Thirteen Reasons Why is about two things, the suicide of a 17-year-old girl, Hannah, and how her story and decisions became a catalyst for 17-year-old Clay, the book's true protagonist. We “hear” along with Clay the thirteen reasons why Hannah ended her life. I gave this book five stars not because I enjoyed the book; I was in fact deeply disturbed and perturbed, five stars because the book grabbed me and it still hasn’t let go all these days later, each reason is still holding on, still circling my mind and for me that is one of the true signs of a well-told story and a book that distinguishes itself from all the rest. Hannah’s thirteen reasons why didn’t leave me caring about her, in fact, as far as reasons go I found many of her reasons were filtered through the light of teenage self-absorption and other’s still brought about by her own lack of action, the truth was Hannah gave up on living long before she took her final breath. I think she was just on a constant search to find the final reason why. I think ultimately I couldn’t like Hannah because her giving up on life meant she caused great harm in the life of at least one and possibly many more to come. She left the world and in it she left a few nasty people that will hopefully grow and recognize the error of their ways but she also left behind two maybe three truly despicable and frightening people, she left them to roam the world without consequence hoping that her reasons why will what? Catapult them towards redemption? What if they continue on the path they are walking, what about all the future victims? So, no I couldn’t like Hannah but it wasn’t her story, it was Clay’s story and Clay I embraced and I walked with him on that single night while he heard Hannah’s thirteen reasons why, while he heard that he played no part in her demise, while he found the answer as to why she found the living too hard and what he did with the information is what the story is about – the redemption of self, the redemption of others, truly seeing for the very first time.
