I have found this book review the hardest one to write to date. I feel like people are deeply divided on whether this is a good book or not. It is after all, one of the most banned books from school libraries in the past decade. 

The story is set following the suicide of a high school student Hannah Baker. The book follows the story of Clay, who was Hannah's friend and crush. The only time we hear from Hannah is through the tapes she made, detailing the 13 reasons she believed caused her to commit suicide. Since the story is told by someone who loved Hannah, and is deeply hurt by her death, we get to see the impact of suicide on ones loved ones. 

I liked the author's writing style. The book uses italics to signify Hannah's voice through the tapes, and this is sometimes interrupted by Clay's narration. This makes the plot of the novel really clear, and you’re not scrambling to divide Hannah and Clay's stories. The format of the chapters follows the format of the tapes. 

It's really easy to lock up books that make you uncomfortable. I believe that’s what makes it such an important one to read. This book talks about realities that many people like to bury. It gives representation to people who relate to characters like Hannah, or Jessica, and those who have faced suicidal thoughts or sexual assault. It may not be a perfect depiction of suicide, and many believe that it glorifies the act, but reading the book, I felt Hannah become villainised for committing suicide. Maybe it causes certain characters to feel remorse, but that doesn't change the public view of Hannah. I would not recommend this book to everyone, and I would definitely not encourage anyone younger than 15 to read it, but at the end of the day, it gives you a new perspective that one may not otherwise consider. 

One needs to separate the book from the TV show, and I feel like a lot of the hate that comes towards this book is actually redirected from the tv show, although I have not seen it so I am not sure why.