I'm a little late to this party. I hadn't heard of this book until my teenage daughter discussed the TV show with me.  She was distraught by it but thought it was a very important show that all teenagers should see. Now I prefer a good book and this is definitely a good book. It's a quick read but it completely immerses you into the world of the teenager, Hannah.  It has vibes that make you sad and uncomfortable yet it's not overbearingly depressing.  The story is told by the narrator who explains what led to her untimely death, the author is very good at making you feel very different feelings about each character as the narrator explains their role in her life and eventual death.  It's a harrowing read at times but ultimately I would definitely recommend this to anyone.

I loved this book when I originally read it about 8 years ago but having seen the TV show I enjoyed it the second time even more.
I was actually surprised how true to the book the TV show is, there are a few noticeable changes but not as many as you would expect for a 13 part series. Its hard to wrap my head around a young girl committing suicide and then effectively blaming other people for it and while that still causes a question in my mind I had more empathy with Hannah this time.
I really would consider this book one of my all-time YA favourites and I am pleased it has been given a huge boost thanks to the netflix show.

I am very much a believer that a TVs adaptation can never do a book justice, so when a TV show affects me as much as this one did I have to go to the source material.

The book was certainly traumatic and my mind was filled with anger and  sadness that so many small acts could end in such a way, but I found the book to be somehow less than what I expected. There was no real resolution after such a traumatic evening, Clay seems almost numb, there was no confrontation, no reaction and for me worst of all no consequence.

The acceptance that this was like a documentary, just a linear explanation with no punishment to be meted or culpability owned up to ,just frustrated me and in a way made me less sure that the book would be a positive thing to inform parents or those teens  in the throes of dark times. The show seemed to be more dynamic and thought provoking because it actually showed the horrendous fallout both from the seemingly small acts of selfishness, wilful ignorance or straight out arrogance that led to Hannah's death and the effect that the revelations on the tapes had on those thirteen individuals and Hannah's parents.

Good but not great.

I read this book after watching the TV adaptation of it. What can I say? It is a must read for any teenager and (in my opinion) does not glorify teenage suicide at all. It shows the importance of being aware of how our words and actions can effect those around us, and the devastating consequences when a young girl does not feel like she has a voice. Heartbreaking and utterly compelling. A superb and highly recommended 5 stars.

Recently filmed as a thirteen-part Netflix drama executively produced by Selena Gomez, Thirteen Reasons Why was the first novel by the award-winning author, Jay Asher. It is the type of book readers will either love or hate, but it should definitely come with a warning. This story is NOT an accurate representation of depression and suicide.

Yes, suicide. A teenaged girl has committed suicide, shocking everyone who knew her. No one could understand why, but thirteen people are going to find out. Clay Jensen is the ninth person to receive a box of thirteen audiotapes from Hannah Baker. However, Hannah died two weeks ago. As she premeditated taking her life, Hannah recorded thirteen stories involving people from her school that caused her to snowball into deep depression and despair. Desperate to find out why his name features in Hannah’s story, Clay begins listening to the tapes in order, putting together the events that led to Hannah’s death. 

What follows is a heart-breaking story showing the impact individuals have on other people’s lives, often without realising it. In some cases, the characters only played a minor role in Hannah’s life, whereas others caused significant damage. The saddest thing is, Clay could have helped Hannah, but she had pushed him away.

At times, Hannah seemed like the horrible person, calling all these people out on petty little things, but these things, along with the more horrible ones, all built up to create a life that did not feel worth living. It is eye opening how much a small action, comment or rumour can so drastically alter someone’s future. 

Bearing in mind that depression affects everyone differently and has numerous causes, some readers may feel disgusted at Hannah’s extreme action, but this is the fault of the author. Jay Asher fails to completely describe the emotional torment that Hannah felt, and only someone who may have been through a similar situation, or worse, will fully be able to understand the impact everything has had on her mental health. 

As Hannah beleaguers her listeners, the thirteen people start to feel like the victims rather than the “attackers”, which is most probably not what the author was intending. Now, these people will have to live their lives believing they caused a girl to commit suicide when really they were only 1/13th of the reason. Although, before criticising this novel, keep in mind it is a work of fiction.

