Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Official Summary

Clay Jensen 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 tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about himself-a truth he never wanted to face.

My Two Cents

This book was really quite good - a little on the young side i.e. one "our age" could not imagine wanting to end your life over the reasons this girl describes, but one has to let go of "our age" and subsequent wisdom in order to really feel for this character. Yes, you do want to shake her until she rattles. But I think that might be the point.

Finished this one in less than two days. Easy read with a good story.

This is something that I think I will encourage Max to read. Just to understand what kind of effect your actions may have, no matter how inconsequential you think they may be. Think lots of teens should probably pick it up. From what I understand from the press surrounding this book, it has changed and possibly saved more than a few of their lives.