by Jay Asher
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Product Description
Clay Jenkins returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers 13 cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay’s dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Incredible, 2008-10-04
I picked this book up because I was a bit intrigued by the synopsis on the inside cover. I was away for the weekend, and I figured that this would help get me through.
I devoured it in one sitting.
Once you start this book, it is nearly impossible to put it down. The plot is centered around a young girl's suicide tapes, in which she gives thirteen reasons why she took her life. The reasons center around thirteen different people with seemingly no connection whatsoever.
Clay, who receives the tapes, has no idea what he did that related to Hannah's suicide. Throughout the story, he finds out.
This book was amazing. After reading it I couldn't fall back asleep; My head was buzzing. It's a truly haunting and valuable tale that will actually make you think.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
 A horrible and potentially costly message, 2008-09-30
This is my first review on Amazon, and I am only doing this because I feel it is necessary to warn people about this book.
The character that is giving the thirteen reasons for committing suicide is not looking for help, and at every opportunity, pushes those away that are interested in trying. She feels the world revolves around her, and looks for reasons for suicide because other people don't feel the same way.
Half of all high-school girls will go through most of what Hannah went through. It is sad, but that is teenage school life.
As the book continues on, it becomes harder and harder to feel sorry for Hannah. She is guilty of the same lack of effort she chastised everyone on her list for.
At the end of the book, the only people you feel sorry for are those Hannah calls out (with 2 exceptions), as they now have to live with the idea that because they did not put Hannah before them in all things they were the cause of her death.
This book sends a horrible message, and will be extremely confusing to teens that are facing real problems with depression, as they see a girl that has plenty of reasons, none of which are anywhere near as bad as theirs, and lose all hope for themselves if someone with so few real problems wasn't able to find a way to get through it.
The writing is great and the premise had such incredible potential, but was wasted when Hannah was written as the whiny girl looking for excuses.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Perfectly Honest, 2008-09-24
I have never enjoyed a book as much as this. It's not funny. It's not lighthearted. Warning: It will actually make you think. You will not see fresher writing anywhere else. Only in books like "Just Listen" have I seen such honest speaking about something so serious, and this is the first one I've really read about suicide. The subject matter is grim, yes, but it will without a doubt change your perspective on life. Everyone can benefit from reading this amazing book. I just can't stress enough the beauty of this book. I can't. It's heartbreakingly honest, captivating, and refreshing. Just read it, please.
--SPOILERS--
Did you expect Clay's chapter to be anything but the last one? I know I didn't. Kind of amazing. I wonder what will happen when Mr. Porter gets it. Didn't see that coming, but it fit so well (because when have any of us been given helpful advice from a guidance counselor, right?) I don't know about you, but Hannah's voice, even though she was dead, was the most real and raw thing I have ever experienced. Asher is a brave, brave writer to say what he says, and I love him for it. Everything just fit together so flawlessly. I want to know more. I want more tapes. But just like Clay has to learn after everything is that she's gone, and there won't BE anymore. And that's the heartbreak of the story. This girl, this girl who had such a strong untold story, isn't just one girl. This girl is representative of each and every one of us. Everyone. Don't you want to know the stories? Are you strong enough to hear them?
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 My stomach was actually knotted while reading, 2008-09-05
I saw Jay Asher speak at UCLA's Festival of Books a few months back, and when he read part of the book it sounded so intriguing that I immediately put it on my list. Now that I've finally got around to reading it, I'm glad I stumbled into that session on Young Adult fiction those months ago.
This is the story of a girl who committed suicide, then recorded 13 sides of 7 cassette tapes, each devoted to someone who drove her to take her own life. The novel begins with the narrator receiving a mysterious box full of cassette tapes, popping one in the player, and finding out that Hannah Baker put him on her list. It's a little awkward in the beginning chapters, and even immature and unimportant, which wasn't really what I was expecting from the story of a girl who killed herself. However, it really picks up steam and tackles some pretty heavy issues in the second half. And it never takes the easy way out and cheapens the story by making concessions, which also surprised me from a YA novel. I look forward to reading more from Asher.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Amazing writing, deeply moving, 2008-09-05
Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why is the story of Hannah Baker, suicide victim, and the series of events that drove her to her final, desperate act. The story is told in her own voice through a series of tapes left behind for Clay, her would-be love, a teenager baffled by Hannah's actions and searching for some sort of perspective on her death.
Through Hannah's story and Clay's reaction, we find just how the thoughtless things we do every day negatively impact those around us, and just how much the loss of a life can mean. Never condescending or dishonest about teen suicide, Asher focuses on the "snowball effect," where no single truly horrifying thing happens to Hannah but, taken altogether and over time, "small" things drive her completely over the edge.
Parents and teens will be able to appreciate Asher's fluid style. He flawlessly transitions between voices (Clay and Hannah) and stories as he weaves together a tight and tragic tale of teen hopelessness.
If you're looking for a book about peer pressure, the impact of rumors and bullying, or about suicide in order to open a dialog with your teen (or even just to understand what he or she might be going through), this fantastic (and dark) book is the one you want.
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