“I don’t believe it. No, I can’t believe it. Hannah Baker killed herself.” Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher, is a realistic fiction novel about Hannah Baker, a high school girl who decides to commit suicide. Hannah leaves behind seven cassette tapes (which have all together fourteen sides to listen to), saying why she decided to take her life. Most importantly, whomever receives the tapes has a side of a tape about them, and what they did that pushed Hannah too far. Clay Jenson has only one class with Hannah and barely knows the girl. He has not a clue to why he receives the tapes. What did Clay do to Hannah? And who’s next?

Asher had an interesting way of writing this book. It was narrated by two characters, Hannah and Clay, blending together their two stories as one. I loved this book because it can show how one person can do something and not think anything of it, but it truly effects another person. Asher doesn’t describe the setting as much as he does detail how and what the characters are feeling. I loved being able to always know what the characters were thinking and how they felt. I liked this book because of the suspense and the double narrative style. Any teen that wants to read a strong, well written realistic fiction novel should definitely read Thirteen Reasons Why. I give this book a 10/10.