I checked this book out from the high school library LAST year, lost it, had to pay like $20 to replace it, and just found it a few weeks ago. And since I'd already spent $20 on a book I was only mildly interested in the first place, I decided I should read it. What a mistake...
Hannah Baker is the new kid in town, and she's full of hope for how wonderful her high school experience will be. However, she quickly realizes how far from perfect high school can be. She makes friends who then turn on her and kisses a boy only to have him spread the information around school, earning her a "reputation." Hannah eventually becomes so mired down in the dramas of high school that she commits suicide. But not until she records 13 tapes (1 per each person who negatively impacted her life) letting everyone know why she killed herself and how they were to blame. These tapes are then delivered to the responsible parties, as well as to the narrator, Clay Jensen, who had a quiet crush on Hannah but never acted on it.
Hannah's message is simple: actions do have effects, and everyone is responsible for their actions. Some of the people she suggests contributed to her suicide don't act, but should have-- and she considers that as much a problem as anything else. I get her point, and I think it's important for teenagers (the intended audience) to a) understand that how you treat others has repercussions, and b) learn to speak up and reach out when those around you are in trouble or in pain... but I also think it's a bit farfetched to suggest that killing yourself over a few pretty mild rumors and some disappointments in the friendship department is anyone's fault but the person who makes the choice to end his/her own life.
People could have helped Hannah, which is what Clay comes to realize-- that he wasn't at fault (Hannah excuses him from blame) but still could have done more-- but ultimately, she made the decision to quit rather than fight, and the whole postmortem accusation seemed overly dramatic and just way too selfish for words. Not my favorite book-- I wish I could get my $20 back.
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