Though I had a few predictions about this book’s ending, everything began to change once I was immersed in the story. As I read, my mind was spinning a hundred miles a minute trying to solve the mystery. Where would Clay be in Hannah Baker’s list? Who was number 13? How did she kill herself? Who pushed her to her breaking point? As I answered these questions along the way, I also thought of a common issue: who do you blame for any suicide?

Jay Asher does a beautiful thing; he gives the reader a realistic scenario in which this topic is explored. This scenario, set in a high school and fully equipped with unempathetic teens, is created from the perspective of a suicidal high-schooler. Though Asher lets readers make up their own minds about who is to blame for the suicide, Hannah Baker proves that suicide victims are not entirely at fault.

The fact that Asher decided to tackle such a controversial topic is commendable in itself, but he goes on to discuss rape, reputation, and how a suicidal person makes the final decision. I’ll keep this short and sweet: the ways in which Asher chose to touch upon all these topics are brilliant. Everything ties together in the end. I don’t want to say any more than that – you deserve to experience this story without spoilers. Go get this book!