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A review by asourceoffiction
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Sometimes I pick up a book and barely put it down until it's finished. Usually the book disturbs or haunts me in some way, but those are the ones that I can't put down no matter how hard I try. Thirteen Reasons Why was one of those, but it was disturbing in a whole different, far more emotional way.
A book centred on a suicide is always going to be difficult to read, but the structure really heightens that, and Hannah's voice throughout is so devastating that it really was almost impossible for me to stop reading. It's really well written and manages to provide so much insight to characters who we never actually see.
It was interesting, having seen the series first, to discover how much of the book is left open to the reader. We hear Hannah's versions of events but see so few of the wider repurcussions. Nor are we given the chance to explore any of the stories from other perspectives like the series does. But I think Hannah's (and Clay's) story has so much more power because of that, and it'll certainly stay with me for a long time.
A book centred on a suicide is always going to be difficult to read, but the structure really heightens that, and Hannah's voice throughout is so devastating that it really was almost impossible for me to stop reading. It's really well written and manages to provide so much insight to characters who we never actually see.
It was interesting, having seen the series first, to discover how much of the book is left open to the reader. We hear Hannah's versions of events but see so few of the wider repurcussions. Nor are we given the chance to explore any of the stories from other perspectives like the series does. But I think Hannah's (and Clay's) story has so much more power because of that, and it'll certainly stay with me for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Rape