Thirteen Reasons Why Analysis

Suicide is a very touchy topic in young adult literature; people often debate that the book is inappropriate for the targeted audience. The book Thirteen Reasons Why, By: Jay Asher, is about a young man, Clay Jensen, who returns home from school one day to find mysterious box with his name on it sitting on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes with thirteen reasons why his school crush, Hannah Baker, committed suicide and he’s one of them. Parents, and teachers complain that a book containing sexually explicit content, inappropriate language, suicide, drugs, alcohol, and smoking is not appropriate for young adults to be reading. This book has been challenged multiple times since its release in 2007. The book Thirteen Reasons Why was the 3rd most challenged book in 2012, according to the ALA. There has been no court cases against this book, but challenges has been reported throughout the country. Thirteen Reasons Why has been challenged for various reasons, including,
This book has positively affected many teens and adults throughout the country. With all of the discussion on the profanity of the book, Jay Asher decided to make a website to show the country how his book has changed people's lives instead of ruined them (Thirteenreasonswhy.com). One person quoted, “This book is amazing. It really spoke to my heart and opened my mind (Thirteenreasonswhy.com).” Another person quoted, “The truth is this book saved my life. It gave me the hope I needed to get where I am today. Thank you so much, for everything (Thirteentreasonswhy.com)!” With the reality of knowing this book has saved people's lives and their mindsets, it changes the whole perspective of the book. If you think about it, without this book, people could be dead or worse yet, without changed mindsets, they could be the cause of someone taking their own