I've heard about this book for a good few years as it was originally published in 2009, but never got round to reading it. When it popped up on Netflix as a series this year and then NetGalley were offering copies, I decided to give it a go - see what the hype was about. 

So, the premise is this. A girl commits suicide and leaves behind a suicide 'tape.' In this tape it explains the thirteen reasons why she was led to that moment and made that choice.

I'll be upfront straight away, and say I did not like this book. The writing was nothing spectacular and I never really got a feel for the main character, Clay Jensen, let alone anyone else. Well, I suppose the central character was really Hannah, the girl who died. Because a lot of it is through her words. 

There are thirteen reasons she killed herself, and each is connected to an individual person. In these tapes, she details the incidents that involved her and them and why that led her to this awful position. Each individual in turn has a tape where she speaks directly to them and tells them why they left her feeling in a certain way. When each person has listened to all the tapes, they pass it onto the next person. So that everyone knows her story, and everyone is sledge-hammered with guilt.

So, I didn't like it. In fact, I'll go further than that - I objected to it. Nothing really to do with the writing or characterisation, but the sheer premise of the book. This book is telling young adults (and adults) that people commit suicide because of other people. Now, sometimes this may be true. But usually it isn't. And all these individual events did not add up to someone suicidal to me. She was mentally ill, or entirely manipulative, because suicide does not work like that. Believe me. Maybe these events were the proverbial straw that broke the camels' back, but they weren't why it happened. And she dumped all this guilt, guilt that would hound them for the rest of their lives, onto these poor peers of hers, who did not deserve it. Sure, they made some mistakes. Some of them didn't even make mistakes. But, whatever. That is not how life works.

Or maybe it is? Maybe the idea is that she kidded herself into thinking that those were the reasons she chose to die. I'm finding it really difficult to separate what I felt about the book as a story, and the book as a novel i.e. a form of entertainment, and I apologise for that. But I couldn't enjoy a book that was so... wrong as this.

Suicide. This novel has been praised for 'breaking the taboo.' Well, if this is the 'taboo' that's been broken, it should have been left intact. People may go away and count up the hurts and perceived wrongs that have been dealt against them and think of them as their 'reasons why,' even if they have no suicidal ideation. This breaks no taboos, it lies. 

I don't usually speak so strongly about book content, but I can't help myself here. This book has got inside the minds of mentally ill or confused young people SO BADLY that it could be dangerous. It is simply not true. And the thought it's out there on Netflix (and I think doing fairly well) makes me fairly nauseous.

Killing oneself cannot be trivialised by making a list of thirteen people and their actions towards you that have left you feeling crap. This undermines what real people go through. 

Maybe I've read it all wrong, but this was how I took it it. And I could never condone anyone reading it, let alone recommend it. I would pluck the book from people's hands.

Go online. Go on Mind, the mental health website. See what this is really about. If we want to break taboos, that's great. But not like this.

Not like this.

I read this book due to watching the show.

I LOVE THIS BOOK!

It has all the emotions - raw, heart wrenching, heart braking.

You are going through the motions of those who lost a friend/ potential love/ daughter.  Seeing the after math of losing someone.

Clay lost someone who he cared about and wish he knew more about her.

Then there is Hannah, you feel she is with you telling you her heartbreak and her many shouts for help.

Read this.  It is a must read

The last time someone insisted I must read a book that everyone was talking about it turned out to be 50 Shades and nearly put me off other people's recommendations for life! Thankfully this redeems my friends tastes in novels.

I read this in one London to Leeds train journey on my way home from work (approx. 2.5 hours including a tree on the line). It's mesmerising and very difficult to stop reading. Some of that is the format. As with a diary style book you think 'ooh just one more entry/cassette side' before I do anything. Next thing the books over and you're home.

I've been in Hannah's shoes back in the distant days when I was 21 when comments by people that they may have felt were innocent enough or nothing to get upset about snowball into something huge where you're left feeling like there's nowhere to turn and no other options. I found a way out but it took 15 years of yo-yo depression before someone had the knowledge to show me how to get better. For Hannah that isn't here.

She also feels guilty for her own actions where she feels that had she done Y instead of X certain incidents wouldn't have happened. Oh the power of hindsight and foresight. So there's a message there for thinking about our actions before we do and speak as we never know just how it will affect others.