What is most painful about Thirteen Reasons Why, is not Hannah’s plight, but the reaction Clay has to hearing Hannah’s story. Unlike the other people Hannah accuses, Clay is not one of her antagonists; all Hannah wants to do is to say sorry. 

It is up to the reader to judge whether Thirteen Reasons Why is worthy of praise or not. Those without an understanding of depression may dislike it on account of misunderstanding Hannah’s reasons, whereas others may feel insulted that she killed herself over things that could have been eased had she told someone. Personally, I understand where Hannah is coming from, and although I would not go to the extremes Hannah did, I do not think she was selfish or stupid or any other insult that may befall her. 

The reason I give this book a good rating lies in the quality of writing. Asher seamlessly alternates between two narratives – Hannah’s story and Clay’s reaction and reflection. Although the author may not have clearly expressed Hannah’s emotions, he successful emphasises the grief and despair Clay feels listening to the cassettes. My main concern is that Thirteen Reasons Why will only be short lived. Audiotapes were already obsolete when the book was published, but soon will there be any new readers who know what a tape is?

Very disjointed for me, hard to follow as not free flowing due to the way it was written, but an interesting insight to teenage issues

Free copy kindly received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

I was keen to read this book as everyone has been raving about the TV series. I don't get much time to watch tv, so wanted to read the book instead.

Hannah Baker has committed suicide and has recorded a collection of cassette tapes to explain her 13 reasons why and the tapes are to be heard by the people involved with the reasons. Clay, one of the POV’s of our story is one of them. 

It was good how the story unfolded and a very different idea telling the story through a series of cassette tapes. It was very clever how each person linked into the story and how the events unfolded. 

Unfortunately I only felt able to give this book 4 stars as I felt it was missing something but I'm not sure what. I thoroughly enjoyed this book though and would recommend it to others.

This is actually a re-read for me.
Having been interested in the TV show (and obsessing) I HAD to read the book again. 
If you really want something new to obsess over, then 13 Reasons is something I definitely recommend. 
This book truly makes you question life and what little things can do to create a much bigger problem.

As a school librarian and in light of the recent Netflix adaptation of this book, I have been hearing a lot of talk about this recently. Looking at some of these reviews, I have been very concerned that some of my pupils have been asking about it, so I have just read it - always the best thing to do people, as you should never rely on hearsay!
Firstly, I don't think this book actively promotes suicide. I actually think it is the intention of the author to make us think about how our actions affect other people's lives. It is not about revenge. It is about changing your actions...making time to talk to that person you think may need someone to talk to....being kinder. Listening to the tapes makes Clay appreciate that a person's actions can influence another's life in ways you do not realise and that making an effort to really get to know someone else can help them be happier if they are struggling.
However, I agree with some of the views expressed below that this is definitely not a book to be given to someone who is suffering from depression. This is not a self-help book. Hannah is in a cycle of self-destruction, a downward spiral she is not able to escape from. She has already made up her mind that she cannot carry on and I am not sure she can be diverted from her course in the end. Mr Porter tries to help her talk, but unintentionally confirms the decision she has already made. I have not suffered from depression myself, but am very aware of what this can lead to and I can see that the book could be read in a way which could offer suicide as an option to someone who is in a dark place.
If you are worried about whether to recommend this book, or allow a young person to read this, my advice would be that this is not a story for younger children - this is a dark and sometimes sexual story and does have a rape in it. I would not recommend this book for anyone under the age of 15/16, because of this.
In addition, be aware that this is not a story for someone who suffers from depression as it can be read in a way which seems to offer suicide as an acceptable option if you can see youself in the same place as Hannah finds herself, although this is not its intention. Be aware of who is reading this book. It is, however an interesting read and does open the discussion about suicide, just be careful about who you recommend this to and do talk about it with them both before and afterwards.
Having said all this, I did enjoy reading the book and don't believe that the author intends anything dark by it or suggests intentionally that suicide is a way to get revenge on others.
The Netflix series worries me far more than the book itself. This strings out the story in a way which seems to glamorise Hannah's tapes and the idea of revenge on those that caused her suffering to make it into a "teen drama full of angst". 
The Netflix series is horrific. This oringinally had a certificate of 15, but this has now been amended to 18. The tv show definitely does not leave you with the same feelings as the book and most certainly is not for children. The final episode even shows Hannah sitting in a bath and cutting into her veins with a razor blade. Please do not watch this if you liked the book. Jay Asher, you should be ashamed that you had anything to do with this!

