Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

This book was recommended by my friend Stacey. She's not much of a reader, so I was excited when she mentioned a book! It's teen fiction, not a typical genre for me, but I requested it anyway.

This is the story of Hannah Baker, a 17 year old girl who committed suicide. Before she died, Hannah created a series of audio tapes addressing the 13 people who contributed to her decision. She gave specific instructions that once a person listens to all of the tapes, he or she should pass them on to the person whose story is next on the tapes. The story is told from the perspective of Clay Jensen, the 9th person to get the tapes and the only one Hannah felt did not contribute directly to her suicide.

Hannah's story is comprised of multiple events/interactions/rumors that most teens face, which makes her story very believable. It's a clear demonstration of the signs of depression and the signals that an individual is contemplating suicide. It's a reminder to all of us to pay attention to those around us, not to believe everything we hear, and to be responsible in our interactions.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, especially if you spend any amount of time with a teen...and when you're done, go ahead an pass it on to someone in that age group.