13 Reasons Why

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      13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher is very controversial on the subject of suicide. There are many aspects about this book that I liked and disliked, but whichever the feeling, I became very passionate on the subject of suicide. I also chose to write my research paper on the matter in order to educate myself more on the subject.
     Hannah Baker is one interesting character. Not only did she decide to take her own life, but she decided to take a dozen people down with her. I was able to watch a few of the series, and like her character a bit more, but throughout most of the story she just bugged me. Yes, she did have reasons for each person on the list, but lets be honest, most of them had no idea they were doing anything wrong. There's a lot she could have spoken up about and not felt the need to kill herself. This being said, I know that if she didn't actually kill herself there would be not story, but I'm approaching this more in the light of whether it can happen to another teen.
      Adolescent suicide rates in the United States have skyrocketed! There's a lot we can do to catch it before it happens, especially teachers. We see in the book that Mr. Potter was the last one on the list. He fails to help Hannah after she opened up about what happened to her. This is a huge slap in the face to all teachers, councilors, and future councilors. Hannah reached out for help, and no one met that need. It is our responsibility to always put our students first. With suicide rates rising, everything and every little sign has to be taken seriously. As teachers we need to catch the early signs and see what is go on with our students before it gets any worse.
     With such a powerful and relevant situation in the book, I think this story is extremely important to teach in a classroom. Yes, the story line bugs me a bit, but it can do wonders in a classroom. First, it can show students that every action they have towards other students can have a dramatic effect. For example, Justin's "Hot or Not" list was the first in the domino effects that ruined Hannah. It also ruined her friendship with Jessica and everything from then on out just seemed to get worse until it ultimately led to her downfall. Also, this book when shine a light to parents, teachers, and administrators on how to catch the early signs of suicidal thoughts. Hannah's parents didn't seem to be all that involved in the book, but according to my research the #1 cause for suicide in teens is a bad home life. I believe this book would open young adult minds to be cautious of their words and actions, especially in high school. Students need to learn that they can damage others by these things, and 13 Reasons Why would show them that.

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