13 Reasons Why I loved 13 Reasons Why

Clever title, right?  :)

I just finished reading a book called 13 Reasons Why.  It's not exactly an "upper" but it is a really great and thought provoking book.  I read about it in Entertainment Weekly and was really intrigued by the article so I decided to get the e-pub version from the library on my Nook.

The book is about a high school aged kid, Clay, who one day receives a package when he gets home from school. The package turns out to be cassette tapes that his former classmate, Hannah, recorded.  Hannah had recently committed suicide and recorded the tapes before she killed herself, stating the 13 reasons, which turned out to be people, why she decided to kill herself.

I know, it sounds depressing.  But it was actually really good.  The protagonist, Clay, is a really great character and his reaction to the tapes is really moving.

Here are the 13 Reasons why I loved 13 Reasons Why (and these are in no particular order)

1.  It makes you consider more deeply the way that you treat others, and the effect that it has on their lives.

2.  I love YA books.

3.  At first I really disliked Hannah.  She sounded snotty on the tapes, but by the end I was mourning her death, and her last minute cries for help.

4.  Clay, the protagonist, is a truly genuine character.  He is a shining light of hope in the book.

5.  I've never read anything like it.

6.  Apparently they're making it into a movie and who doesn't like watching movies based on books?

7.  I can't stop thinking about the book after I finished reading it yesterday.

8.  It's relatable.  We've all been through (or will go through) H.S. and have experienced the difficulties associated with rumors and what not.

9.  It reminds us of how we cannot control the consequences of our actions.

10.  It addresses very real issues that we don't often want to deal with.

11.  It reminds us that while we can't change what's happened, we can learn from our mistakes.

12.  It helps us realize how important it is to try to reach out to people.

13.  It was just really, really good.  So go read it!

And if you do, let me know.  I'd love to know what you think too.