See I have heard middle and high school kids are viewing this. I mean all I have shared above so far is from that perspective. So, I am also trying to keep that in mind with my assessment. It left me with pause on how I myself would parent my own kid through this tumultuous time of their life.īut keep in mind, I am an adult viewing and processing this though. Watching Hannah’s mom struggle with her daughter’s final decision was gut wrenching and heart breaking for me. The thing is that this effected me on a personal level as a mom. But after having processed it, I think the filming of it while raw, was necessary to drive home how final suicide really is. I must admit, when I first was viewing the actual culminating episode where Hannah kills herself I was more than upset and taken a back. But the show, not only explains exactly how Hannah ended her life, but it also gruesomely gives a bird’s eye view of Hannah’s actual suicide. The book leaves a bit to the imagination as far as Hannah’s ultimate demise. The show, though, goes more in depth on this. Both the book and the show drives this point home. Hannah was most definitely bullied by not one, but multiple classmates, who were both girls and boys. The show, also added, more adult presence is the form of Hannah’s parents, Clay’s parents and more high school administrators, such as the principal, guidance counselor and teachers, too. One thing, I can say about the show, is that it sadly portrayed teens pretty accurately in my humble estimation. The Netflix Show also had to deal with visually living up to the book’s high standard and add layers to it still. Also, it just ended abruptly when the book concluded. The book, though, made me feel that Hannah’s story occurred more in a vacuum than the show did. The book, I felt, was done very tastefully and handled this tough subject matter quite well. In the book, as well as the show, Clay Jensen, who just happens to be the subject of tape 11, is the one listening to them and relaying the events to us. The tapes are being listened by each of the 13 people in sequential number order posthumously. She pretty much blames each of these people for her ultimate decision. She dedicates each of the tapes to a different person who she felt negatively impacted her life. But before she does, she records 13 cassette tapes. Because of this, she ultimately decides to end her life. In essence, Hannah was bullied and mistreated on more than one occasion. Many of these encounters, while not earth shattering to some, put together were that and more to Hannah. She is truly unhappy after many and varied different encounters with her high school peers. The book and the Netflix show revolve around high school sophomore, Hannah Baker.
However if you are unfamiliar with the overall story or just been living under a rock, then I will sum it up for you here. And now more than ever being the mom to two young daughters, who will in the upcoming future live through their own drama laden teen years, I had to not just read the book but also watch the show. Even as a former middle/high teacher, who witnessed teen angst on a whole new level, I most definitely could also relate. See having been a former teenage girl, who had her fair share of drama filled high school days. To say I was left reeling after reading and subsequently viewing the Netflix show in a little under a week would be an understatement. I couldn’t put down my iPad and finished the book in less than 2 days.
The list was understandably very long.įinally, I got my hands on that ebook copy late last month. Yet, I patiently waited to get an e-book copy from the library for the last few months. See I have also lost count how many times I had the book in my hands at Barnes and Noble, when I have taken my girls to buy more books for their ever growing library. Actually even before the book was made into a Netflix show. That said, I have been wanting to read 13 Reasons Why, by Jay Asher for quite some time. But I am one to read the book before watching the show or movie. I have seen the updates all over my Facebook feed. *Affiliate links are present for 13 Reasons Why and if you click to make a purchase, I will make a small commission from this.