Jay Asher
288 pages

At the beginning of Thirteen Reasons Why, Hannah Baker has recently committed suicide.The people around her, though saddened, don’t really understand what happened. One day when Clay Jensen comes home from school, he finds a shoe box of cassette tapes that list the thirteen reasons why Hannah killed herself. He starts to listen and is immediately drawn in to Hannah’s life.

I expected this to be an emotional tale because it is, after all, about a girl who has killed herself. However, I didn’t expect it to be a page-turner. I read this book in one afternoon. I simply couldn’t put it down. I kept hoping that Hannah would change her mind even though I knew that she didn’t.

This is book about the power of words, actions, and the secret heartbreaks we all carry around inside us. It’s also a reminder to really look at those around us and think about our interaction with them.  I highly recommend this book. (4/5)