13 Reasons Why, a book and series review by Rika

"It felt so real, and the closer I got to the end, the more I understood Hannah and felt sad."

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

13 reasons why, one of the biggest hypes of the last few months. With the release of the series, a lot of positive and negative aspects came up. Since my motto is always to first read the book and then watch the series, we decided to tackle this hype. I started off with the book, and after finishing this amazing book, I started watching the series. Irina also watched the series and discussed it. We believe that the issue addressed in the book is important to read and discuss. First, I will kick-off with the book!

13 reasons why is written by Jay Asher. The book is from 2007, but the hype only kicked-off this year when Selena Gomez made the book into a series to address the issue of teenage suicide all over the world.

When Hannah Baker commits suicide, it’s just the start. Her parents have no clue what went wrong, what happened that she couldn’t continue to live her life. But there are 13 people who will find out, because those 13 people are the reasons why. When Clay Jensen receives the tapes, and hears Hannah’s voice, he is clueless. He never treated her wrong, but somehow, he fits in the story. He finds a way to listen to the tapes, and ones he starts, he can’t stop. While riding through town, visiting the places important to Hannah, he hears the 13 reasons why she decided to end the pain.

Asher really gives you as a reader a feeling of what it is to get so many bad things on your path that at some point you can’t deal with it anymore. In the beginning, I felt like Hannah Baker was just a bully herself who wanted to end her pain and take her bullies with her. It felt harsh, because the first reasons are small things, they are not worth killing yourself for. But when the reasons get worse and more painful, you start to understand her. Bad things have happened, a lot of small bad things following each other that in the end it became too much and she started to give up. It felt so real, and the closer I got to the end, the more I understood Hannah and felt sad.

When continuing with the series, I immediately felt a difference which I did not like. In the book, only one day goes by, while in the series, it takes over 2 weeks to listen to the tapes. This makes the series a lot more interactive, which for me feels wrong. Clay doesn’t interact with others, only in the end, which makes the story more about Hannah and how she experienced it. In the series, it is all about the truth and everyone questioning if Hannah tells the truth or made it all up. When dealing with suicide, it does not matter what exactly happened, it matters how the victim felt that time and how that one person experienced it all. They do however strongly show how Hannah felt with each reason and you get a feel of how a person going through so many bad things feels in such snowball effect.

Both have its ups and downs, but I strongly recommend to read the book if you thought the series was tough. The book gives you so much more, and it shows such cute interaction of Clay with a bunch of tapes because there is no more Hannah to say it all to. That’s why I give this book 5 stars. 

Till next time, Rika

If you find yourself in the same position as Hannah, know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Grab a friend and just talk. You can also go to http://13reasonswhy.info or call 0900-0113. A lot of people struggle with sad feelings, you’re not alone. Think of your Clay, I bet you have one ;). And if you know someone who is struggling with it, go to http://www.bethe1to.com to see how you can help.