Book Review 13 Reasons Why

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 13 Reasons Why Book Review

Trigger Warnings: This book, and therefore my review, have mentions of suicide, rape/sexual harassment, bullying, and death. Please do not read this blog and the book itself if you know those things affect you. Thank you :)     

    As I sit down to write this review I am going to be honest and admit I don't really know where to start. Similar to the main character Clay Jensen I find myself at a loss for words and a jumble of emotions. In the story 13 Reasons Why readers follow Clay around his hometown as he listens to the tapes left to him and 12 others by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide not long before he received the tapes. As the title of the book suggest the 13 tapes each bring one reason and person that are responsible for her death. As much as Clay wishes he wouldn't have to hear his dead classmate speak to him again, fearing that he won't be able to take the pain, he forces himself to hear how it is that he played a role in Hannah's death. Alongside the tapes, there's a map with all the places she mentions throughout the tapes that Clay follows as the night unfolds and he learns more and more about someone who it's too late to save. 

    In of itself, this is an extremely emotional book that is full of very intense ups and downs. The author does a great job of helping the reader feel connected and invested in Hannah's story despite all of us knowing that nothing he says will change the outcome of Hannah's decision. Each tape is like a new punch to the gut for both Clay and the reader as we immerse ourselves more and more into what used to be Hannah's reality. Clay also plays a very important part in the story as he offers a perspective of someone other than Hannah, someone who technically witnessed all of this happen but never truly did. His guilt and emotions also influence those of the reader making this already emotional story even more heart-wrenching. I don't know if I can come up with any critiques for this book, I think it was a great novel and would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for an emotional and engaging read. 

-Fabi 

Comments

  1. Callie StanderferOctober 15, 2021 at 5:40 PM

    Great post Fabiana! I had read about this series on netflix but have never considered reading it. When I read the plot summary of the tv show it sounded cheesy, but now after hearing your review I think I will read it. Thanks for the recommendation! -Callie (^_^)

    ReplyDelete
  2. JordanOctober 15, 2021 at 6:48 PM

    I recently finished this show and and I could say many of the same things about it. Great review!

    ReplyDelete

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