Naomi Butler (Children's Literature)
Clay Jensen’s first love records her last words. Clay returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah’s voice explains that there are thirteen reasons she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he will find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a first-hand witness to Hannah’s pain, and learns the truth about himself, a truth he never wanted to face. What he discovers changes his life forever. This novel is the first for Jay Asher, and it is billed as a spectacular one. The reader learns that one cannot stop the future or rewind the past. This book is also billed as suspense. It may not be for everyone, and many may become bored and/or discouraged before the end, but, like other Razorbill books, it is challenging and interesting. 2007, RAZORBILL/Penguin Group, $16.99. Ages 12 to 16.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 17))
Everything affects everything," declares Hannah Baker, who killed herself two weeks ago. After her death, Clay Jensen—who had a crush on Hannah—finds seven cassette tapes in a brown paper package on his doorstep. Listening to the tapes, Hannah chronicles her downward spiral and the 13 people who led her to make this horrific choice. Evincing the subtle—and not so subtle—cruelties of teen life, from rumors, to reputations, to rape, Hannah explains to her listeners that, "in the end, everything matters." Most of the novel quite literally takes place in Clay's head, as he listens to Hannah's voice pounding in his ears through his headphones, creating a very intimate feel for the reader as Hannah explains herself. Her pain is gut-wrenchingly palpable, and the reader is thrust face-first into a world where everything is related, an intricate yet brutal tapestry of events, people and places. Asher has created an entrancing character study and a riveting look into the psyche of someone who would make this unfortunate choice. A brilliant and mesmerizing debut from a gifted new author. 2007, Razorbill/Penguin, 256p, $16.99. Category: Fiction. Ages 13 up. Starred Review. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Myrna Marler (KLIATT Review, November 2007 (Vol. 41, No. 6))
Suicide is a leading cause of death in teens. Some leave notes to explain. Others exit leaving only their bodies behind. The suicide in this book secretly bequeaths 13 tapes to be passed on to 13 persons explaining the connected reasons why she chooses death. The recipient and protagonist of this novel is 16-year-old Clay Jensen, who claims at the beginning that he hardly knew Hannah. It takes hours to listen to these tapes as well as to follow the map Hannah has conveniently provided so each recipient can examine the spot of her humiliation, disillusion or betrayal. Yet, inexplicably (there is the vague threat that if the recipient doesn’t listen, the tapes will be made public in some unspecified way), each recipient follows Hannah’s instructions. The reasons combine finally into two: people’s indifference to the sufferings of others, and that girls are often treated badly by insensitive boys who think of them as objects or conquests. Well, these are facts of life to keep in mind when trying to live honorably and alleviating the pain of others. Nevertheless, the framework of this story is cumbersome and confusing; the suspense is manufactured (at periodic strategic intervals Clay has to take off his headphones); the cast of characters is dizzying, and the intent of Hannah’s tapes is to send all the recipients on a giant guilt trip, trips most people aren’t willing to take. And all in all, Hannah’s 13 reasons don’t add up to a good enough reason for her mysterious death. But then, other people’s reasons for suicide never do seem justifiable to observers. The message that people should try harder to take care of each other is good, but in spite of the book’s unique structure, it sure takes Clay a while to figure it out. Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: JS--Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2007, Penguin, Razorbill, 288p., $16.99. Ages 12 to 18.

Jennifer Lee (The ALAN Review, Winter 2008 (Vol. 35, No. 2))
Clay receives a mysterious brown-wrapped package in the mail. When he opens it, he finds a handful of cassette tapes. After finding a cassette player (because, heck, it is 2007, who uses cassette players anymore?) he pops in cassette No. 1 and is shocked to find that his classmate, Hannah, is speaking on the tapes. . . . Hannah had killed herself just weeks before the package’s arrival. As Clay listens, he finds that anyone who receives the package is one of the 13 reasons Hannah committed suicide. This page-turner will keep you up all night, as Clay pops in cassette after cassette, to find out what his role is exactly in Hannah’s death. Could he really be somewhat responsible? You won’t regret reading this book, and it won’t take you very long. It is a fast read and will keep you on the edge of your seat, as you read on to find out more about the circumstances surrounding Hannah’s death. Category: Suicide. YA--Young Adult. 2007, Razorbill, 304 pp., $16.99. Ages young adult.Louisville, KY

