Live Blogging: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why	Loved it	Graded
Author: Jay Asher
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Razorbill
Elements: Social issues, suicide
Series: Stand alone

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.

Chapter 1: What map? It's alternating between Clay and Hannah's voice. "You are being watched." Watched from the grave. Creepy!


Chapter 2: Best Ass in Freshman Class? It's a compliment... I guess. Is she doing this for revenge? Because of a list, seriously? Snowball reaction. Ohhh...


Chapter 3: I think I'm getting it now.


Chapter 4: Might mean bad things for Clay now. O.O


Chapter 5: "And in high school, people are always watching so there’s always a reason to pose." Great line, so true. I find reading from a dead girl's POV very creepy. Huddled under the blanket now.


Chapter 6: Such a serious story, and all he thinks is "you wear makeup?" LOL. Red light symbolism for unwanted hand on knee, right?


Chapter 7-8: Must read. No time to blog.


Chapter 9-13: Awhh, man. This is depressing.


Chapter 14: See the signs. Go Clay!

Would you want the ability to hear other people’s thoughts?

Of course you would. Everyone answers yes to that question, until they think it all the way through. For example, what if other people could hear your thoughts? What if they could hear your thoughts…right now?

Sometimes we have thoughts that even we don’t understand. Thoughts that aren’t even true—that aren’t really how we feel—but they’re running through our heads anyway because they’re interesting to think about.

-Excerpt from Thirteens Reasons Why

As a personal rule, I don't read sad stories. There are too many sad stories happening, and I'd rather read about someone who has their happily-ever-after moment, even if it's just that: a moment. So what made me read this? Maybe it was the fact that it shows me how someone gets to the point where they contemplate suicide.

This book was a great and insightful read on suicide and peer pressure. It shows how one thoughtless word or action can create a snowball effect. In fact, I hated reading Thirteen Reason Why, knowing that Hannah was dead. She gave up on life.

But why?

That's what we're going to find out. Hannah's story is compelling. We get to see through her eyes from the time she moved to the neighborhood, to the last days of her life. Near the end of the book, I was rooting for Hannah to still be alive. I think if you read this, you will too.

Jay Asher has the ability to seamlessly aternate between two unrelated points of view, and make a connection. The writing was flawless, and the characters had a lot of depth to them, especially when Hannah describes them. Her anger, her depression... I'm just waiting for the audiobook to come out (if it ever does) and I hope the reader does justice to Hannah's voice.

There are loads of things I could say about Thirteen Reasons Why, but you should find out for yourself.