BUT it's not a book about blaming everyone but herself. It highlights people's lack of knowledge in mental health and how we need to talk more and bring it out in the one. It shouldn't be the last taboo. The 13th person on the tapes is the school guidance counsellor, a man completely out of his depth when faced with depression. He asks the one question you never should ask - a version of what's the problem/why are you sad. We don't know - that's why we break. When I had my 2nd breakdown and the one where I finally got the correct support I was asked this by so many people. It's so difficult to articulate and I probably still struggle. The other one is 'oh but you seemed ok'. Did I?

Just a query - what training do Guidance Counsellors have in mental health issues and so on? As an English woman who's only real experience with theis is watching Buffy blunder her way through I wonder what training they have compared to a therapist/counsellor. Genuine question there

There's a small section where the teenagers are given a list of ways to potentially spot someone struggling with mental health issues. I would have liked to have seen the full list put in the book plus some links to websites (maybe further editions do this?) Such a difficult subject should follow with signposting I think.

But that's my small quibble. This book and the TV show (which I will watch) is getting people talking and that can only be a good thing.

I first read Thirteen Reasons Why in January 2013 and to say I loved it would be an understatement. I thought it was clever and a fantastic story. At the time I was a volunteer grief counselling and was looking for a non-fiction book on suicide but stumbled across this instead.
The recent controversy surrounding the Tv adaption and it’s apparent glamorisation of suicide led me to want to reread it to see if I had missed something the first time around – I didn’t.
First of all, no matter what you think of it the book certainly has got people talking about suicide. A topic which is normally taboo and which teenagers, in particular, would probably find difficult to bring up.
Secondly, the book has some discusses some common signs that can hint that someone is considering killing themselves and it may make them think of the consequence of following through with their plan. Particularly when Hannah pictures how her parents would feel finding her body if she hung herself, it may make a suicidal person consider the effect on their own friends and family if they were to do the same.
It shows that there is always someone there willing to listen and be there for you, like Clay would have been there for Hannah had she confided in him.
Finally, one of the biggest reasons why I think critics have got it wrong is this. The book has the ability to make people consider that their actions have consequences, that the things they do and say to and about people can matter.
Now that is out of the way I can carry on with actually reviewing Thirteen Reasons Why. The main thing I want to say is that Jay Asher has written one hell of a book.
Throughout the book Jay Asher tells the story from both Hanna’s and Clay’s point of view by doing so she made the reader feel the full impact Hannah’s suicide by helping us to identify the suicidal person and those she left behind.
Thirteen Reasons Why begins with Clay getting ready to mail some tapes to someone but hesitating because he is reluctant to post something that will ruin someone’s day.
He thinks back to the day before when he received the tapes himself. Each time had a number painted on the side running right through to number 13. Clay is curious about the contents of the cassettes and immediately tries to find somewhere to listen to them.
He is shocked to discover the voice on the tapes belongs to a girl named Hannah Baker. A girl who killed herself recently.
“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.”
Hannah outlines her two rules for the people listening to her tapes, tells them that someone is watching them and she will know if they don’t do as she says then there will be consequences. Rule number 1 is that they have to listen. Number 2 is that they have to pass on the tapes to the next person on Hannah’s list.
She explains there are thirteen tapes because there are thirteen sides to every story.
Clay is bemused when he hears Hannah saying he is one of the reasons why she killed herself. He barely knew Hannah even though he wanted to. They worked together at the cinema during the summer and they had made out once at a party.
Each person on the list was sent a map of the city marked with little red stars and each star represents a location which is somehow important to the story.
Every person on the list is different from the public image they portray and each person was vital in the decision to kill herself.
Initially Clay finds himself questioning why he is even continuing to listen to the tapes when he knows he isn’t to blame. He knows the answer though.
“I swallow hard. Tears sting out the corner of my eyes. Because it’s Hannah’s voice, I voice I thought I’d never hear again. I can’t throw that away again.”
The tapes start with her talking to someone who started a rumour about her, a rumour which tarnished her reputation and because she was knew to the area it became the only thing people would think of when they thought of her. This rumour snowballed and led to a lot of the other things which occurred to make her want to end her life.
Clay finds it hard to listen to her tapes and to hear her giving up and knowing it was too late to save her.
As the book progresses it is easy to see how little things can gradually build up and lead someone to believe they have nowhere left to turn.
“Like driving along a bumpy road and losing control of the standing wheel, tossing you just a tad off the road. The wheels kick up some dirt, but you’re able to pull it back. Yet no matter how tightly you grip the wheel, no matter how hard you try to drive straight, something keeps jerking you to the side. You have so little control over anything anymore. And at some point, the struggle becomes too much – too tiring – and you consider letting go. Allowing tragedy – or whatever…to happen.”
This book has a very important message:
“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 the person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything…affects everything.”
This book is very high up among my favourite books.

