Thirteen Reasons Why in Our Shared Shelf

Jun 27, 2009 Terri rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult

This book was very sad. Clay finds a box of tapes on his doorstep. When he starts listening to them, he finds they are from Hannah, a girl in his class who committed suicide. They address 13 different people and are to be listened to and then passed to the next person. As he gets more engrossed in the tapes he finds himself more and more upset. Seeing how others unknowingly affected Hannah's decision. Including himself.

I really felt for Clay on what he was hearing, and hannah for not seeing tha ...more

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Aug 30, 2010 Lacey Louwagie rated it liked it · review of another edition

So, I originally had no interest in reading this book because a friend of mine -- whose opinion I trust -- told me that it was the worst book she'd read in a long time. She painted it as a collection of whining and self-pity and blaming others for your problems. That, along with the fact that I'm not a big fan of storylines featuring suicide, kept me away for quite a while.

But then my mom and my sister read it and gave it a more favorable review, so I decided to try it after all. Krystl made an So, I originally had no interest in reading this book because a friend of mine -- whose opinion I trust -- told me that it was the worst book she'd read in a long time. She painted it as a collection of whining and self-pity and blaming others for your problems. That, along with the fact that I'm not a big fan of storylines featuring suicide, kept me away for quite a while.

But then my mom and my sister read it and gave it a more favorable review, so I decided to try it after all. Krystl made an insightful comment in response to my friend's disdain for the book when she said that the culture "wants you" to believe that the things that happened to Hannah, the main character, aren't a big deal. But when you're living through them, they are. A big enough deal to justify suicide? Well, I don't ever think suicide is justified -- but I also don't think anyone else can make the decision for someone else about what problems are "big enough" to make suicide an understandable and sympathetic outcome.

So I'm left feeling a little ambivalent about this book. The teen characters and the circumstances feel very real. And on the one hand, I think it's important for people to realize the devastating impact bullying and sexual harassment can have on a victim, and to know that something that seems "little" to a perpetrator or bystander really can be a huge deal. I really appreciate the fact that a male writer tackled this perspective because it shows that there are men out there for whom the "boys will be boys" explanation just isn't going to cut it.

On the other hand, the "premeditated" nature of the suicide as well as its presentation as the inevitable "outcome" of events makes me uncomfortable. Like most books dealing with teens and suicide, it comes dangerously close to romanticizing the issue, presenting it as a viable option for "getting back" at those who have hurt you. I also don't like that the novel is billed as a "suspense" story -- as if it's just another murder mystery, where the murderer and the victim happen to be one in the same.

My hope is that this book is found by those who will take from it the ability to be more compassionate -- and that those who are in a position like Hannah's will seek a better solution than she did. ...more

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Jun 24, 2017 Kate rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

This book exceeded my expectations. It's a page turner with almost no extraneous details. The characters and their actions are very believable despite or because of the fact that most are basically familiar high school archetypes and not terribly well developed. It captures many different ways students' individual actions (or lack thereof) contribute to a culture of bullying, harassment and sexual violence in school communities.

I raced through it in 24 hours, but was never emotionally engaged. ...more

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Apr 15, 2018 Rachel rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I honestly don’t see how this book has a 4 star average on goodreads. I struggled with giving it 2, and only went that high because at least it held my interest enough to finish it.

I picked it up after seeing it mentioned in an article. Had never heard of it before, and was really surprised when other people immediately recognized it.

The entire book felt contrived. Juvenile. Overly simplistic. Not realistic. Not authentic. Just...contrived. Somebody trying to imagine what it would be like to b ...more

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May 11, 2018 Samantha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic

Such a sad book and heartbreaking that this type of thing is happening more and more today with teens. A good eye-opener and reminder that the answer should always be compassion.

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