional about things that aren't important at all. But I guess we were all like that as teenagers. And this book deserves to be read in a "teenager state of mind", to be fully understood.

Definitely a eye-opener, I would recomend this book to most teenagers. Not only to the bullied ones, so they know that they're not alone, but to everyone else. Because silence hurts too. Help someone. Show them a smile. You might be saving someone else's life.

"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."


By now the majority of the human race has heard of Thirteen Reasons Why... I mean I'm pretty sure any UFO's flying around up there logged into Netflix this Spring to watch it. However, what some of you might not know (I'm actually shocked the amount of my friends that didn't know this) that before Katherine Langford and Dylan Minnette broke our hearts on screen this unbelievably brave and honest story started off as a book. I must confess that I watched the show before reading the book myself and there are some differences... so if like myself you haven't read the book because you're like "I've already watched it on Netflix" DONT BE!!! I read this book in one sitting and even though I knew what was coming the way in which Asher writes has you on tender hooks from the very first page.

For those of you that don't know this is what Thirteen Reasons Why is about. Hannah Baker killed herself, that's no secret but no one really understands why. One day she was in class like everyone else and the next she was gone. However, two weeks after Hannah's death Clay Jensen comes home from school to find a package with no return address on it and inside is 7 tapes. Over the course of one night Clay listens to each and every side of the tapes, 13 to be exact, and as he does he discovers why Hannah Baker died. 

I've read one of Jay Ashers books before, What Light, and as much as I did love the story I found it all a little too sweet... which is probably the last word you can use to describe Thirteen Reasons Why. This book is hard to read, and guess what? It's meant to be! Hannah's story speaks to everyone in one way or another, you get to read what it is like to have life taken out of your hands and throughout the course of the book we as the reader sees how truly damaging a teenagers life can be. 

"I could have helped you. But when I tried,  you pushed me away.
I can almost hear Hannah's voice speaking my next thought for me. "Then why didn't you try harder.""

Okay so lets discuss the elephant in the room shall we? I know that after the TV show came out there was a huge debate on whether or not this story promotes teen suicide and if it was healthy for young people to be watching it. Well here is my opinion on this... For me the book isn't actually about Hannah's Death - I know, curve ball right? - no, it is about the actions, choices and mistakes of very human characters. It is a story that challenges people to really look at the way in which they treat other, to understand that every action as a reaction and most importantly to see that our decisions, our choices, don't just affect us. This book DOES NOT promote teen suicide but it does bring to the forefront a topic that is still very much tabboo. Thirteen Reasons Why invites a conversation that I think more people should be having, it's not just about who did what to who and who killed Hannah, it's about the 'why'. Why did a beautiful, healthy teenage girl feel the need to end her life? Why did no one see Hannah was falling apart? Why didn't anyone stop her? WHY didn't she ask for help? 

WHY?!?

From start to finish this story had me hooked. I struggled to read this book at times, it is honest, raw, heart breaking and felt very very real. Mental health is something I bang on about a lot and I know that but it's books like this that challenge our preconceptions, open our minds and start a conversation that needs to be had. Everything affects everyone in different ways, the things that seem small to you could spiral for someone else and the consequences could be bigger than you ever imagined. This isn't a book for the faint hearted but I honestly could not recommend you to read this more. Buy you know what? Even if you don't read this book, ask yourself one thing for me. Is there anything you could be doing to make someones day just that little bit better? And if so, WHY aren't you doing it?



***Link not active until the 8th of September***

This book was  mind blowing and very insightful at the same time. It forced me to see things from a different perspective and I'm so very glad that I did read this book. It was uncomfortable to read for certain parts but I'm assuming that was the point. Very well written!

Imagine having a major crush in high school. You're shy and you're thinking that person won't look twice at you....so you admire from afar and never say anything. Then one day they're no longer sat at their desk, and they never will be again. They haven't moved away, they're dead.

Clay is understandably devastated, especially as Hannah took her own life, and he just can't understand why....but he's about to find out....can he handle the truth?

A parcel of tapes arrives posthumously from Hannah. This details the sequence of events that led up to her decision, naming and shamed those that, largely unwittingly, contributed to her decision. Clay has no idea why he would be on the tapes, or when his part of the story will appear and the suspense is killing him. What follows is the unraveling of Hannah's story, and subsequently her life.

