13 Reasons Why

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      Especially in the wake of the Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why is an important novel for adolescents or anybody who's been in Hannah's situation before.  One of the striking parts of Hannah's struggle is the fact that there's never one specific incident that makes someone suicidal, "It's one thing on top of another...It's too hard (273)."  Certainly, anybody has last resorts when they feel like Hannah does, but it's important to understand the suicide and depression are processes rather than events.
     Another part of the book that I found interesting was the fact that Clay seems very resistant towards Hannah's story.  He's constantly arguing with her, saying things as simple as "Yes, I've noticed it, Hannah (199)," about a classmate's habits, to "No.  You hid it.  You never told me what it was, Hannah (215)" when she discusses her struggles with depression.  Although these serve to characterize Clay and his complex relationship with Hannah, I think they also show the dual narrative between somebody struggling with suicidal thoughts and people on the outside of that situation.  To Hannah, her struggle was so obvious because she saw it manifested in every aspect of her life, but she kept it inside so well that people like Clay, who watched her pretty closely (being one of the first people to see her haircut and constantly appearing in the background of her other stories), they know that something must be wrong, but they can't ever imagine what is actually going on, and to what extent it goes.  It also shows how suicide is a very personal decision for somebody to make.  With all due respect for a very sensitive topic, it takes a lot for somebody to be at the point where they feel horrible enough to take their own life, but the decision is always their own.  Of course, it may be the fault of others for putting this person in a situation where they feel that this is their only way out.  I think Asher does an effective job of showing how people, especially adolescents are afraid of asking for help, and even if they get to the point where they can, it takes a lot to admit it.  The message that the end of the book sends, about paying attention to your words and actions and keeping an eye on people to make sure they're okay goes a long way, even moreso in today's world where technology is influencing more and more peoples' self-worth and depression diagnosis is at an all-time high.

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