I give Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher 3 stars. There are many factors I consider in reviews, and those include word choice, topic, characters...etc. I like giving higher ratings then I should, and I really wanted to, since this book is so popular, and everybody raves about it. But I didn't really love this book, nor did I have to put it down in the middle because it was so terrible. It doesn't fall in either category, so I decided to give it an "on the fence" rating, since well, this is one of those books.
Let's start with the Pros (the good stuff) of the novel.
1. The Topic of the Novel is interesting for teens. The topic of suicide is very ongoing, and a novel that goes straight into the mind of a teenager who took her own life is a subject matter that is very important for us to know about, and also packs enough action for us to keep reading.
2. The Format is Unique. I personally enjoy books outside of the ho-hum, "Chapter 1, Chapter 2..." format. This book goes by Cassettes, and also has two narrators essentially. I am definitely a fan of multiple Point of View books, though this one is still technically "1" POV, there is two voices leading us on this escapade.
3. The Suicide Reasons are real. Not all people who commit suicide are poverty-stricken, have experienced death with loved ones, or huge events. This makes Hannah's reasons not "over-the-top."
And now the bad...
1. I didn't really love any of the characters. It is hard to get me to really like a character in the first place, but Hannah is supposed to seem relatable, and you're supposed to try to show empathy towards her. But her voice, though mysterious and with depth, is slightly annoying in a way. I felt like Clay was too emotional in moments where he couldn't have been. I also didn't feel like his connection with Hannah was strong. Sure, he loved her, but he doesn't have to blame himself. I HATE characters who always blame themselves for what happens to others.
2. There was almost TOO much going on. The novel wasn't going too fast, but certain characters, like Clay's Mom, and especially Bryce Walker were unneeded. A character like Bryce Walker is supposed to be MAJOR and important, and have a huge effect. He didn't. In the novel, Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, there is a character slightly similar to Bryce, and he was practically the whole book. So why did I love Speak, but not Thirteen Reasons Why? Also, the unnamed characters shouldn't be used. They confuse the reader, and I almost could't comprehend the Bryce scene, because no one was named!
3. THE REASONS WEREN'T BELIEVABLE. I know I just said that the reasons were real. This "con" sounds almost hypocritical now. But all in all, Hannah's reasons weren't really ones that I would expect someone to commit suicide for. Everyone goes through hardships in life, and Hannah's were all a bit petty. The average person probably wouldn't take their own life for those reasons, but Hannah was a weaker character and simply gave up in life. The character of Clay tries to dramatize up the story, but it only makes a character I otherwise would have liked, overly emotional and slightly frustrating.
3a. In depth on Reason Three. The first reason, being the rumors, is very common in real life. Sure, they're very embarrassing, but not enough to take drastic measures. The second reason, being the list, is also humiliating, but still, not enough. The unnamed person is very odd and misplaced, to put more action in and make the reason seem bigger than it actually is. Losing a friend also happens quite a lot. Jessica wasn't even a best friend. The fourth, being Tyler, is very...creepy, and she should have reported it, not invite Courtney over. Courtney started more rumors, but I felt like she didn't really contribute much to the suicide anyways. Marcus was a disgusting pig, but suicide is such a big thing. The most valuable thing is your life. Zach tried to comfort Hannah, but then when he was turned down, he took her encouragement. But Hannah herself said that was pathetic, so why was she making such a big deal? Her poem was anonymous, so that doesn't contribute much either. Clay was not even a reason, so believe he should have been left off the tape. On the topic of Jenny Kurtz, Hannah should have reported it herself. Why didn't she? There are so many things that should have happened, and so many things that weren't too big of a deal. Hannah went through a lot of struggle, but certainly not enough to cause her to take her life, in my opinion.
4. The Ending. I felt the ending was sort of...pathetic in a way. It's sort of a mean thing to say, but Skye is a character of little importance, and only put there to make it seem more dramatic. This book is filed with over-dramatized scenes!
