Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher

Synopsis: "Clay Jensen returns home to find a strange package with his name on it. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and first love - who committed suicide. Hannah's voice explains there are thirteen reasons why she killed herself and Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. All through the night, Clay keeps listening - and what he discovers changes his life... Forever."

I picked this book up out of pure curiosity of the interesting mix of themes Jay Asher deals with, which include suicide, sex, violence, guilt and blame. I was also interested in seeing if I too had faced any of the scenarios Hannah Baker experiences in this novel and looking at how differently we both deal with them.

What appealed to me most about this book was Asher's use of a secondary character, Clay Jensen, and his experience with the 6 cassette tapes which contain Hannah's thirteen reasons for committing suicide. It allowed me to build a connection with Hannah's story and grow a greater understanding of how other's, particularly Clay, truly perceived her.

For the first half of the book however I struggled to emphasize with Hannah and found myself becoming bored of the petty reasons she was providing for her suicide. On the one hand you can see how everything lead to the snowball effect and understand how it effected Hannah, but on the other hand you wonder how she didn't manage to get over the scenarios she was facing because in reality I didn't consider them that much of a big deal.

However I think that's the point Asher was trying to make with this novel. I believe he wanted the reader to understand that whilst one person may perceive something one way, another may experience and respond to it in a totally different manner, therefore Asher was trying to create an understanding of how everyone deals with things differently. He's not trying to insult young people by suggesting that the worst thing a teenager can experience is typical teenage drama, like I've read in many reviews, but trying to highlight the difference between us all and the effect life has on an individual in general.

Although the concept of blaming others for a suicide bothers me and is something I don't agree with because ultimately it is the individual who commits the act, I found the entire book a truly beautiful read. The way in which it was written was fantastic and I loved how it was presented in the book and how Clay took the time to express his thoughts and feelings throughout so the reader can have a greater feel of the story.

I give Jay Asher and 'Thirteen Reasons Why'★★★★

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

The Fault in Our Stars follow the story of sixteen-year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster who was diagnosed with stage 4 thyroid cancer and metastasis on her lungs at 13. Her parents force her to attend a support group for children living with cancer and it is there that she first meets the mysterious, beautiful and cancer-recovering Augustus Waters. Different from any other boy Hazel has met before, the two soon fall in love and become the one thing that keeps the other going - that is, until, things take turn for the worse.

It goes without saying that this novel is undoubtedly the most wonderful, heartbreaking and beautifully written book I've come across this year, quite possibly ever. It truly is a stunning piece of fiction that I believe deserves to be read by everyone, regardless of age and preferred reading genre.

The way in which Green handles the themes dealt with in this novel is so honourable. Although categorised as a YA novel with a subject that is sensitive to many, Green deals with everything in a mature and understandable manner that enlightens the reader of the severity of cancer and the effect it has on sufferers and their friends and family, as well as giving an accurate portrayal with the correct terminology used of the disease.

Green has successfully managed to bring life to characters that no other author could possibly create. You become so engrossed by and fall so in love with the protagonists, Hazel and August, and so attached that they feel almost real to you; it's like you've known them personally for many years. It's a lot like seeing your best friend fall for someone they truly deserve and instead of being jealous of all the time they spend together you spur them on to spend as much time together as possible in what little time they have left.

I can do nothing but praise Green's writing style and his capability to captivate you from the very first page. His descriptive techniques are so engrossing to read and the narrative so thought it and well developed that I struggled to put the book down. It's clear that Green understands what true love is and doesn't make it a superficial matter. I found myself relating to every character in some way or another which is so rare in a book and that really highlights just how talented Green is and how beautiful his writing is.

August and Hazel use every moment given to them in the most beautiful and cherished way possible. They don't dwindle on the past or the events and troubles they both know they'll inevitably face in the future. It's all about the now for them and that is what makes them exceptional. It is not the struggle of their cancer battles that define either of them, but who they are in spite of it and that's what makes their love so real. Up until they met each other they felt as if nobody understood them; they didn't have anybody close enough who has had to physically and emotionally deal with the same occurrences. Green has created real characters with real personalities and problems and individuality and love and all of that remains consistent throughout the novel.

Ultimately this book made me laugh, cry, angry, happy and hopeful all at the same time. So much beauty is balanced against sorrow, so much warmth and humour against sadness in world where wishes don't always come true.

I give John Green and The Fault in Our Stars ★★★★★

Hello, hello, hello!

Hello Bloggers! Wait, that was a little too cheesy for my liking.. Anyway, welcome to my blog 'What's inside the book?'!

I'm quite ashamed by the fact that I set this blog up in February and only now I've gotten round to finding a decent theme and adding additional pages to the blog, but hey at least it's done now.

In case it isn't a little too obvious from the title of the blog I'm a lover of books and for that reason I've set up this blog to share my thoughts, feelings and reviews on an array of books I've already read and plan to read in the near future. I'll also be posting about book to film and TV series adaptions, cover designs, authors and my top reads from time to time.

I look forward to sharing this experience with all of you as I'm very much new to the blogger-sphere, who knows where this might lead? I mean, I aspire to pursue a career in journalism so who knows, you may find me reviewing books in the back of newspapers and other forms of media one day (he says optimistically)!

I'm currently half way through 'Thirteen Reasons Why' by Jay Asher so expect a review on that within the next day or two. Until then have a look around and be sure to check out my additional pages that are located to the right of this post.

All the best,
Cameron