Put a once unknown and unapproachable topic truly into perspective
By Stacy / Spinebreakers Crew
Upon reading the blurb of ‘Thirteen Reasons Why’ it is clear that this is in no circumstances a light hearted read.
My first impression after reading the book’s tagline ‘there are thirteen reasons why your friend committed suicide. You are one of them’ was that the book was one of those ‘reader involvement’ types; a book where I would have the chance to select the plot from a series of options, watching it unfold the way I wanted it to. However, it soon became apparent that this was not the case and, after an initial period of disappointment, I became excited by the prospect of a tenacious plot that tackles a bleak but relevant topic.
Once I began reading I soon realised that the idea of a ‘reader involvement’ book was rather childish and not something that could be applied to a book for teenagers, let alone anything of such a serious nature. ‘Thirteen Reasons Why’ is in no way what many may call ‘a literature classic’, the lexis isn’t the epitome of an exquisite masterpiece and author Asher doesn’t push boundaries in his written style. But that doesn’t mean the book is totally lacklustre; with the creation of protagonist Clay and an intricate plot the book manages to capture the conscience of anyone who perhaps has spoken behind someone’s back or uttered a rude comment – it will certainly leave the emotion of guilt emblazoned on your mind.
Within the first cassettes (which can also be referred to as, more traditionally, chapters) I felt an instant dislike towards Hannah. To any of you who have read the book you may question how I can be so callous towards a girl who has just committed suicide? In my opinion, I felt Hannah’s decision to blame others for seemingly petty crimes to be pathetic. What was I expecting from the plot? To be honest, I was expecting some exaggerated, over the top and surreal reason for her death yet it never provided this. However, once many of the characters stories interlinked I began to see how the book can be paralleled to real life; it’s not the big events that affect us, it’s the small, somewhat pointless events and comments that leave their imprint.
Around cassette three I began to realise that perhaps Asher does deserve some praise, for he has approached and tackled a topic in a realistic and endearing way; in no shape or form is the plot embellished with drama or unbelievable twists and turns. Returning to my initial point, perhaps it could be argued that the term ‘reader involvement’ is apt for ‘Thirteen Reasons Why’, it has undeniably affected my outlook on teenage suicide and has put a once unknown and unapproachable topic truly into perspective.