Bibliographic
Information: Asher, J. (2007). Thirteen
reasons why. New York: Razorbill. ISBN: 978-1-59514-171-2
Plot Summary: Clay
Jensen returns from school one day to find an anonymous package addressed to
him. Inside is a shoebox is full of cassette tapes numbered with blue nail
polish. Curious, Clay hurries to his dad’s old cassette player in the garage
and inserts tape one, only to here the voice of his crush and recent suicide
victim: Hannah Baker. She has left seven tapes, to thirteen people, giving
thirteen reasons why she killed herself, and Clay has no idea how he could be
on her list. He is instructed to listen to the tapes, and to send them off to
the next person—if he fails to do so, a second set of tapes will be released to
the public and shame all of the accused on her list. Hannah tells secrets about
everyone that they wouldn’t want to be known; secrets that could put them in
jail.
Her story is told through Clay’s listening and reflecting
upon the tapes, almost to the point of obsession. He doesn’t sleep, steals a
portable cassette player from his friend, and lies to his parents in order to
sneak away and follow the scavenger hunt she has left, marking important points
throughout town that lead to her demise. In her story Clay learns how she was
new to town, but immediately tagged as being promiscuous through a dirty rumor
and inclusion on a list of girls with certain “best” attributes. From there,
the reasons snowball, as she reveals the behavior of her friends and
classmates: voyeurism, stalking, harassment, and rape. But Clay is a decent
person, and learns that his part in her story is different.
Critical Evaluation:
Though the premise of this story is compelling enough to make an involved and
quick read, adults may find Hannah’s “reasons” a tad melodramatic and
superficial. Teens, on the other hand, are more in tune to all of the nuances
of the high school social landscape, and may find a bit more from this haunting
book. Depression is understood to be serious mental illness, and While Hannah offers realistic accounts of cruel behavior that would hurt anyone, like being bullied or spied on by a voyeuristic school mate, her chain-letter of
audiotapes come across as more of a vain and vindictive slap in the face to
people who were, for the most part, just making mistakes that could have been addressed, dealt with, and learned from through other means. But the real power is felt through the narrator,
Clay—who reacts to each detail of Hannah’s story as if it were his own painful
onslaught of experiences. He feels angry, frustrated, sad, and eventually
enlightened. And it is not until the end of the book, when Clay reaches out to
another shy and quiet looking girl, that we finally feel the blow. Asher
conveys a powerful message in a cleverly written way, with suspense and emotion
that beg readers to ask themselves: Do I know someone who could use a friend?
As Clay learns, a little kindness can go a long way. Thirteen Reason Why aks of its readers not to overlook someone's emotions, because no matter how vain or trivial they may seem out of context, the person feeling them may be drowning and asking for help.
Readers Annotation: Clay’s
high school crush Hannah, has left a mysterious package on his porch, filled
with audiotapes revealing thirteen reasons for her suicide.
Author Information: Wikipedia states that “Jay Asher was
born in Arcadia, California on
September 30, 1975. He grew up in a family that encouraged all of his
interests, from playing the guitar to
his writing. He attended College right after graduating from San Luis
Obispo High School. It was here where he wrote his first two
children’s books for a class called Children’s Literature Appreciation. After
high school, he decided he wanted to become an elementary school teacher. He
then transferred to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where
he left his senior year in order to pursue his career as a serious writer. He
is married. Throughout his life he worked in various establishments, including
as a salesman in a shoe store and in libraries and bookstores. Many of his
work experiences had an impact on some aspect of his writing.”
Genre: Realistic
Fiction
Subjects: Suicide,
interpersonal relations, high school
Curriculum Ties: Warning
signs of suicide and depression
Booktalking Ideas: Use
the audio book to play the first sequence of Hannah’s story. Open up discussion
about possible reasons for suicide, and suggest ways teens can help each other.
Reading
Level/Interest Age: 14+
Challenge
Issues/Defense: Due to sexual and suicidal content, this material may be challenged. If so, refer to:
Reason for Selection: The story is so cleverly told, and recommended by many YA resources.
1. The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy, Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection documents.
2. The California Department of Education District Selection Policies, Reading Lists, and Resources for Recommended Literature: Pre-K-12.
4. Mixed book reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly.
5. If necessary, The San Francisco Public Library’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form.
Reason for Selection: The story is so cleverly told, and recommended by many YA resources.
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