Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Two weeks after Hannah Baker killed herself, Clay comes home to find a package addressed to him containing seven numbered cassette tapes. When Clay plays the tapes the voice of Hannah Baker informs him that he is one of the reasons that she died. Seven tapes with thirteen sides to the story and to figure out his part in it, he'll have to listen to it all.
Asher has written a novel that packs an emotional punch. The story is told through the alternatingly voices of Hannah and her narrative on the cassette tapes and Clay as he reacts to what he hears. Like Clay, readers will be immediately drawn into Hannah's story, not wanting to stop until they have heard every twisted detail that could explain her life-ending decision. Readers will feel each and every betrayal and emotionally react to all of Hannah's secrets. This is one of those books that keeps you thinking long after you've finished reading. It presents a clear message on how actions can impact others, but does so without being preachy. It does not gloss over the harsh parts of high school life and includes sex, partying, and rape but not graphically. Jay Asher's debut novel is a must read and is one that will appeal to adults as well as teens. An aside- I was disappointed that there was no post-information on the identifying the signs of a suicidal person, or any suicide hotline phone numbers as it was mentioned repeatedly in the story that people missed the signs prior to Hannah's suicide.