When Clay returns to his house after school one day, he discovers a package containing 13 audiotapes. He discovers that the tapes contain the voice and story of Hannah, a classmate who recently committed suicide. Hannah explains that there are 13 reasons why she committed suicide and that everyone who receives the tapes is one of the reasons. Clay must listen to all of the tapes to discover how he is responsible, then pass them on to the next person on the list. Clay spends the night listening to the tapes; he discovers Hannah's pain and the consequences of his actions--and inactions. The story alternates between Clay listening to the tapes as he travels to the various locations in town as described by Hannah, and Hannah's recounting of her high school experiences.
Admittedly, it took me a while to get around to reading this book, but it is compelling. Hannah's pain is palpable, and the uncaring reactions of some of her classmates is disheartening. The story is, of course, emotional and melodramatic, but you won't be able to put it down until you discover Clay's responsibility. (But I must admit, the ending of the book disappointed me a bit.)
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