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1 Hawthorne Children's Young Adult- General

Thirteen Reasons Why

by

Thirteen Reasons Why Cover

ISBN13: 9781595141712
ISBN10: 1595141715
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
All Product Details

Only 1 left in stock at $7.95!

 

Staff Pick

A fellow teen's suicide is certain to rock a school...but imagine the destruction that follows when the dead girl's classmates discover her tape recordings are being delivered one by one to each person she felt had a hand in her decision. If you're looking for a page-turner, you've found it.
Recommended by Jill S., Powell's City of Books

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay’s dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

Review:

"This uncommonly polished debut opens on a riveting scenario: 13 teenagers in a small town have each been designated to listen, in secret, to a box of audiotapes recorded by their classmate Hannah and mailed on the very day she commits suicide. 'I'm about to tell you the story of my life,' she says. 'More specifically, why my life ended. And if you're listening to these tapes, you're one of the reasons why.' Clay, the narrator, receives the tapes a few weeks after the suicide (each listener must send the box to the next, and Hannah has built in a plan to make sure her posthumous directions are followed), and his initial shock turns to horror as he hears the dead girl implicate his friends and acquaintances in various acts of callousness, cruelty or crime. Asher expertly paces the narrative, splicing Hannah's tale with Clay's mounting anxiety and fear. Just what has he done? Readers won't be able to pull themselves away until that question gets answered — no matter that the premise is contrived and the plot details can be implausible. The author gets all the characters right, from the popular girl who wants to insure her status to the boy who rapes an unconscious girl at a party where the liquor flows too freely, and the veneer of authenticity suffices to hide the story's flaws. Asher knows how to entertain an audience; this book will leave readers eager to see what he does next. Ages 13-up." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"The episodic structure is nicely suited to reluctant readers, but the breakneck pace and dizzying emotion are the true source of this novel's irresistible readability at all levels." School Library Journal

Review:

"It is a fast read and will keep you on the edge of your seat, as you read on to find out more about the circumstances surrounding Hannah's death." Alan Review

Review:

"This provocative tale touches on universal topics of interest, is genuine in its message, and would be a good choice for high school book discussions and booktalks." VOYA

Review:

"[C]hallenging and interesting." Children's Literature

Review:

"[A] compelling reading." Booklist
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About the Author

Jay Asher has worked at an independent bookstore, an outlet bookstore, a chain bookstore, and two public libraries. Jay's first writing award earned him a free fruit smoothie every day for an entire year. More recently, Thirteen Reasons Why won him the Smartwriters.com Write-It-Now Award, and the 2003 SCBWI Work in Progress grant. He was also named one of the "Hot Men in Children's Literature" by the librarian-run website A Fuse 8 Production.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 22 comments:
Courtney C, April 10, 2013 (view all comments by Courtney C)
Fantastic book. I read it through in a night because I could not put it down. It really makes you stop and think about how your actions affect others, and the power of life or death that words can have.
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Hendawg, January 1, 2013 (view all comments by Hendawg)
Thought provoking. Good for teens and adults.
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BBMYRAN, November 28, 2012 (view all comments by BBMYRAN)
Thirteen Reasons Why: written by Jay Asher
Thirteen Reasons Why was truly (in my opinion) an amazing book. If I had to give it an out of 5 star rating, it would probably be... 5 stars! I have read it more than once , just so I could make sure that what I read was really happening. It is very intense and definitely not a book you should read before bed. Not because it is gruesome or disturbing, but because you are left hanging at every corner. It does have its moments though. The eeriness of Hannah Baker’s voice on the recordings churns your stomach into knots. Jay Asher has very descriptive writing that paints a picture in your head. As in the book, it reads, “Inside the shoebox is a rolled-up tube of bubble-wrap. I unroll that and discover seven loose audiotapes. Each tape has a dark blue number painted in the upper right-hand corner, possibly with nail polish.” The words he prestigiously places has you feeling like you are truly the one who she is talking to. And you could really feel how Clay Jensen felt about Hannah. The book, in all, was jaw dropping. Mystery, love, and death. Its a full package. It truly conveys the problem with suicide and how those who have committed suicide, or who are bullied, feel. This book is a peek into a life that is quite honestly very possible. One girl who wanted to speak to those who killed her, and to those who loved her...
Review by: Lindsey Aytes
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Product Details

ISBN:
9781595141712
Author:
Asher, Jay
Publisher:
Razorbill
Author:
Stoltz, Adrienne
Author:
Myracle, Lauren
Author:
Davis, Heather
Author:
Bass, Ron
Subject:
Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories
Subject:
Social Issues - Friendship
Subject:
Social Issues - Death & Dying
Subject:
Social Issues - Suicide
Subject:
High schools
Subject:
Schools
Subject:
Mysteries & Detective Stories
Subject:
General Juvenile Fiction
Subject:
Family - Multigenerational
Subject:
Children s Young Adult-Social Issue Fiction-Suicide
Subject:
Children s Young Adult-Social Issue Fiction
Subject:
Bedtime & Dreams
Copyright:
2007
Edition Description:
Trade Cloth
Publication Date:
20071031
Binding:
HARDCOVER
Grade Level:
from 7 up to AND UP
Language:
English
Pages:
304
Dimensions:
7.63 x 5.50 in
Age Level:
12-17
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Related Subjects


Children's » General
Children's » Middle Readers » General
Young Adult » Fiction » Social Issues » Suicide
Young Adult » General

Thirteen Reasons Why Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$7.95 In Stock
Product details 304 pages Sleuth RazorBill - English 9781595141712 Reviews:
"Staff Pick" by ,

A fellow teen's suicide is certain to rock a school...but imagine the destruction that follows when the dead girl's classmates discover her tape recordings are being delivered one by one to each person she felt had a hand in her decision. If you're looking for a page-turner, you've found it.

by Jill S.
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "This uncommonly polished debut opens on a riveting scenario: 13 teenagers in a small town have each been designated to listen, in secret, to a box of audiotapes recorded by their classmate Hannah and mailed on the very day she commits suicide. 'I'm about to tell you the story of my life,' she says. 'More specifically, why my life ended. And if you're listening to these tapes, you're one of the reasons why.' Clay, the narrator, receives the tapes a few weeks after the suicide (each listener must send the box to the next, and Hannah has built in a plan to make sure her posthumous directions are followed), and his initial shock turns to horror as he hears the dead girl implicate his friends and acquaintances in various acts of callousness, cruelty or crime. Asher expertly paces the narrative, splicing Hannah's tale with Clay's mounting anxiety and fear. Just what has he done? Readers won't be able to pull themselves away until that question gets answered — no matter that the premise is contrived and the plot details can be implausible. The author gets all the characters right, from the popular girl who wants to insure her status to the boy who rapes an unconscious girl at a party where the liquor flows too freely, and the veneer of authenticity suffices to hide the story's flaws. Asher knows how to entertain an audience; this book will leave readers eager to see what he does next. Ages 13-up." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review" by , "The episodic structure is nicely suited to reluctant readers, but the breakneck pace and dizzying emotion are the true source of this novel's irresistible readability at all levels."
"Review" by , "It is a fast read and will keep you on the edge of your seat, as you read on to find out more about the circumstances surrounding Hannah's death."
"Review" by , "This provocative tale touches on universal topics of interest, is genuine in its message, and would be a good choice for high school book discussions and booktalks."
"Review" by , "[C]hallenging and interesting."
"Review" by , "[A] compelling reading."
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