13 Reasons Why
By Sammi Ewing
Author:
The author of this book is Jay Asher. He loves books and has worked in many bookstores and a few libraries. When he's not writing he is either camping or playing guitar. 13 Reasons Why was his first published novel.
Main Characters
Clay Jensen is a boy in high school who is pretty shy and is not very good at showing his feelings. Although, everybody in school never has anything bad to say about him.
Hannah Baker is the girl who has never really fit in. She has tried to make friends but it never really works out and they end up spreading rumors anyway. She started off being outgoing and has now formed into this shell of a girl who doesn't know what she wants in life.
Plot:
Hannah Baker has always been the girl who stands out in the crowd, so after she commits suicide she leaves behind thirteen tapes uncovering the reason she did it. Now it's time to find out who and what are on those tapes...
Conflict:
The main conflict in this story is one of the main characters, Clay Jensen, is trying to figure out why and who Hannah Baker, another main character, left a bunch of tapes for after she committed suicide. The only way to find out though, is to listen to every single one.
Important Passage:
-It is an option, and that's all we're talking about. Look, something happened, Hannah. I believe you. But if you won't press charges and you won't confront him, you need to consider the possibility of moving beyond this
And if that's a possibility? Then what? Because guess what, Mr. Porter, she won't do it.
Move beyond this?
-Is he in your class, Hannah?
He's a senior.
-So he'll be gone next year.
You want me to move beyond this? (Asher 278).
This passage in the book is located in Mr. Porter's office where Hannah goes before she kills herself. It's important because this is exactly what you shouldn't say to a person who is about to take their life. Of course, he didn't know what was going to happen next and that is understandable. Although, when somebody comes in to talk about something important you need to comfort them and find a better way for them to deal with their problems instead of saying they should forgive and forget.
And if that's a possibility? Then what? Because guess what, Mr. Porter, she won't do it.
Move beyond this?
-Is he in your class, Hannah?
He's a senior.
-So he'll be gone next year.
You want me to move beyond this? (Asher 278).
This passage in the book is located in Mr. Porter's office where Hannah goes before she kills herself. It's important because this is exactly what you shouldn't say to a person who is about to take their life. Of course, he didn't know what was going to happen next and that is understandable. Although, when somebody comes in to talk about something important you need to comfort them and find a better way for them to deal with their problems instead of saying they should forgive and forget.
Audience who will enjoy this book:
I would recommend this book to people who can take strong emotions and bounce back from them. I would say it is meant to be for an older audience because of the complexity of vocabulary and emotion shown in this novel. I would also recommend this story to teens or anybody else who is going through a rough time and needs some insight on how to get through it.
Rating:
This book was a great read because it had emotion and detail in every page. The author showed the characters as real human beings so it made the book all around realistic and outstanding.
Citations:
"Cassette Tape." Wikimedia Commons. Media Wiki, n.d. Web. 13 May 2013.
<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Cassette_tape.png>.
"5 Star." Good Reads. Good Reads, n.d. Web. 14 May 2013.
<http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tlRXGpP4xmg/T_N9ir90VCI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/Sqpabek-JU0/
s1600/5stars.gif%20width=>.
<http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/25700000/
Hanna-icon-thirteen-reasons-why-25774754-200-200.jpg>.
"Jay Asher." Yalsa. American Library Assn., 1997. Web. 13 May 2013.
<http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/teenreading/trw/
trw2011/asher.jpg>.
Thirteen Reasons Why. Razorbill Books, n.d. Web. 13 May 2013.
<http://www.thirteenreasonswhy.com/author.php>.
"13 Reasons Why Quote." Searchquotes. Searchquotes, 2013. Web. 13 May 2013.
<http://www.searchquotes.com/sof/images/picture_quotes/
66804_20130206_144526_image.jpg>.