“Clay Jenson doesn’t want anything to do with the tapes Hannah Baker made. Hannah is dead. Her secrets should be buried with her.
Then Hannah’s voice tells Clay that his name is on her tapes – and that he is, in some way, responsible for her death.
All through the night, Clay keeps listening. He follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his small town … and what he discovers changes his life forever.”
Wow 😳 this hit close to home. I’ll explain that a little later…..
First off it’s 2017, we all know words and actions, whether to someone’s face or behind their back, will have a major impact on their life. But most people still choose to ignore that and be assholes and bullies. 😞 pathetic…
Now for my story before I talk about this book….first time I remember being bullied was 4th grade. I may have been talked about before than but I don’t remember. It didn’t start out as much. Just little things. Gradually things got worse when I got into middle school. I was also an early developer. Didn’t help. Then when I was 14 years old my world got thrown upside down. My dad died. I didn’t have support, friends, anyone really to turn to. Or I didn’t know who I could turn to. I was lost. I was 15 (1996, yes I’m old lol) the first time I tried to kill myself. I really had no clue what I was doing so it didn’t work. I took an entire box of dexatrim pills I stole from Kmart 🙁 Yea like I said I had no clue what I was doing. Fast forward 21 years later and I’m still not better. In fact as I type this I tear up. Because just the other day I thought about suicide…again…I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve thought about it. I do know before this it was just before this last Christmas. I’m trying to get better but I feel like I’m stuck in a never ending loop. I’m still treated differently, I’m still bullied, I still don’t have friends. I mean I do that I have met in Instagram that are so amazing, but they all live so far away. Everything still affects me……..my daughter is the only reason I’m still here today, writing this blog….
So for the book…it’s just an important message. These kinds of stories need to be heard, read. By ALL. Because kids are not born with the knowledge to bully. It’s taught. So many deaths could have been prevented if parents were not assholes and bullies themselves. There is nothing about this book that I hated. In fact while reading it I thought Hannah’s idea of the tapes was brilliant! Way better than a suicide note on paper. So please think carefully about things before you say them to someone. Think about if someone were to say that to you. How would it make you feel. And don’t just stand around and watch it happen to other people. Step in. Do something. Because those you stand in the back being silent are just as bad as the ones standing in the front shouting at someone.
I am very excited to watch the Netflix Series. Although I’ll probably cry through it.
5/5 🌟
Adventures Between Pages 
Great, touching review!! I haven’t read it yet, but have it on my TBR pile staring at me from the shelf. I hear stories similar to yours from my girlfriends (and their daughters) as well. It’s heartbreaking. I wish it was easy to identify what causes people to bully, and what part of us let’s it scar so deeply so I could put a stop to it. I was bullied my entire school career. It stopped through Uni, but started up again in the social scene when I entered the workforce. To the point my life was endangered a number of times. I was blessed enough to have a great support system of family and friends, and while the thought of suicide was entertained many times, it was always as a big ‘F U’ to the world and my bullies instead of a way to end the suffering. Novels like these in YA are important to help teens in their most vulnerable shed a light on potentially life destroying behavior. We are all valuable, loved and have the right to live out happy lives safely. I wonder what twist the TV series will have on the subject matter – it has always been under fire for romanticizing suicide… but it’s a difficult and sensitive topic to discuss. I better hurry up and read the book before the show starts. Thanks for sharing your pain and thoughts on this book, I know it gives strength to others who need it.
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