{A Big problem was that I expected a lot out of this book considering the recommendations and superb ratings, so the shock that I didn't exactly love the book was hard to swallow...hence why I gave it 3 stars when it deserved 2.}
Recommend? Even though I didn't particularly love this book, it's still worth reading, since you either love this book, or like me, don't love it, but don't hate it. You'll have to read it to form your own opinion.
Let's start with the Pros (the good stuff) of the novel.
1. The Topic of the Novel is interesting for teens. The topic of suicide is very ongoing, and a novel that goes straight into the mind of a teenager who took her own life is a subject matter that is very important for us to know about, and also packs enough action for us to keep reading.
2. The Format is Unique. I personally enjoy books outside of the ho-hum, "Chapter 1, Chapter 2..." format. This book goes by Cassettes, and also has two narrators essentially. I am definitely a fan of multiple Point of View books, though this one is still technically "1" POV, there is two voices leading us on this escapade.
3. The Suicide Reasons are real. Not all people who commit suicide are poverty-stricken, have experienced death with loved ones, or huge events. This makes Hannah's reasons not "over-the-top."
And now the bad...
1. I didn't really love any of the characters. It is hard to get me to really like a character in the first place, but Hannah is supposed to seem relatable, and you're supposed to try to show empathy towards her. But her voice, though mysterious and with depth, is slightly annoying in a way. I felt like Clay was too emotional in moments where he couldn't have been. I also didn't feel like his connection with Hannah was strong. Sure, he loved her, but he doesn't have to blame himself. I HATE characters who always blame themselves for what happens to others.
2. There was almost TOO much going on. The novel wasn't going too fast, but certain characters, like Clay's Mom, and especially Bryce Walker were unneeded. A character like Bryce Walker is supposed to be MAJOR and important, and have a huge effect. He didn't. In the novel, Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, there is a character slightly similar to Bryce, and he was practically the whole book. So why did I love Speak, but not Thirteen Reasons Why? Also, the unnamed characters shouldn't be used. They confuse the reader, and I almost could't comprehend the Bryce scene, because no one was named!
3. THE REASONS WEREN'T BELIEVABLE. I know I just said that the reasons were real. This "con" sounds almost hypocritical now. But all in all, Hannah's reasons weren't really ones that I would expect someone to commit suicide for. Everyone goes through hardships in life, and Hannah's were all a bit petty. The average person probably wouldn't take their own life for those reasons, but Hannah was a weaker character and simply gave up in life. The character of Clay tries to dramatize up the story, but it only makes a character I otherwise would have liked, overly emotional and slightly frustrating.
3a. In depth on Reason Three. The first reason, being the rumors, is very common in real life. Sure, they're very embarrassing, but not enough to take drastic measures. The second reason, being the list, is also humiliating, but still, not enough. The unnamed person is very odd and misplaced, to put more action in and make the reason seem bigger than it actually is. Losing a friend also happens quite a lot. Jessica wasn't even a best friend. The fourth, being Tyler, is very...creepy, and she should have reported it, not invite Courtney over. Courtney started more rumors, but I felt like she didn't really contribute much to the suicide anyways. Marcus was a disgusting pig, but suicide is such a big thing. The most valuable thing is your life. Zach tried to comfort Hannah, but then when he was turned down, he took her encouragement. But Hannah herself said that was pathetic, so why was she making such a big deal? Her poem was anonymous, so that doesn't contribute much either. Clay was not even a reason, so believe he should have been left off the tape. On the topic of Jenny Kurtz, Hannah should have reported it herself. Why didn't she? There are so many things that should have happened, and so many things that weren't too big of a deal. Hannah went through a lot of struggle, but certainly not enough to cause her to take her life, in my opinion.
4. The Ending. I felt the ending was sort of...pathetic in a way. It's sort of a mean thing to say, but Skye is a character of little importance, and only put there to make it seem more dramatic. This book is filed with over-dramatized scenes!
{A Big problem was that I expected a lot out of this book considering the recommendations and superb ratings, so the shock that I didn't exactly love the book was hard to swallow...hence why I gave it 3 stars when it deserved 2.}
Recommend? Even though I didn't particularly love this book, it's still worth reading, since you either love this book, or like me, don't love it, but don't hate it. You'll have to read it to form your own opinion.