13 reasons why

For a young adult literature novel I feel that in the traditional literacy terms sense this novel encompassed them very well. The plot was detailed but not too hard for someone to comprehend what the message of the book is. I liked how even though Hannah is no longer apart of this world the reader can still form a connection with her and her story through her tapes. Almost making one believe that she is still alive. I also liked how through tragedy there was still a coming of age component to it through the character of Clay. Although I enjoyed reading this book I could see how this text could be harder for male readers to connect to because the issues that Hannah was going through were very female related and not really things that males go through or in the same manner anyways. It also plays on the typical new girl comes to school and instantly has a reputation which may or may not be true. The culture verisimilitude of this novel could be hard for some readers to overcome. Young beautiful girl becomes slut shammed based on rumors, when the scope of bullying is much larger than that. But overall I fell like it does a good job of showing how even minor acts can build because not everyone knows what is going on in different people’s lives. This text positions readers to really consider that smaller things have larger impacts than can be expected. It also encourages teens to really be more observant of their behavior and more aware of their actions and how they could affect other people. It challenges young adults to really take a reflection and critique themselves, “have I been treating someone like this”. This text appeals to adolescents because bullying and the thought of suicide have become a major epidemic in our culture today. Bullying is now a national issue that affects everyone. And by making teens look at the bigger picture of bullying it could really instill a change in the way they treat people. On a grading scale I would give this novel an A- because I applaud the idea of getting young adults to reflect on themselves especially around a topic that is very prevalent in our society today. With bullying being such an issue reading about it and creating a connection with a different perspective on the situation could be their very own coming of age. If you haven’t already, check out the website page for this book, it actually has a recording of Hannah and all the tapes. It really can give a better insight and connection to the story. http://www.thirteenreasonswhy.com/