I liked the concept of this book more than the execution. The premise is that Clay Jensen comes home to find a box mailed to him containing cassette tapes recorded by classmate Hannah Baker - Hannah just killed herself two weeks ago, and the tapes include her thirteen reasons.
In my last move, I came across my journals from high school. I was mortified and laughing when I read through those selfish, dramatic, romantic pages (*cringe*).
I think I am just too old for this book - I have learned how precious life is, and I can't even possibly relate to her reasons. Don't get me wrong - things were spiraling out of control for this young girl, and I have compassion for those who experience trauma in their lives - I just didn't think this was it. I feel the issues could have been more complex. In fact, I think the author was pretty much telling teenagers, "This is enough to end your life! Be poetic and make a YouTube video first! Make sure you first devastate those who wronged you!"
And don't even get me started on that poor teacher character, Mr. Porter, who was totally set up to fail in the end - and her other teacher would have had staff on alert after Hannah's note about being interested in suicide!
This book has won a number of awards and is a New York Times bestseller, so I am obviously on an island. What is sad is that this means most readers found her reasons for ending her life believable.
I get it. The author is trying to illustrate how all our actions affect others, and how even the smallest of sins could spiral into someone else's end... but, I just keep wondering how many lives Hannah ruined with these damn tapes.
No comments:
Post a Comment