Thirteen Reasons Why

 Bullying can take lives. It's a statement heard quite often nowadays, but paid a little heed. There are so many social campaigns about bullying but it continues to take lives. Thirteen Reasons Why is about that.

Here's an article on bullying:

Bullying and its consequences

Thirteen Reasons Why is based on high school bullying. A novel by Jay Asher tells thirteen reasons why Hannah killed herself. 

Jay Asher is an American writer and novelist best known for his novel "Thirteen Reasons Why." Some other novels by Jay Asher are The Future of Us, What Light, Piper, Brighton Beach Murder, and Love in Progress.

Thirteen Reasons Why also has a visual form. A TV series based on four seasons, (2017-2020), directed by Tom Mcarthy for the first three seasons. The cast includes Dylan Minette(Clay Jensen), Katherine Langford(Hannah Baker), Alisha Boe(Jessica Davis), Brandon Flynn(Justin Foley), and many more. 

The series is an extended version of how Hannah Baker's death took a toll on all students and life of the people that she held responsible for her death.

If you're looking for a comforting read, take a look at this:

Click here: The Bookish life of Nina Hill

Plot:

Hannah Baker, a sophomore at Liberty High School, Evergreen, California has just moved there two months prior to starting High School. The very high school where she is sexually abused and labeled while trying to fit into high school life. 

She, later on, kills herself because of the excessive bullying and the fact that she'll have to spend the next three years of high school just like that. 

Hannah holds 13 people responsible for her death. Thirteen People, who in one way or another pushed Hannah to the verge of killing herself. Whether it be people she was friends with, people she loved, or people she looked up to.

THIRTEEN REASONS WHY SUMMARY:

Clay Jensen is standing at his front door looking at a package, a shoe box. He takes it into the kitchen and takes out a pair of scissors from the drawer and cuts it open. Inside, he finds seven audio tapes. 

He takes his father's old stereo and starts playing the first side of the cassette marked one and hears Hannah's voice. His heart fills with dread. Clay finds out that Hannah recorded tapes before her death, thirteen reasons why she killed herself; thirteen people who are responsible for her death.

She states some rules before starting the tapes:

A. You have to listen to all the audio tapes.

B. If you refuse to do so, there is a copy of those tapes that'll be leaked to the entire school.

C. When you're done, wrap up those tapes back in the shoe box and mail them to the next person on the list.

What's odd is that Clay is not able to understand how in any way he pushed Hannah to kill herself. Hannah was his forever crush. From the moment he saw her, he liked her. 

Clay is a nerd and nerds don't bully. They get bullied. There is no possible way that Clay bullied Hannah or betrayed her as a friend. They both worked part-time in a cinema house. 

Clay steals walkman from his best friend and follows the map that came with the tapes while listening to the tapes. It had different spots marked according to each tape.

With every side that he starts listening to, his heart skips a beat. His anxiety increases with every side, but his name doesn't pop up for a very long time. 

A story on Greek myths: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

THIRTEEN REASONS WHY QUOTES:

1. More specifically, why my life ended. And if you're listening to these tapes, you're one of the reasons why:

What? No!

I'm not saying which tape brings you into the story. But fear not, if you received this lovely little box, your name will pop up... I promise.

(Cassette 1: Side A; Page 7)

2. Betrayal. It's one of the worst feelings. I know you didn't mean to let me down. In fact, most of you listening probably had no idea what you were doing-- what you were truly doing.

What was I doing, Hannah? Because I honestly have no idea.

(Cassette 1: Side A; Page 13)

3. The party where I first saw Hannah Baker. God. I thought she was so pretty. And new to this town, that's what really got me. Around the opposite sex, especially back then, my tongue twisted into knots even a Boy Scout would walk away from. But around her, I could be the new and improved Clay Jensen, a High School freshman.

(Cassette 1: Side A; Page 17)

4. "So what's going on, Clay?" Tony says. I repeat his words in my head. What's going on? What's going on? Oh, well, since you asked, I got a bunch of tapes in the mail from a girl who killed herself. Apparently, I had something to do with it.

(Cassette 1: Side A; Page 33)

5. Welcome back. And thanks for hanging out for part two.

I wiggle the walkman into my jacket pocket and turn up the volume. 

If you're listening to this, one of the two things has just happened. A: You're Justin, and after hearing your little tale you want to know who's next. Or B: You're someone else and you're waiting to see if it's you.

(Cassette 1: Side B; Page 36)

Bullying is never an option. You're little tease to someone about the way they look or some other trait, might be one of their insecurities. Making fun of someone, spreading rumors, insulting someone, physically abusing, harassing, sexually abusing, and assaulting all are forms of bullying and cannot be justified in any way.

National Center of Educational Statistics, 2019 states that one out of every five students reported being bullied.

Here's the link to the site of these statistics, so you can get an idea.

National Bullying Prevention Center

Quote from the book:

"You don't know what goes on in anyone's life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person's life, you're not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can't be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person's life, you're messing with their entire life. Everything... affects everything."

- Shaherzaad