Thirteen Reasons Why

I must say, these reasons me thoughtful towards how the society can make things happen. Hannah Baker has aptly cited her thirteen reasons and twelve persons who made her do what she did. But we are always at a dilemma, because what she did is not to be done. Instead people needs to be saved from it. 

This is a Novel Review. Thirteen Reasons Why, penned by Jay Asher in 2007. I used to see this book in Amazon a lot of times, I had even kept it in my wish-list hoping to read it some day. I have a long Novel Wish-list. So it had its chance but at a later stage. And then came the TV series based on it. I got intrigued more. I watched the TV Series and understood the thirteen reasons. But as one says, A novel is a much better way to understand the story than any other adaptation. I had to read the book. So it jumped above in my Novel Wish-list, and I bought it in my Kindle. I am a paperback person, but moving places in between, Kindle saves the day. This time I missed the smell of a novel. its pages , the enchanting smell. A book lover will definitely feel what I am saying.

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There is Hannah Baker and there is Clay Jensen, her scared lover who cannot bring up his mind to confess in front of her. the backdrop is set in High School, the most popular setting in American Drama. Young and dynamic, it brings out the ever-eager kid we all once were. High School is full of fun and adventure. 

But this is not about those fun-filled High school musical. No, it is not. In fact, It's far grim. The Novel is broke into cassettes put out as chapters. They explain the reasons behind her demise. She puts out the names of the persons responsible for her death, on why she ended her life at such a tender age of a teen.

It is a dual narrative. the cassettes are told by Hannah Baker, while the present day are from Clay. Clay is one of the person in her cassettes, one of the reason for her death. The rule is simple, as set by her, to her listeners - Play the tapes, Listen to them and when you finish, you pass them on to the next person whose name is mentioned after your designated tape.

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And there is a warning, if one does not follow her rules, there is another set of copies which will be leaked by a confidante  person of hers. The third most important person of this novel. And then the whole of world will become the listeners.

The prose is kept simple. It is well intended for most readers. Yet at the same time the lines are rich in context and powerful. The way the author puts out each line, it is definitely make you feel the emotion of the narrator, The novel is not that big. it has a descent over 260 plus pages, so if you can hold onto the likes of The Lord of the Rings with a whopping 1300 pages, this is a piece of cake for you. But don't go by the low number of pages, every chapter, every cassette will grip your breadth.

As the cassettes keep on rolling, the plot reveals how those defining moments came into being and how it affected Hannah. Unknown to most of her chosen persons, they did not have a clue, that their acts would lead her to do what she did at last. And of them one person though included is not responsible for her death, at-least according to her tapes, but the person needs to be on the cassettes to complete the story.

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Surprisingly, as the usual perception of a society goes that boys are usually responsible for ruining a girl's dignity, this novel points to a different angle. Boys will do their usual pranks and insults on Hannah.  But there are Girls too in her tapes. The Girls who in one way or the other, knowingly or unknowingly, destroyed her life chunk by chunk.

The novel takes some topic so widely debated but so much important all the same. Bullying. Body Shaming. Emotional torture, Jealousy. And these give rise to depression. A kid is that person who has much more ability to absorb happenings and learn from it. In Early stages of life, how a kid is kept in an environment, will develop his perception of the world.

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If the kid is shown positive things, it will help her go positively towards adulthood. While, if it is the other way around, it is going to destroy her. And that is what precisely happened to Hannah. She did some mistakes, people made mistakes on her, and heeded to some ill attractions and paid the price. I am not going to disclose the reasons for here will be readers who have also not seen the TV series adaptation. The thirteen reasons that the thirteen tapes blares on the headphones, because that is the crux of the story.

For those of Who have already watched the TV series adaption based on the book, don't just leave it there, for the novel has much better to offer. The TV series is great, have garnered much attention and criticism and praise.

The Novel is still the foundation, the most powerful entity of the building. It has the actual and unabridged plot, unaltered plot. When you start reading, you will notice some major differences in the book. The TV series was adapted for the screen, so it need a lot more subplots and a lot of twists. But it manages to keep the core of the novel to a great level praiseworthy.

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The world of bullying and depression is alarming. This book shockingly says it all. It give the reasons that will be creeping and tickling on you spine. Each reason has it's own evilness, and the next one is bigger than the previous. Loads of ill worldly doings a teenager can do to a peer. 

It will make us ponder that we are living in a society where kids are vulnerable to great extent form fellow kids themselves. And this vulnerability can cause kids to take up wholesomely wrong decisions. The ending of the book is perfect, in fact strong enough to make you feel better after reading through the rigorous journey of reading the pages.

Good and bad are two side of the same coin. The definition of one is incomplete without the other. One cannot co-exists without the other. But one part can surely be lessened while increasing the other. But it is up-to the person whether he wants to increase the bad or the good. Every piece of action has its beginning at home.

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Read the novel, it is an old novel. 2007 year, before Android was born. and the best part is unlike new novels taking help of all gadgets and social media to incorporate in a story, this one actually feels more of olden way. More the way we spent our teenage years. So you can relate to it. While the TV series is a modern adaption of the new digital era. And the Author Jay Asher had his first publication with this novel in 2007. His debut. And it is great to read a captivating story from the pen of a first time novelist.

Season 2 of the TV Series is coming this month. So read the novel before that. It is very crucial you know what the book has before you go for Season 2.

You will know the Reasons Why.

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