Thirteen Reasons Why is everywhere at the moment: the new TV show on Netflix has made it spread all over Twitter and into the news as well. So when this popped up on Netgalley I decided to see what the fuss was about.

I’m really conflicted about this one. I’ve been watching the series on Netflix around the same time so some of that is probably going to bleed into this review.

I think my problem with this book – and the show too – is how cool Hannah comes across. I know a lot of people have said it glamourises suicide and I tend to agree. Hannah has made herself immortal by recording her life story and forces others to listen to it after her suicide. I think it makes it sound like an attractive option to impressionable young people, rather than the last desperate act of an unhappy girl.

I also hate the fact that Hannah does this at all. Yes, she does acknowledge that ultimately it was her choice to end her life. But sending out tapes saying everyone on there is a reason she died is pretty cruel, especially to Clay. I understand that people need to be held accountable for their actions and to understand how everything they do can affect someone, but I felt this was a selfish way to get her message across. It’s a bit ‘eye for an eye’ – you ruined my life so now I’m going to ruin yours.

So I had some pretty big problems with the plot and theme of the book. But I also didn’t really like the format. I’m not sure the tapes really worked. I kept wondering how Hannah recorded them: did she write everything down and plan what she was going to say beforehand? Or did she just do everything off the top of her head? Either way, it just didn’t read naturally to me: it as too stylistic and that brought me out of the story.

I also didn’t feel like the present day story was particularly interesting. In fact, I could basically have done without it. It was more distracting than enlightening to have the occasional interruptions from Clay. I don’t feel they added much to the story: if they were needed, I think there should have been more happening than Clay just walking around listening to tapes.

This has all been pretty negative so far but I’ve still given three stars, mostly because it kept me reading. I did want to know what happened to Hannah and what all her reasons were, even if I didn’t agree with what she was doing. The book also made some interesting points on the treatment of women’s bodies: a small, seemingly insignificant (to other people anyway) action sets off a chain of events that turns Hannah’s body into a commodity to be talked about and used by others. There’s an important message there but I think some of it got lost in everything else. I feel the book was kind of style over substance, with the idea of using the tapes coming before everything else.

After hearing all the hype around the Netflix series I knew I had to read the book before allowing myself to watch the series. I wasn't sure what to expect all I knew about '13 reasons why' was that it was about a suicide. 

The storyline was very fast paced and easy to read, I finished the book within a couple hours. Overall I think the book addresses some major issues within teen culture today, especially with regards to rumours and how an opinion about someone can have so much of an impact on their life. I think this book is good for young adults to understand the need to find the truth about a rumour before believing it and shows teenagers that it is okay to share your feelings or get help from others. Whether this is from professional help or family and friends. 

I would recommend this book to a friend and would definitely encourage schools to consider putting this book on the curriculum to show how easily one rumour, and the after affects of that rumour, can have on an individual.

This is a story about suicide and revenge.  A culmination of 13 individual events, some seemingly shallow or inconsequential on their own, push Hannah over the edge and she takes her own life.  However, before doing so she records the details of those events on to several audio tapes to be passed down a list of her antagonists.

We hear the story from Hannah's point of view, through the tapes she has made as they are listened to by nice guy Clay after he receives the package of tapes in the mail.  But why is he on Hannah's list when he only ever wanted to help her?

Obviously this is a very sad story, but I do not agree with those who say that it glamorises suicide.  It is a perfect example of why we should all be a little kinder to each other, and to ourselves.

Thirteen Reasons Why was one of those books that I saw everywhere and just hadn't gotten around to reading it, until now. And I'm happy to say that I'm glad I did, I enjoyed this a whole lot more than I was expecting too! I was hooked from the very first page and I was gripped until the very end.

