Book Review: TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY by Jay Asher (2007)

I actually intend to write this around last week, but because of the busy schedule (school, UGH), I ended up late with the new review and I couldn't wrap my head around that fact. I wanted to blog but school deprives me of it... ACK!

But here I am, as promised at least from my last book review, I will be posting this new one. Hope you guys enjoy it... And somehow you fall apart as I did...

(Hopefully, there won't be harsh reactions to any of my reviews... THANK YOU!!!)

I've read the book almost a month ago. It was the time of the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan/ Yolanda struck the Philippines and my province, Batangas, was put into a storm signal of 2. I was bored. There was no electricity which means there's no TV, no WIFI and no laptop to plug in. You really couldn't go out because of the weather. It's like risking your sweet, simple life.

So, I cooped myself in my room around 5 PM; when the sun was down and you couldn't really see anything. But I was really into the idea of reading the book to let it pass without turning a page and I was in a "bookish" mood , so I lit up a candle, perched it on the side table next to my bed and read away. And while the remaining hours of day turned to night, I suddenly realized that I could not put the book down, even for a sec. I was too engulfed by the story that I was not worried about the fragility of my eyes.. (I wear glasses guys...)

I've had a few share of tears (actually, buckets of it), from all the Young Adult and contemporary teenage novels I've read. Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher is one of those books that made me cry, worked it's miracles, and made me dysfunctional.

Here's my brief description of what the novel is about:

OLD MOVIE REVIEW: THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985)

As the quote in the beginning goes,


“And these children that you spit on

as they try to change their worlds

are immune to your consultations.

They’re quite aware of what they’re going through…”

Credits to verdoux's WordPress

This made me want to listen to the whole song written and performed by David Bowie. Anyway, the movie caters to the stereotypes usually found in high school. On a Saturday, six students get detention. Each have their reasons for being there. And through sorting out their differences, they form a mutual bond through a common problem: PARENTS

In a way, we are what we are to what our parents make of us. If our parents pamper us, we end up spoiled and greedy towards material possessions and end up being couch potatoes. If we get beaten and verbally abused, we shun ourselves from them and be the rebellious child they never wanted. And when they have such high expectations, we end becoming the social misfits of the world by being shut-ins.

Pretty much, this problem is explored in the movie as each character explain their undertakings within their household and the feelings they keep inside as they cannot find any reason to say anything.

The movie tackles a story quite common to the young generation of today. It’s quite different from the “now” typical story of teen bullying. You could say that the parents are the bullies in this case.

Each of us have these feelings toward our parents somehow. A certain longing that they couldn’t give or some hatred that they instilled which we’ll take till our wake. The story, though in just one setting, brings about that homely and shared feeling.