Katrina Bromann (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, November 2007 (Vol. 61, No. 3))
Before Hannah Baker committed suicide, she recorded her story on seven tapes, dedicating one side of each tape to a person who was one of the reasons she chose to end her life. Now the tapes are circulating through the thirteen people, who must listen to them and pass them on, or else a second set of tapes will be released. Stunned classmate Clay Jensen pushes “play” on the dusty cassette tape player in his garage and thus begins a slow, agonizing journey through four increasingly unhappy years of living for Hannah and one tormented night of listening for Clay. As one tape after another spools out, the audience learns of Clay’s budding crush on Hannah, his confusion that kept him from helping her, and his anger at her choice to die; on the flip side, Hannah reveals her despair at being labeled a slut, her attempts to reach out for help, and the fear leading up to the clarity of her decision. Each tape unreels another emotional vignette contributing to Hannah’s depression, all equally painful, so that the first kiss that started the first rumor is just as devastating as the eventual unwanted sexual encounter. There is no fast-forwarding through Hannah’s story; the audience, like Clay, will both desire and dread to find out who comes next on her list and why, and more importantly, where Clay himself fits in. Asher writes strong, distinct voices for Clay and for Hannah, whose text is presented in italics and set off from Clay’s narrative by symbols for stop, play, rewind, and pause. Hannah’s failed struggle to keep up a positive self-image among those worst of critics, her judgmental peers, will resonate with high-schoolers who know all too well the hurtful grind of the rumor mill. The end, wherein Clay reaches out to another withdrawn girl, would seem cheaply convenient if the audience was not in such desperate need of a bit of closure and a glimmer of hope Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2007, Razorbill, 304p.; Reviewed from galleys, $16.99. Grades 9-12.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2008)
After classmate Hannah's suicide, Clay receives a box of cassettes she recorded, each side relating the story of a person who figured into her decision. Clay, though he's not sure why, is one of those people. Told through the voices of angry Hannah and anguished Clay, this quietly suspenseful novel believably conveys their pain, perhaps inspiring readers to self-reflection. Category: Older Fiction. 2007, Penguin/Razorbill, 288pp, 16.99. Ages 12 to 14. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.

Judy Sasges (VOYA, February 2008 (Vol. 30, No. 6))
Listening to the audio cassettes found propped against his front door, Clay is shocked to hear the voice of Hannah, who killed herself two weeks earlier. On the tapes, Hannah explains why she committed suicide and how the thirteen people named in the tapes contributed to her decision to end her life. Clay learns that he is among those named. High school senior Clay is the novel's main narrator, but the story belongs to Hannah. She describes in an authentic, if overly self-aware, voice how slights and misunderstandings snowballed until she could no longer cope. Hannah's reputation is questioned, her parents are distracted by financial problems, her friends use her, and when she reaches out for help, no one steps forward. Readers will immediately identify with Hannah's experiences in high school society. From Hannah, readers realize the impact of thoughtless actions and comments. As Clay finishes Hannah's story, he becomes more perceptive and sensitive to others. Teens will embrace Asher's debut novel because it is not condescending or preachy. Sex and drugs are plot elements but are not graphically described. Short sentences make it a quick, smooth read, yet there is depth to the novel. This provocative tale touches on universal topics of interest, is genuine in its message, and would be a good choice for high school book discussions and booktalks. The attractive cover art is aimed at female readers. But because the content appeals to both genders, more readers would be drawn to the book if it featured Clay on the cover. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2007, Razorbill/Penguin Putnam, 256p., $16.99. Ages 12 to 18.