Teaches readers a valuable lesson about life
By Charlotte Vinall / Spinebreakers Crew
Upon receiving this book, I was immediately drawn in by the somewhat blunt cover which stated in capital letters ‘There are thirteen reasons why your friend committed suicide. You are one of them.’ This attracted my interest straight away as I was curious as to what thirteen reasons could have led a teenager to such an untimely death and how the protagonist, Clay, could have affected the life of Hannah Baker so severely; a life which ended prematurely in suicide. I cannot deny I attempted to skip ahead to find his reason out of sheer interest, yet always managed to restrain myself.
What Jay Asher has achieved in this brilliant debut novel, is not only address and tackle a social taboo successfully but has also left food for thought in the readers’ heads long after the last page has been turned. The whole story revolves around how events which have occurred in Hannah’s life, some seemingly minor and insignificant, all cause a snowball effect which leads to her tragic death. This teaches readers a valuable lesson about life; it is the small actions in life which leave the biggest impact and therefore the largest of consequences. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a novel which gives you a different outlook on life, presents realistic characters as well as a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Great debut novel.