Author: Jay Asher
Narrated by: Joel Johnstone, Debra Wiseman
Length: 6 hours 25 minutes
Language: English
Table of Contents
Reviews
Thirteen Reasons Why audiobook is a New York Times and International bestseller that is soon to be a Netflix original series. It is described as a beautiful, eerie, and devastating story that proved to be ‘’A stealthy hit with staying power… thriller-like pacing’’ according to the New York Times. This audiobook takes you through the tragic story of the tapes recorded by Hannah Baker.
The Plot
Thirteen Reasons Why audiobook follows the story of a teenage boy named Clay Jensen who uncovers the story of Hannah Baker his classmate and crush who committed suicide. When Clay Jensen returns home from school, he discovers a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. The package catches him by surprise and he finds it strange that someone would leave such a package on his front porch.
It seems to be a personal package as it is addressed to him and becomes even more alarmed when inside he discovers that this package is from Hannah Baker his classmate. Inside the package, lying on his porch he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah, his high school crush who had committed suicide two weeks earlier. The impact that she had on him still lingered on his mind as he still had fond memories of his classmate and crush.
In this audio Clay hears the tapes recorded by Hannah Baker telling him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life and that Clay is one. Only if he listens he’ll find out why he is amongst the thirteen reasons. Clay obliges and listens to the tapes one by one and that is when his venture through the town starts. With Hannah’s voice as his guide, Clay witnesses the pain that she had to endure, a heart-wrenching unbearable pain that takes him through a life-changing journey as he hears her voice, follows her directions and relives her sorrows.
From Hannah’s Point of View
This audiobook tells of Hannah’s points of view through Clay and is addressed to the people that she feels had driven her to her death. It explores her life on earth and how the stealthy nature of sexual harassment, victim-blaming, bullying, and self-esteem issues impacted it. It’s audio that exposes darkness, making us think whether or not the people around us are really who they say they are, or not. Thirteen Reasons Why makes us see life in a different light and shows us how sexism and misogyny can damage a woman.
Jay Asher dissects the consequences of a sugar-coated cover around a fragile teen with a shattered mind. Hannah’s Thirteen Reasons were a built-up of events that added to the pressures of life that led her down a path of destruction. Although not all of Hannah’s reasons seem justifiable to some, the message in Thirteen Reasons Why is still clear that there are various degrees of seriousness that should not be overlooked in order to avoid suicide.
I personally cannot comprehend all of the reasons that have led to Hannah ending her life but I do have an understanding of how her cup of sorrows had eventually overflowed. It is a collection of small things that grow into bigger things when not rectified, which eventually causes an explosion. It’s a feeling of losing hope and not being able to cope with anything.
Isn’t it only right that the people that caused this downward spiral in her life answer for being directly involved or having a hand in it? This young lady carried the weight of things that she was not responsible for, which led her into thoughts of hopelessness whereby she blamed herself. Instead of reducing the pain and suffering caused by this load, she endured it even while it was getting heavier.
Hannah lost hope because she felt that nobody would listen to her cries for help, so she imprisoned her thoughts and feelings in her mind not realizing how lethal that accumulation would prove to be.
Thirteen Reasons Why audiobook has a very important message which teaches us all a very important lesson. It teaches us that glitter doesn’t always mean gold and that not everything is as we expect it! Jay Asher has showcased his brilliance in this book and although it is a heart-wrenching and compelling story that leaves us with a lot to ponder about, it also teaches us that sometimes not every question has the correct answers…
‘’You can’t stop the future
You can’t rewind the past
The only way to learn the secret…is to press play’’