Jay Asher (1) (1975–)
Author of Thirteen Reasons Why
For other authors named Jay Asher, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
Jay Asher's novel Thirteen Reasons Why, has appeared on the NYT bestseller list regularly in the last nine years. It was also one of the most challenged books of 2017, according to the American Library Association. (Bowker Author Biography)
Works by Jay Asher
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1975-09-30
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Arcadia, California, USA
- Education
- San Luis Obispo High School
Cuesta Community College
California Polytechnic State University - Occupations
- children's book author
- Short biography
- Jay Asher was born in Arcadia, California on September 30, 1975. He grew up in a family that encouraged all of his interests, from playing the guitar to his writing. He attended Cuesta College right after graduating from high school. It was here where he wrote his first two children’s books for a class called Children’s Literature Appreciation. At this point in his life, he had decided he wanted to become an elementary school teacher. He then transferred to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where he left his senior year in order to pursue his career as a serious writer. Throughout his life he worked in various establishments, including as a salesman in a shoe store and in libraries and bookstores. Many of his work experiences had an impact on some aspect of his writing.
He has published only one book to date, Thirteen Reasons Why, which was published in October 2007. He is currently working on his second Young Adult novel, and has written several picture books and screenplays. Thirteen Reasons Why has won several awards and has received five stars from Teen Book Review. It also has received high reviews from fellow authors such as Ellen Hopkins, Chris Crutcher, and Gordon Kormon.
Members
Reviews
13 Reasons Why
Updated review on 5/31/2024:
At 16 a very close friend of mine committed suicide - left me till this day asking Why would he do such a thing? And guilt because at the time we were not on speaking terms now I will never get to to talk to him again, talk about music, or look into his amazingly blue eyes again.
In my 30's a family friend took his own life sending a shock to our entire family that no one quite understood why, leaving his mother in a state of pain she will never show more recover from.
At 48, a co-worker sent a goodbye to a few people and after hours of searching for him we got the devastating news that he took his life.
13 Reasons Why is a book that makes you realize that depression isn't to be taken lightly, we often question why someone chooses to go this route when so many of us are here willing to help, love and show support. As a person that suffers from depression and struggles daily with inner demons it's never just one thing, its never just one person, one hurt or one feeling. You rationalize all day and everyday about the amazing things to be thankful for but that doesn't make depression go away because depression is not sadness, it's every humanly emotion screaming at you from inside out all at once and some days they are so loud that you can't silence them. This is when it is important to have a good support system, seek help, and talk about it because the more you keep these emotions in a box the louder and harder to control them they become.
Although I read this book years ago ( I roughly estimated the dates below because I can't remember) but I do remember how it made me feel, I remember relating to Hannah on so many levels and being frustrated with everyone around her who just didn't realize how they all played a part in her finally silencing the noise in her head (my thoughts, not described in the book)
This book has serious trigger warnings - suicide, drugs, sexual assaults, teenage bullying, however I highly recommend it but please read and discuss with an adult your feelings after this.
Help is available
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Dunque... Ho pensato a come scrivere questa recensione. Ci ho pensato tanto. Ho letto questo libro velocemente, perché non potevo smettere di leggere.
Il suicidio porta con se uno stigma e ci impedisce di parlarne apertamente, in qualsiasi posizione ci troviamo, sia quello della persona che ha bisogno di aiuto che quella che dovrebbe ascoltare. Molte persone faticano a pensare che le persone che vogliono commettere il suicidio abbiano davvero bisogno di aiuto e non vogliano solo attenzioni. show more Ma, credetemi, e lo dico per esperienza persona a tutti e due i capi della faccenda, quelle persone stanno chiedendo aiuto.
A lot of you cared, just not enough. And that... that is what I needed to find out.
...
And I did find out.
...
And I'm sorry.
Per quanto riguarda la storia... Hannah si è suicidata, ma prima di farlo a registrato delle cassette in cui spiega le tredici ragioni (o meglio, persone) a causa di cui si è tolta la vita. Hannah le spedisce alla prima persona di cui parla nelle cassette, registrando anche che quella persona le deve spedire alla successiva e così via.
The rules are pretty simple. There are only two. Rule number one: You listen. Number two: You pass it on. Hopefully, neither one will be easy for you.
Le cassette arrivano anche a Clay, che non capisce perché lui sia in queste cassette, ma lo comprenderà quando arriverà il suo turno. E tutto avrà un senso. Tutto, alla fine, sarà collegato.
