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When Clay finds a package of cassette tapes on his doorstep in Jay Asher’s debut novel THIRTEEN REASONS WHY, he never imagines they’re from Hannah, his late classmate who recently committed suicide. As Clay listens to Hannah outline the 13 people and events that led to her death, you feel the pain, enlightenment, shock and sorrow cutting to his very core.
The award-winning THIRTEEN REASONS WHY has been praised for being “compelling”, “remarkable” and having “dizzying emotion” and it was an international bestseller, but people have attempted to ban the book time and time again; it was the third most banned book in 2012.
Below, YA author Patty Blount (SOME BOYS, NOTHING LEFT TO BURN) and Teen Board member Leanna R. talk about their own connection to THIRTEEN REASONS WHY and what they would say to those trying to challenge the book.
Do you remember when you read this book for the first time? How old were you? Did you read it for school or for pleasure?
Patty Blount: I read this book about five years ago, before I was a published author myself. Jay's novel dealt with some of the issues I was tackling in my debut novel, SEND, such as bullying and suicide. Though I was already an adult when I read THIRTEEN REASONS WHY, it had such a profound effect on me, I invited my son to read it too. He was 16 at the time and we had long, spirited discussions about the story that I believe helped us connect on a new level. My son and I now share our love of books and we often debate stories together. I remember one debate we had about THIRTEEN REASONS WHY. I was upset with the adults in Hannah's life --- her teacher and guidance counselor --- and I was upset that good characters like Clay didn't take the matter to an adult who could help. My son disagreed with me. He said I was reacting to the story like a mom, not a teen, and that stopped me in my tracks. What a profound insight. Too often, adults look at teens as if they're fully developed mini-adults and that is not true. It was a most enlightening moment for me.
Leanna R.:I read this book for the first time when I was in the 7th or 8th grade. I read it for pleasure.
What do you like about this book, and how would you persuade somebody else to read it?
PB: I loved this book for so many reasons. I thought the audio tapes concept was unique. It was a way for Hannah to share her side of the story from beyond-the-grave in a way that can't be misinterpreted. I like the way each tape was essentially a new chapter and how the map of the neighborhood was mixed in with the tapes. Finally, I loved that we hear the tapes through Clay's ears. Clay is a good kid, so we feel his struggle as he tries to understand why he is on her list. It's so gut-wrenching and moving and yet it makes me so angry to hear how others treated this poor girl. But when my son read it, he admitted he'll second guess the ways he treats other people he meets from now on. I thought that was a great plan and it's something I still do today. If you're not sure you'd like to read a book about suicide and bullying, I say read THIRTEEN REASONS WHY so you can walk just one mile in someone else's shoes.
LR: I like that this book is extremely thought-provoking. Sure, it's easy to feel bad for Hannah and then think that this book glorifies suicide, but really, Jay Asher portrays Hannah as very selfish, which in fact discourages the act of suicide. To persuade someone else to read this, I would describe the book as a very interesting and creative approach to a topic usually considered obscene.
A parent, upset that the book was on their son’s 10th grade reading curriculum, called THIRTEEN REASONS WHY “obscene under the normally understood meaning of that term. It deals explicitly, in reductive and graphic terms, with actions and events that are crassly sexual and emotionally base.” If you had the chance to respond to that quote, what would you say?
PB: I'd say yes, I can understand that concern. The book is graphic but as a mom, I read it with my teenage son and we explored those concerns together. The truth is, our teens are facing explicit, graphic and crassly sexual situations every day. Burying our heads in the sand and pretending they don't exist does NOT prepare our children for effectively managing those situations. Only facing them head on, with the courage of your own personal convictions, can do that. And that's what I did and I am so glad I did, because I was absolutely stunned by the situations my son described to me. Teens having sex in order to be popular, girls chasing after popular guys in the hopes they'll 'pick them' --- there's a sense of desperation I didn't know existed in his world. When we talked about it, I was happy to learn my son was disgusted by these situations and actually distanced himself from those engaging in them.
LR: I would agree that there are obscene parts of the novel, but they were necessary to the plot. To omit the raw details would be to sugarcoat the characters' experiences, which would fundamentally change the author's intent. Additionally, though it is fair to say that these themes are not quite appropriate for all ages, I read this book at age 12 and if anything, it taught me the dangers of these situations and to be careful of them.
You need to give the protagonist of this book a book recommendation. What would you recommend, and why?
PB: If I could recommend a book to Clay, it would be SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson. When my son explained I was reacting the way a mom would, it made me realize that many kids just don't know what the right thing to do might be in a particular situation. SPEAK deals with rape and its aftermath. I think Clay is the kind of person who might appreciate the different ways an assault can scar a person and try to help survivors cope. And after that, I'd slip him a copy of my own novels *laughs*.
LR:I would assume the protagonist in question is Clay, and I would recommend THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner because, through his experiences with Hannah's tapes, Clay can relate to the need to piece together puzzles and seek answers.