This book is clever in that it highlights how nobody can ever truly know what is going on in somebody else's life, and how much of an impact you can have on others as an individual. Just the smallest of gestures can make a massive difference. An original concept with a powerful message. As long as you're in a good frame of mind this is not one to be missed, however, if you do happen to be feeling emotionally delicate it's probably best avoided until you're in a better frame of mind. 4 stars.

Thirteen Reasons Why is a very engaging book which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

I am not quite sure if I would have read the book before I became engaged to the Netflix series but I am glad I did.  I have a feeling that I would probably have missed out on this great book otherwise.

Jay Asher's writing aesthetic is very engaging and his use of dialogue and character development was excellently written.  I was also very found of his plot device and the framing of his chapters which urges the readers to become gripped and become totally engrossed.

Some of the subject matter is truly horrific and at times I wonder are teens this self obsessed.  At first glance, they seem like everyone is close but as you ponder your way through the book, you realised that the teens really have no interconnection with each other.  They co-exist in their own private worlds but no one really knows each other.  

I do not know if this is a plot device for the book or if this is a reflection of modern teen society today.  I hope it is the former because if it is the later, the world is in a very sad state of affairs.

Overall, this is a gripping read and would recommend this book to anyone.  It's paced extremely well, the shocking ending and conclusion are fully engaging and one of the better young adult fictions that transpires through all age ranges.  This is a true winner and it has piqued my interest in Jay Asher's writing which I am going to start reading.

A compelling read. 
There are plenty of arguments for and against the content and I'm not really sure where I stand on those, but as a piece of literature I really enjoyed it.

: I will start with confession, I requested this book, because I knew the TV Series are out, it can’t be bad if it’s on telly right? And guess what, I was right. I loved this book.
This book is a quick read, because it is tiny and really gripping. This book carries two stories at once, the story of Hannah and another one of Clay. This novel is filled with feelings and regret. I loved Hannah’s character in this book, yes, even though she is dead, she is still the main character of this book. I loved her courage for this confession and the secrecy and originality of all this “business”. The palette of characters is really wide in this book and offers a great variety of personalities to choose from. The characters are very realistic, just like ordinary school kids, which most of us faced in our lives. The whole story is told by Clay and Hannah, but that is sufficient to showcase the feelings and powerful meaning of this novel. 
I absolutely loved the message of this book, and I think that Jay Asher done a great Job, by highlighting suicide and its causes. I loved the way he showed, how small and to some, unimportant actions might influence young people and what it can lead to. I loved the difficulty of relationships which Jay Asher was portraying in this book, and how it changed due to particular actions. The narrative of this book is flowing smoothly in this novel, there are no much twists or turns, but every chapter has a great cliffhanger, which creates suspense, makes you wonder of what is waiting in the next side of that cassette. One thing that made it difficult for me, was the merging of these two stories, I would’ve preferred that Hanna’s stories would be uninterrupted by Clay’s commentary and thoughts. 
The language of this book was easy to read and understandable, and the chapters are reasonable length, so it is easy, quick and very powerful read. The ending of this novel is well thought throw and shows to all of us, that life goes on. So, to conclude, it is very amusing and extremely deep book, full of friendships and teenage relationships, and I think this book is absolute must read to all the school goers (and others as well), as in my opinion, most of them can relate to this book and learn few great things about life as well.

I'm sure you've heard of 13 Reasons Why, even if you didn't realise it was a book I bet you'll have seen the buzz over the Netflix series. If you have,  instead,  been living under a rock and are new to it then this follows the story of Clay Jenson and Hannah Baker. Hannah has taken her own life and she has left tapes chronicling the reasons why. 

It took me a good while to read this book, not because of the book being bad but because I've seen the series and whilst I knew the reasons why,  I didn't want to have my heart broken again. 

This book is such a poignant read and really makes you think about how your behaviour can affect others, how easy it is to ignore someone that is clearly reaching out and the devastating consequences of doing so. 

It's a stunning but hard read because of the subject matter, I know some reviews have said it glamorizes suicide, I'm not sure I agree with those, I don't think suicide is ever a black and white matter much like Hannah's reasons aren't black and white.

I enjoyed it. I wanted to read this before watching the series on TV

A difficult book to review as I worked in a school library and I would have to think twice about putting it on open shelves.  Whilst it tackled a serious topic I think that by using suicide as some sort of revenge it it may give  young people a strange validity for taking their own life rather than encouraging them to deal with their problems and talk to someone about their feelings. I have very mixed views about it. 
My thanks to Netgalley for this copy.