Thirteen Reasons Why
By Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher is an excellent novel that offers perspective on forgiveness and accepting the past. Clay Jensen is an average high school senior leading what seems to be an average, happy life. But after the suicide of his friend Hanna Baker, Clay Jensen inherits a series of thirteen audio tapes recorded and sent by her through a list of the people mentioned in each tape. She explains that everyone that receives the tapes has a direct influence on her that led to her suicide. Shocked, scared, and wondering what role he played, Clay is sent on a journey through her past that helps him better understand her and her decision. He gains a new knowledge of himself, Hanna, and the people around him that changes the way he views life and the human behavior around him. Comparable to Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, Thirteen Reasons Why goes in depth into the realities of high school life without candy-coating anything. It is a fantastic read for anyone with an interest in teen life and psychology. Asher keeps you wanting more with his enticing novel about life, death, and the journeys we take in between.