Worth Reading

I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover so I judge them by their title! Although this book wasn't what I expected from the title I'd recomend reading it, it brings up some really interesting topics and it's written with some great characters and an amazing plot that keeps you hooked the whole way through!



I started listening to this at about 6pm and I didn't stop listening until It had finished!



Really enjoyed this and recommend it!

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5 people found this helpful

Amazing

Well worth a listen, brings the story alive I felt like I was clay listening to the tapes.

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A Great Listen but A Mediocre Read

The novel 13 Reasons Why is a perfect starting point for curious first time listeners. The novel was presented in a way as if the main character was listening to the last words recorded by a dead girl- and so the audiobook media truly makes it appear as if you are hearing the tapes that the character receives. It provides a true sense of atmosphere and authenticity that makes the audiobook a more immersive and satisfying experience that reading the story. Because, well, the story is no masterpiece by itself.
Despite reaching the age of 40, Jay Asher's voice can easily be believed to have belonged to a 17-year-old. His speech is clear and well-paced, and so there was no struggle in understanding the words he spoke. He did a great job.
My main problem with this book is how it can be too direct and literal with it's language. There's no beautiful or memorable pros or monologues. The main character is clearly experiencing a lot of emotion but I was never able to truly feel it, as the writing failed to portray these emotions in a creative way. The protagonist Clay Jensen's commentary is repetitive and pointless. He's easily relateable but has no interesting traits. He also seemingly has very little relationships with anyone else mentioned on the tapes, and so never gives an interesting reaction or other side of the story to Hannah's accusations. His arc also ends too predictably to be impactful. With the exception of Hannak Baker, nobody behaves like a multi layered human being. There is also several albeit brief moments of failed comedy.
That being said, Jay Asher appears to think very cinematically, always making sure the reader/listener can build a clear atmosphere about the described locations. The structure was also very smart and easy to follow- it's a relaxing peace of light reading. In fact, Asher's simplistic language will likely be benefiticial to most- it's straight-to-point and well-paced. The direct and easy to comprehend story is part of what makes it an enjoyable audiobook- even with my love-hate relationship with Asher's character writing.
Hannah herself seems to be an accurate portrayal of a suffering high school girl- although her breaking point that lead to her truly acting upon her suicidal thoughts could've been more justified (the moments are great ideas, but the lack of emotional language has unfortunate effect of having her seem not as sympathetic as she should've been). Her experience and struggles are understandable, wile her mistakes and lack of trust is purposefully spotlighted by Asher, making it clear how there were ways Hannah could've helped herself. I appreciate this as it reminds everyone that although Hannah's actions are understandable, they were also wrong- and that is a very important message that should be projected to teenagers and suicidal people who find this book.
Despite the negative shared, this book truly is one I was never bored listening to. If you're looking for a book that is solely driven by the story then I think the tapes left by Hannah Baker might be enough to keep your mind entertained and invested.

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1 person found this helpful

I

captivating and very well written story. the voice acting was pretty good as well. finished it very fast.

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1 person found this helpful

TV show made the story much better

I liked the general story of 13 reasons why but I believe that the TV show did improve the story much better as you can see more into the story and the stories behind each character.

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Great

great story line I was hooked wanted to read after watching the netflix series a great book

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Lovely book

Any additional comments?

Lovely book... I cannot imagine how I would feel if I was on someone's list.

It is a very well written book and the charachters come together brilliantly.

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1 person found this helpful

Gripping

What made the experience of listening to Thirteen Reasons Why the most enjoyable?

I am of a similar age to the characters in the book, making it easy to relate to them.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The voice was quite bland, but after you have listened for a while you realise it suits the character of the book.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book made me cry! It is an emotional roller coaster and really makes you think about the people around you.

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Good Narration.

Each of the narrators did a good job of bringing this novel to life. Well done.

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Loved it

Listened to the entire thing in one day, a great book, narrated perfectly, definitely recommend

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