Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, published by the Penguin Group.
The simplest way to explain the plot of this novel is this: Clay Jensen was in love with Hannah Baker. Hannah Baker achieved an unwarranted reputation in high school. Said reputation was caused by thirteen individuals. Hannah Baker listed thirteen reasons (the thirteen individuals) for committing suicide. She addressed those thirteen people on recorded tapes before she died. Those tapes were then sent out to the first person on her list with clear instructions to continue sending them on until all thirteen individuals knew how they affected her.
Clay Jensen may be the main character/protagonist in this novel, however, Hannah's point of view is clearly articulated as well with alternating passages between her and Clay. Hannah's tape will play in italics and then Clay's thoughts will interject to allow his point of view for the reader. Clay is such a likable character so it was hard for me, as the reader, to imagine that he did something so horrible as to make Hannah suicidal. Asher dealt well with this conflict; he created an aura of mystery by having Clay question what he did as well. Clay was in the dark, the reader was in the dark, and only Hannah knew what happened. However, Hannah insisted on telling her story in numerical order, therefore, Clay and the reader don't know when his story will come around.
The review by Kirkus calls Thirteen Reasons Why "mesmerizing," which, in my opinion, is dead-on. It was difficult to stop reading until I found out why Clay was on the tape, what number he was, what part he played, who the other people were, and why exactly Hannah killed herself. I wasn't happy with the reasons Hannah gave; they didn't seem severe enough unless you take into account a mental illness like depression. Another reason it's so "mesmerizing" is Asher's talent for language. His sentences are abrupt and to the point. He gives you simple, concrete images, yet they are rough and raw and grab out at you: "I unbuckle my seatbelt and lean forward. I clasp my hand over my mouth and squeeze to keep from screaming. But I do scream, the sound dampened in the palm of my hand. And Tony keeps driving" (pg. 214).
One aspect of life that I love in literature is how every individual, no matter how small, can affect an outcome, a story, a life, a love, a success, a failure... we all change each other, for better, for worse, every day. Jenny, Marcus, Alex, Tony: they're all minor characters in the broad spectrum of Hannah's life. However, they influenced her so greatly, so negatively, that she contemplated suicide. They also were interlinked and ended up influencing more lives than just Hannah's.
Favorite Quote: "And when you mess with one part of a person's life, you're not messing with just that part . . . when you mess with one part of a person's life, you're messing with their entire life" (pg. 201).
I don't want to give away what Clay did or exactly where he fell on the list, but I will say that I love how Hannah included him, I love the way Asher kept me waiting and anticipating, and even the way he kept me frustrated. Hannah's reasons, in my opinion, were not justified. Kids in high school are teased, bullied, abused and victimized all the time. I'm not saying that's right, it's just a little fact of life. There's always going to be someone bigger or better or stronger out there who can make you feel worse about yourself, what you have to do is be strong, shoulder on, and find the confidence to keep going. Find something in life that is so worth living that no one else can take away from you. Hannah let those precious bits of life be stolen from her. She didn't give up enough of a fight and for that, I was disappointed. However, suicide is an important issue and many individuals need help for problems just like Hannah's. I hope this novel creates greater awareness of this struggle.
This novel is directly linked to Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. Jay Asher gave her a good blurb on her cover, therefore I picked up the book to read. It also covered the topics of death, fate, and choices. The characters in that novel were weaved together in such a fine manner that intrigued me, delighted me, and reminded me of Hannah's list. More to come on that book later!
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