Book Reviews

13 Reasons Why- Jay Asher

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher is a YA Fiction that has recently been made into a Netflix original series. I've heard mixed reviews on both the book and the series. I personally loved the book. I haven't seen the Netflix series and I'm not sure I'm going to due to the fact that I've heard a lot of things about the differences between the two and from what I've heard, they take out a lot of the stuff that I love about the book. What I find interesting is that so far, those I've talked to that liked it are those who've been in Hannah's situation or had someone very close to them in Hannah's position while those who didn't like the book, haven't been. I really enjoyed this book because a lot of the things Hannah said, a lot of her thoughts and feelings are things that I myself have thought and felt. It's not often that I find something that so accurately portrays how I felt during what I call February. She talks about how it wasn't one person or incident or experience that led her to make her decision. She talked about how it was a snowball effect, things piling on top of each other until it was too much, too overwhelming, and she couldn't see another way out. I may not have the same experiences as her, in fact, mine were very different, but the thoughts, feelings, and emotions are the same. The way that suicide is handled in the book is very real to me and is still portrayed as the very scary, very dangerous thing that it is. One thing I've heard about the Netflix show is that it romanticizes suicide and that's not the point of the book. The author really was trying to show both sides of the suicide. In the back of the book, there's a FAQ section and one of the things he talks about is having open communication. He talks about the stigma surrounding suicide and how people often feel like they'll offend their suicidal friend(s) by bringing it up but for people who are friends with those who identify as Hannah, the first thing you should do is talk to them about it. Get into the dirty details with them and make sure they know that they have a friend that they can trust and rely on and that they are absolutely not alone. After you've established that, you should help them find some counseling or professional help. Keep in mind that you are their friend, not their therapist. While you can and should be there to talk to and rely on, you can't be the only person they're talking to and you can't be the only one supporting them. I've been in that position and it ended horribly. You can't risk your own mental health and happiness because you're trying to keep your friend off the edge. Something he talked about for those who identify as Hannah is that it's extremely difficult to do, but you've got to get help. Hannah hinted to her class and her counsellor but never said anything strong enough or fully reached out for help. You've got to get around that stigma and realize that it's ok to admit your problems and it's ok to ask for help. The only reason I'm still here is because my parents realised something was off and we sat down and it was really difficult for me to open up and admit what I was going through but a few minutes of bravery saved my life. If you have open communication, things will get better. You'll get the help you need and while your problems won't disappear, you'll be able to handle them more efficiently. Overall, I loved this book and how it handled suicide and I felt like the characters were very real. I loved his writing style and please, if you feel like you're depressed or suicidal, talk to someone. Talk to family, friends, school counsellors, anyone. If you don't feel like you can talk to anyone you know, there's a national phone number and website as well as plenty of other resources out there. I'll link some of my favorites, Player 2 helps you deal with inner conflicts and helps you sort out your emotions and The Quiet Place Project has a lot of different resources you can use, my favorites being The Dawn Room (give comfort to others and receive comfort yourself) and The Thoughts Room (type out everything on your mind and get it off of your chest while watching the words turn into a starry night sky). If you want to look at the other four, google The Quiet Place Project and it should be the first thing that comes up.

National suicide helpline: 1-800-suicide

National suicide website: http://hopeline.com/

Player 2: http://www.lifeinneon.com/games/Player2.html

The Quiet Place Project: http://thequietplaceproject.com/thequietplace

The Dawn Room: http://thequietplaceproject.com/thedawnroom/

The Thoughts Room: http://thequietplaceproject.com/thethoughtsroom/