Thirteen Reasons Why is a very short book and in the way it was written you can speed through it in one sitting. But despite it's length, this books packs one hell of a punch! The story talks about numerous important topics including grief, bullying, sexual assault, rape, consent and of course suicide. It talks about these topics in a subtle yet not so subtle way, weaving them into the story effortlessly. We learn about the warning signs of suicide and how you can never truly know what a person is going through just by looking at them, as on the outside they might seem completely fine. Therefore you should never under any circumstances bully or harass someone as you don't know the extent to which it will affect them.

Seeing all these important topics, you might assume that this book is indeed very heavy. However, I didn't exactly feel that way. It was so fast paced and incredibly gripping, I felt like I was there listening to Hannah's tapes along side Clay, and I was so immersed I didn't want to press pause. Meaning that this book was unputdownable!

Usually I'm not a fan of books that contain high school drama, the gossip, rumours and teenagers getting upset over the smallest of things irritates me to no end. But despite this book being chock-full of drama, I was so engrossed in Hannah's story that her problems didn't seem all that small. I'm not saying this justifies what she did, but it began to make sense. I could feel the isolation that she was slowly descending into, that feeling that you're trapped in a bubble and no one fully understands or comprehends you, but most of all, no one is bothered to help. It's similar to a feeling that I've experienced before, and I could begin to relate to Hannah. When you're a teenager these things become your whole world, your friends, the drama, the rumours. And then it all begins to blow up out of proportion, well at least in your own head it does. But although I can understand Hannah in a way, I do not, especially under these circumstances believe that suicide is the answer in these types of situations.

I thoroughly enjoyed Thirteen Reasons Why and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it after all they hype! If you're looking for a book you can completely lose yourself in for a couple of hours and is extremely gripping and relatable I would highly recommend this book!

This is a book that will stay with me for a long time, yet I didn't love it.

I'd been meaning to read this book for a long time, but just never got round to it, then the show came on netflix.

The show broke me. As a parent, I am petrified of my kids (one of whom is 12 and in secondary school) not being open and honest with me about both the good and bad things in their lives. How can I help them if I don't know what's happening? In the show, Hannah's parents (and Clay's to a certain extent) are completely oblivious to what is going on with their kids beyond the small snippets they are fed, so Hannah's suicide is a huge shock for all of them.

Watching Clay listen to the taps and slowly begin to lose his mind in guilt and uncertainty is heart breaking, almost as much as what Hannah suffered - in a weird way. This is a kid who never really did anything to anyone, got along with most people, and seemed to be a pretty likeable guy; yet here he is on a list of people Hannah blames.

In the book, Clay only takes a night to list to the tapes and the reader isn't privvy to what is happening with parents or the others mentioned on the tapes. If I had read the book before the show, I don't think that would have bothered me, but having seen how well the show rounded out these other characters mentioned in the book, reading felt a little 2 dimensional to me.

While Asher has dealt with such a touchy subject in a wonderfully sensitive way, he could have easily explored the repercussions more - the way the show did.

There are so many questions left to be answered it may leave the reader frustrated, but isn't that the case when someone makes the choice of suicide? Aren't those left behind plagued with questions, even if they know 'why'?

First of all I would like to thank Jay Asher for writing this brilliant novel, this is one story that will stay with me for a long time.
I could give you thirteen reasons why I loved this book so much but I would be giving away the plot and I don't want to I want you guys to read it for yourselves it's a rollercoaster ride filled with every emotion you could ever want to feel in a book it truly is.
This book teaches you a life lesson  and that is that all actions have consequences and you may not realise that what you are doing  is affecting someone now but it may hurt them later and if you don't have anything nice to say about someone then please don't say anything at all.
I urge all you readers to read this novel ...I know it's been adapted to a tv series which I kinda watched first before I read the book refrain yourselves people this is what you need to read first.
A brilliant thought provoking genius of a book and I cannot recommend it enough! 
Jay Asher I salute you!

Still a relevant and engaging read almost ten years after publication, however I don't think it explains or details enough ways in which Hannah's suicide could have been prevented.