Thirteen Reasons Why
Book Summary:
Hannah
Baker is a high school student who recently committed suicide, but what no one
knows is that she has left behind recorded tapes that reveal why she chose to
end her life. Well, no one knows except
for the 13 individual “reasons” (people) that Hannah has left the tapes
for. Each of the 13 “reasons” must
listen to Hannah explain how he/she impacted her life as well as her decision
to tragically end it. Readers follow
along and listen as Clay, one of the characters for whom the complete set of
tapes were left behind, learns how the actions of his classmates hurt
Hannah. He also learns of the affection
that she had towards him. Throughout the
story, readers are introduced to characters whom one can easily identify with
in one way or another, for better or for worse.
Regardless of which character that is, readers are left to reflect upon
their own lives and consider how their actions and words are able to harm
others and unintentionally cause someone to make the decision to end their own
life in order to escape from all the pain and turmoil.
APA Reference of Book:
Asher,
J. (2011). Thirteen reasons why. New
York, NY: Penguin Books.
Impressions:
I
was very apprehensive of this book before I read it. I am a positive, upbeat person who generally
enjoys reading books that present characters with the same qualities. Being that this story is about young girls
who commits suicide, I knew that the novel would cause me to experience
emotions that I typically try to avoid (i.e. sadness, pain, anger, etc.). However, I was determined to go outside of my
comfort zone because bullying seems to be an issue that, unfortunately,
continues to escalate especially in high school. As I suspected, the story caused me to feel a
variety of emotions. It also caused me
to reflect on my own life and how, without any intention, I could have made a
small joke and not realized the impact it played in someone else’s life. It also made me reflect on the times when
someone made fun of me when I was growing up.
The pain that those unnecessary comments and actions caused came rushing
back to me. This novel was also a wakeup
call to me as a teacher to be present in the lives of my students and to pay
close attention to a change in their behavior and/or moods.
Needless
to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I am so glad that I chose to
overcome my reservations and read it. It
forced me to do a lot of reflecting and has motivated me to get out in the
world and spread kindness. I have
recommended this book to several of my colleagues who have children attending
high school and have encouraged them to read it so that they will have a better
understanding as to what their teenager may be dealing with on a daily
basis. I also encouraged them to read it
before their child does as there may be some content that needs to be discussed
on the frontend.
Professional Review:
Bulletin of the Center for
Children’s Books
Before Hannah Baker committed suicide, she recorded her story on
seven tapes, dedicating one side of each tape to a person who was one of the
reasons she chose to end her life. Now the tapes are circulating through the
thirteen people, who must listen to them and pass them on, or else a second set
of tapes will be released. Stunned classmate Clay Jensen pushes
"play" on the dusty cassette tape player in his garage and thus
begins a slow, agonizing journey through four increasingly unhappy years of
living for Hannah and one tormented night of listening for Clay. As one tape
after another spools out, the audience learns of Clay's budding crush on
Hannah, his confusion that kept him from helping her, and his anger at her
choice to die; on the flip side, Hannah reveals her despair at being labeled a
slut, her attempts to reach out for help, and the fear leading up to the
clarity of her decision. Each tape unreels another emotional vignette
contributing to Hannah's depression, all equally painful, so that the first
kiss that started the first rumor is just as devastating as the eventual
unwanted sexual encounter. There is no fast-forwarding through Hannah's story;
the audience, like Clay, will both desire and dread to find out who comes next
on her list and why, and more importantly, where Clay himself fits in. Asher
writes strong, distinct voices for Clay and for Hannah, whose text is presented
in italics and set off from Clay's narrative by symbols for stop, play, rewind,
and pause. Hannah's failed struggle to keep up a positive self-image among
those worst of critics, her judgmental peers, will resonate with high-schoolers
who know all too well the hurtful grind of the rumor mill. The end, wherein
Clay reaches out to another withdrawn girl, would seem cheaply convenient if
the audience was not in such desperate need of a bit of closure and a glimmer
of hope.
Source:
Bromann, K. (2007). Thirteen reasons why [Review of the book Thirteen reasons why by J.
Asher]. Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books,
61(3), 128. doi:10.1353/bcc.2007.0740
Found through UNT’s Library Database- Project Muse
Library Uses:
In
my district, we participate in a program called Rachel’s Challenge, an
initiative created after Rachel Scott (a high school student killed in the
Columbine shooting of 1999). By
participating in this program, our district has taken actions to stop bullying
and spread kindness. This book would be
excellent to use when discussing the reasons our district participates in Rachel’s
Challenge and why we should be kind to others and try to make a positive
difference in someone’s life. While the
content within this novel is too mature for younger students, I could certainly
see a librarian using it in a high school or middle school setting. After reading this novel, the students could
create videos that would be used during morning announcements and discuss ways
to spread kindness and stop bullying. In
addition, the students could create anti-bullying flyers to display around the
school as well as a list of ways they aim to spread kindness to their
classmates throughout the year.
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