Growing up as a teenager can be tough, you don't know what someone else us going throughout and what your actions could cause others to feel, this book highlights this instance fantastic way. Very enjoyable and eye opening book

I made the mistake of reading this book after watching the show on Netflix and I definitely think that influenced my opinion of it but whether you've seen it or not I think this is a book worth reading and I'm glad I did.

It's less shocking and brutal and given the format it lacks the depth and all of the side plots which feature in the show but in many ways it's actually better for it. The focus is completely on Clay and Hannah and it's very in the moment which makes it an intense and engrossing read. 

The author has said that the format of the book was inspired by audio guides (where you wander round a gallery or museum and listen to a recording of someone explaining what you're looking at) and that is exactly the feeling you get. Clay receives the tapes in the mail and spends a night listening to them while travelling around town to the places Hannah has indicated on a map. Clay's reactions to the tape and thoughts on what he sees and remembers are interspersed with Hannah's "reasons" and at times it's almost like a dialogue between them as Clay tries to understand why Hannah killed herself and why she holds him responsible.

I absolutely loved Clay as a character. He really goes through every emotion as he spends the night listening to the tapes and I felt so sorry for him. He's such a sweet, nice guy that it's difficult to understand why he would be on the tapes. He seems so innocent, insecure and has the most massive crush on Hannah that his inclusion absolutely devastates him.

He's not the only one who you can't but help question their inclusion in the tapes and it does make you wonder about Hannah. She's definitely not a reliable witness to what happened and often comes across as bitter and angry which makes having sympathy for her quite difficult. There are hints that there is more to the story and certainly something from her history which may be closer to the truth of why she did it but all we (and Clay) have is the tapes. I really liked the questions it raised and I think it will definitely spark some debate which on topics such as suicide, grief and abuse can only be a good thing.

There isn't much in the way of other characters or perspectives so it does leave things a lot more open to question and interpretation which I think is also good. It's one very intense but short period of time and it makes it addictive reading.

Asher's writing is very good and very readable. I think I read the whole thing from cover to cover in a morning and while I didn't get as much emotion as I possibly could have it did really grip me and I loved the unique format of it. 

I did know what happened and why Clay was on the tapes from watching the show so there weren't many surprises for me and I did kind of imagine the characters as the actors but there are a few differences so it did hold my interest. Certainly Clay and Hannah felt quite different to me, as did a few of the others named on the tapes. I do wish I'd read the book first so the element of surprise was there but then I probably wouldn't have enjoyed the show as much.

Overall a good read and definitely one I'd recommend whether you've watched the show or not.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for a review. As always all thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

"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 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 tells him that there are thirteen reasons why 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 firsthand witness to Hannah’s pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever."

As someone who has seen the effects of suicide and attempted myself, I thought this book may have been a difficult read. However, this was not the case for me as I feel that the mental health/ depression side was a bit neglected. Asher could have put more focus on this rather than putting so much emphasis on the tapes. 

I would have liked to have seen more character development and the effects of the tapes on the other characters. You hear their stories but never see them or hear from them. Equally, I would have liked to have seen Hannah's parents make an appearence too. I really liked Clay as a character and he was someone I feel a lot of people can connect with. 

The premise of this book was really unique and nothing I've seen before. The duel naractive and short chapters made this a really quick read. Initially, I was worried that knowing the ending would mean that I got bored half way through, but I kept on turning the pages in a need to know why. The overall message was a really important one and I feel people will take a lot from reading this.

I enjoyed Asher's writing style and will definitely be picking up more from him. 

4/5*

I've heard a lot about the series on Netflix and I wanted to read the book first, it's a quick read and I'd say it's in the style of young adult books. 
Looking forward to watching the series.

