A review by memoirsofabooklover
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I enjoyed this, it’s a fantastic and really interesting topic, but I think having seen and really enjoyed the tv show the book fell short as it didn’t go into anywhere near the depth that the show did. Even just the first season allows you to see the repercussions of other characters as Clay reacts to their tapes. The aftermath of the tapes as he is going through them over a slower period of time, along with the other drama being interwoven from the other characters just gave it so much more depth as to how the tapes affected the other characters as well. Still, I enjoyed it and it was written quick and easy to read, allowing it to be finished in one day. 

I really like the way Clay and Hannah’s words were interwoven, rather than separate chapters. I read it in a few hours and whilst I think each chapter had just the right amount of information/length, I would’ve have liked some of the characters to be delved in to a bit more. It was a very dark topic but written in a lovely way that didn’t put you in too dark of a hole of emotions. I think it could’ve been written a bit more poetically but I guess that’s part of hearing from the voice of two teenagers. A really uniquely interesting way to write about a taboo and dark topic that hasn’t been done that way before, in a reflective and yet anticipatory way.
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