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13 Reasons Why Review (Show)

OKAY THE SHOW NOW!

(as you can see I am very excited as I binge-watched the series and completed it in 2 days. YUP THAT’S RIGHT! 2 FREAKING DAYS!)

So the Netflix series of 13 reasons why is obviously an adaptation. I watched it for many reasons, one being because I love the book and the other being Selena Gomez (yep)…

Anyways, there are 13 episodes, each symbolizes a different reason she killed herself. Now, the series take a different tour. Instead of the entire thing taking place in one night (like the book), the series stretches it out for a week, which I absolutely love because it gave so much time for character development. I also got to dive into the lives of other characters and understand why they did the things they did (except for Bryce because there is no justification for rape and sexual assault).

In the series, they have these short scenes of conversations between Hannah and Clay which are SO ADORABLE. It's like they integrated these little pockets of happiness so we all won't cry 24/7 while watching the show.

Another thing that took me by surprise was the rape scenes. They were not censored. They didn't alter it so we could feel comfortable. NO. They wanted to make us feel the pain and horridness of rape. And let me tell you, that was so important in the series because it really shakes you. It's a reality check. A WAKE UP CALL.

I am obviously against rape and believe that no one has the right to violate another person in any given way. So, when I saw these scenes, I was like YES SHOWCASE THE UGLINESS OF SUCH ACTS. The show DID NOT SHY AWAY. It presented the truth in the most brutal and realistic way and I feel like you don't get those emotions when you read the book. It really makes a difference when you watch it.

Another scene was the suicide scene. Episode 13 guys, the one where we see her cutting her wrists. It was painful to watch. I was weeping and crying SO HARD. But the scene needed to be this graphic. We all have heard about suicide. We have known about it. There are so many posters and hotlines. But, do we take it seriously? Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of teenage death. Shocking.

Another thing I loved about the show was that it really illustrated the impact of suicide on family. Hannah's mom and dad were shown in so many scenes and you could feel their pain. The book only focused on the two characters mainly which was great and a fantastic read but I believe that the show gave the storyline and plot more flexibility. I was crying when the parents were crying, I was angry when they were angry. I was just feeling all the emotions they were feeling because it was so damn realistic (yup! That word again!).  

Let's move on to the cast. Katherine Langford (Hannah Baker) was just amazing. I was in awe of her acting skills. To portray such a fragile issue in such a realistic and beautiful way is very hard but she did it so well!! Obviously, Dylan Minnette (Clay Jensen) was perfect as well. I cried when he was hearing his tape. His reactions and his acting was so damn realistic. It was pure and just heart breaking.

Another actor that I really want to acknowledge is Kate Walsh who played as Hannah's mother. The way she took up that role OMG GUYS OMG. One of the highlight of her scenes was her reaction in episode 13 when she found Hannah dead in the bathtub. What a reaction. What a phenomenal performance. I felt like everything that was happening was actually happening. Again, the realism engulfed me.

Anyways, that is my review of the book and the series. Obviously there is more to them. In this review I just covered the scenes that stayed in my mind the most. Definitely watch the show and read the book because they have this beautiful depth to it. There is A LOT MORE GOING ON.

KEEP READING!

Adios Amigos!

~ caffeinatedmusiclover who writes book reviews :D

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13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher (Book)

I read this book first when I was 14 and I’m sure many of you did as well because it was released in 2007 (a very long time ago! Happy 10 year anniversary!!). 

Now a little bit about this book/show. 

It revolves around Clay Jensen who receives this package of tapes with 13 sides along with a map. No note. No return address. When he starts hearing the first tape he recognizes that the voice is of Hannah Baker, the girl who recently committed suicide. The 13 tapes are representative of the 13 reasons she killed herself and whoever receives the package is one of the reasons. He is shocked because he realizes that he is one of the reasons since he received the package.

So, WOW what a blurb! When I read what the book was about, I knew I wanted to read it. I absolutely adore books that tackle social issues such as suicide which are often swept under the rug. This book, in particular, is very close to my heart and for many reasons. 

This is the part the discussion begins so if you do not want to be spoiled, click away! 

Hello again to the people who, I assume, have read the book. This part of the discussion is mainly focused on the book. 

Jay Asher uses this beautiful and unique idea. 13 cassette tapes and 13 reasons why Hannah killed herself. What I really liked about this book was that it did not shy away from the social issues such as bullying, suicide, sexual assault, rape and cyberbullying. We all know about these issues because they are widely WIDELY evident in our generation. In many cultures, it is shunned to speak of such 'disturbing' issues but this book tackles them head on and is blunt and realistic. And that is what I absolutely love about the concept and the story itself.

The character of Hannah is developed through the tapes which are again really unique. We go through her entire thought process and emotions which led to her committing suicide. But we go through it through the eyes of Clay Jensen. I have not read a book with a development of a dead character. Another thing that took me by surprise in this book.

I also loved how a numerous amount of social issues were integrated into such a small book. Because of it being short, the scenes were really drastic which I found a little weird.

This book made me aware of so many things that teenagers often deal with every day. But not only that, the book made me cry, shocked me and just evoked a huge cluster of emotions!

I would definitely recommend this book to kids who are 14 or 15 because it is the perfect age to be aware of such things as they will eventually have to deal with them.

Amongst the various things that I loved about the book, I loved the idea of cassette tapes. It gave me a really vintage and ancient vibe. It was authentic in a way. We live in a world driven by social media. But, by using these tapes, Asher showcases how vulnerable our information is on the internet. The tapes are a symbol of security for me.

All in all, the book was a fantastic rollercoaster. I re-read it this year and flew through it within a day. I would definitely read it again for a third time because it is a blunt, realistic and bold book which doesn’t shy away from the massive societal issues we have.

I would rate this a good 4/5. Taking away 1 star because I really didn’t get much character development on other minor characters. Also, he hears the tapes in one night and I feel like the book was really drastic in the scene because of that. But I loved the message and story.

Anyways, that is my review of the book. Obviously there is more to them. In this review, I just covered the scenes that stayed in my mind the most.

Tell me your thoughts about the book! 

KEEP READING!

Adios Amigos!

~ caffeinatedmusiclover who writes book reviews :D