I enjoyed this book. I didn't know what to expect from it, having heard mixed reviews. Glad I decided to give it a read.

I am afraid I didn't finish this book. I didn't find it very interesting and I didn't care for the characters. I think the subject matter was perhaps not dealt with in the best way.

I read this book within a few hours as I literally could not put this down!! I couldn't wait to get to the next cassette! I haven't read a book where I literally couldn't put this down for years! I can't recommend this book enough!! It's light reading in the way that you do not have to focus 100% but at the same time the story keeps you gripped and you honestly just don't know what's going to happen next ! Fantastic read!!!! 10/10! I've just started watching the Netflix series but it's nothing compared to the book!

I requested this book because it also ties into the new Netflix show, and I always prefer to read the book before i watch the show. 
Although there are italics to differentiate the 'audio' from the main male character I found it hard to remember who's voice it was I was reading.  For me it would have been nice to have more of an insight into the other characters, to understand the impact the story had on them.

Heartbreaking, eye-opening, complex and sometimes chilling. Honestly, this book left me speechless. I read it all in a day. It feels weird to say I enjoyed reading it due to the subject it covers, but I did. It kept me hooked the whole way through and I think Asher dealt with a sensitive subject in a clever and absorbing way. I would recommend this book to anyone, although trigger warning (suicide is the main theme).

So the big discussion with this book is does it glamorise suicide?  I don't think it does. The main message of the book is how easy it is to destroy someone's state of mind and make them feel worthless. This needs to be read by teenagers and the people who work with them. So many adults dismiss verbal bullying and 'rumours' as they believe they are not aggressive: well this book shows how damaging it can be. A very powerful and well written book.

I’ve wanted to read this book for a long time, years, in fact. I never got round to it. I watched the entire Netflix series in one day, which wrecked me and made me cry for two days. So when I saw this pop up on NetGalley I had to request it. Thirteen Reasons Why is one of the saddest, moving and most riveting YA books I’ve ever read. I loved it even thought I feel weird and uncomfortable about loving something so sad. As I’ve seen the show I kind of knew what to expect with this one, but as always, the book was much better. Netflix did a good job adapting it. I loved the way the book was structured, one chapter for each side of a tape, with Hannah’s words on the tape overlapping with Clay’s memories and experiences while listening to the tapes. This works really well. I was heart-broken for Hannah. I felt everyone on the tapes deserted to be there for being such horrible people. I also felt sorry for the people who hurt Hannah so much she took her own life. They weren’t monsters, well not everyone, they were people, who were thoughtless and stupid the way people can be, who had no idea what the consequences of their actions would be. Bulling is something very real and it happens to kids every day. I was bullied. Suicide is also something that happens far too often. Thirteen Reasons Why doesn’t have a good ending but it deals with something painfully real. This book will stay with me for a long time. You must read it.

This was an engaging read it an interesting structure. Nothing too surprising though food for thought, and leaves you wondering what happens next (although the ending does offer a neat enough resolution). An interesting structure and the dual narrative actually added to the plot rather than just being there for the sake of it as with many novels. I also enjoyed the fact that nothing was sensationalised or overly dramatised for effect and the act of suicide itself was not the main focus.

It took me a few chapters to get into this book, but I liked the way it was written, from two different viewpoints and persevered and I'm glad I did.
Sad at times, it tells of the tragic suicide of a young girl who, despite showing signs of mental struggles, just doesn't seem to get the help she needs.
Her tapes are a way to tell those that even an action that can seem inconsequential at the time, can literally be the straw that breaks the camels back.
That said I never really warmed to Hannah, even though I felt so sorry for her, but Clay was a lovely boy and made the book hopeful rather than just bleak.
Well worth a read.

Since the release of the television show on Netflix, I think this one has divided people's opinions; it's like marmite, you either love the show or hate it. 

To be honest, i'M still not sure what to think of the storyline as a subject like suicide will always invite such divisive opinions from many different people. But I thought the book was well written, regardless of the matter. It showed such raw emotions and such suspense throughout the entire novel. I had only skimmed through the story this time as I had already listened to the audiobook but I have, to be honest, I thought the audiobook was so better because it was someone else reading the book out to me instead of my mind, and given the awful plot it was a better idea. Overall, I thought Asher did an excellent job taking such a sensitive subject and not being afraid to tackle this.