Thirteen Reasons Why

Jay Asher

Jun 2011 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES AND INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

**THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL, NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES**

“Eerie, beautiful, and devastating.” —Chicago Tribune

“A stealthy hit with staying power. . . . thriller-like pacing.” —The New York Times

“Thirteen Reasons Why will leave you with chills long after you have finished reading.” —Amber Gibson, NPR’s “All Things Considered”

You can’t stop the future. 
You can’t rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play.

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.
               
Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.

Need to talk? Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) anytime if you are in the United States. It’s free and confidential.

Find more resources at 13reasonswhy.info.
 
Find out how you can help someone in crisis at bethe1to.com.

Ratings and reviews

Best book I've ever read. This book is very intense and is not for kids, but shows the side of how suicidal people feel. There may be a few parts that I can see why others don't like this book, but as a teenager myself whos seen people being bullied and has been the girl whos gone through things like this, I think its a good lesson to help others mature/realize what their words/actions cause others. Definitely do not read or watch the show if you are suicidal and experiencing this treatment.

I find it humorous how incredibly dense people can say someone is "Selfish" for taking their own life when they're just trying to end their own pain, albeit in a permanent way to a problem that is temporary for some, but I love this book and the entirety of the show, it's a beautiful story about how our words can affect those around us even without us realizing it. I've also been through sexual assault and fifteen suicide attempts and you don't see me calling people "Selfish" So Carelessly.

This is my least favorite book that I was able to finish. It had such a promising premise but I couldn't sympathize with the characters at all, especially not Hannah. She felt more like a vindictive caricature of a teenage girl than an actual person. The writing itself was good enough for me to push through but I was left with a very underwhelming experience. I wouldn't reccomend it.

About the author

JAY ASHER's debut novel, Thirteen Reasons Why, a #1 New York Times and international bestseller, has sold over 3 million copies in the United States alone and is now a thirteen-part series on Netflix. The Future of Us, his second novel, was co-authored with Printz Honor winner Carolyn Mackler. He is also the author of the New York Times bestselling What Light. Piper, out in Fall 2017 and co-authored with Jessica Freeburg and illustrated by Jeff Stokely, will mark Asher’s graphic novel debut. His novels have been translated into thirty-seven languages. He lives with his family in California. Follow him on Twitter @jayasherguy.