Hannah, a teen girl, decides to commit suicide, but before she does she makes 13 recordings explaining why, and how each of the 13 people who get copies of the recordings either contributed to her decision, or could have helped her and didn't. This book is amazing in its ability to capture the desperation of depression. It does more than that though, Jay Asher weaves an amazing story that could very easily be real - and he shows how it is never one single thing that is so terrible that someone chooses suicide - it is a "snowball" of little events - rumors, lies, small moments, lonely feelings, combined with the feeling that they are trying to ask for help and no one is hearing them, or no one cares. Mr. Asher doesn't stop with Hannah's point-of-view, he includes Clay - one of her 13 reasons - so that we can see the other side of the coin. In Clay, we get to see what it is like for the people left behind - for those who knew something was wrong, but didn't know what, or how to help.

This book is well written - it's a page turner and heart breaker, and above all it teaches lessons about how we treat each other, and the importance of not giving up on people even when they are pushing you away. Seriously, Mr. Asher, well done.

I would recommend this book for all teens, adults who work with teens, parents of teens...pretty much anyone, really. Its a great story with a powerful message. (There are some topics discussed that may be too graphic for the under 13 crowd)