La vicenda è raccontata a due voci da Hannah tramite le cassette e Clay tramite i commenti e le reazioni rispetto a ciò che Hannah rivela.
Ciò che alla fine le persone coinvolte comprenderanno è che le nostre azioni, tutte quante, hanno delle conseguenze. E possono causare nelle altre persone ciò che mai ci aspetteremmo. Anche il suicidio.
Ciò che diciamo, che sia falso o che sia vero. Specialmente se è falso ed è negativo, perché le persone ci credono di più.
Ho dato a questo libro cinque stelle perché si legge velocemente, anche se non è una lettura piacevole. Fa pensare, però, e io mi sono rivista in Hannah. Sono rimasta coinvolta emotivamente, e sono riuscita a piangere, ma solo alla fine. Alle vere ultime parole di Hannah.
I would have helped her if she'd only let me. I would have helped her because i want her to be alive.
Il problema di Clay, secondo me, è quello di molte persone. Vorrebbero aiutare, e se non riescono a farlo danno la colpa alla persona che si è suicidata. Onestamente? Quella persona ha cercato di chiedere aiuto come poteva, ma quando prendi una decisione come quella di suicidarti... Non ti fidi più di nessuno, non vuoi parlarne, vuoi farlo e basta. Sta alle persone attorno a te, se davvero gliene importa qualcosa, farti parlare e cercare di convincerti a non farlo. E Clay non lo ha fatto. E alla fine anche lui ha compreso che, anche se non era nelle cassette per le ragioni per cui lo erano gli altri, lui ha avuto una parte nella decisione di Hannah.
Io non so cos'altro dire. Penso di essermi spiegata e mi è difficile parlarne.
la recensione si può trovare anche su thereadingpal.blogspot.it show less
Il suicidio porta con se uno stigma e ci impedisce di parlarne apertamente, in qualsiasi posizione ci troviamo, sia quello della persona che ha bisogno di aiuto che quella che dovrebbe ascoltare. Molte persone faticano a pensare che le persone che vogliono commettere il suicidio abbiano davvero bisogno di aiuto e non vogliano solo attenzioni. show more Ma, credetemi, e lo dico per esperienza persona a tutti e due i capi della faccenda, quelle persone stanno chiedendo aiuto.
A lot of you cared, just not enough. And that... that is what I needed to find out.
...
And I did find out.
...
And I'm sorry.
Per quanto riguarda la storia... Hannah si è suicidata, ma prima di farlo a registrato delle cassette in cui spiega le tredici ragioni (o meglio, persone) a causa di cui si è tolta la vita. Hannah le spedisce alla prima persona di cui parla nelle cassette, registrando anche che quella persona le deve spedire alla successiva e così via.
The rules are pretty simple. There are only two. Rule number one: You listen. Number two: You pass it on. Hopefully, neither one will be easy for you.
Le cassette arrivano anche a Clay, che non capisce perché lui sia in queste cassette, ma lo comprenderà quando arriverà il suo turno. E tutto avrà un senso. Tutto, alla fine, sarà collegato.
La vicenda è raccontata a due voci da Hannah tramite le cassette e Clay tramite i commenti e le reazioni rispetto a ciò che Hannah rivela.
Ciò che alla fine le persone coinvolte comprenderanno è che le nostre azioni, tutte quante, hanno delle conseguenze. E possono causare nelle altre persone ciò che mai ci aspetteremmo. Anche il suicidio.
Ciò che diciamo, che sia falso o che sia vero. Specialmente se è falso ed è negativo, perché le persone ci credono di più.
Ho dato a questo libro cinque stelle perché si legge velocemente, anche se non è una lettura piacevole. Fa pensare, però, e io mi sono rivista in Hannah. Sono rimasta coinvolta emotivamente, e sono riuscita a piangere, ma solo alla fine. Alle vere ultime parole di Hannah.
I would have helped her if she'd only let me. I would have helped her because i want her to be alive.
Il problema di Clay, secondo me, è quello di molte persone. Vorrebbero aiutare, e se non riescono a farlo danno la colpa alla persona che si è suicidata. Onestamente? Quella persona ha cercato di chiedere aiuto come poteva, ma quando prendi una decisione come quella di suicidarti... Non ti fidi più di nessuno, non vuoi parlarne, vuoi farlo e basta. Sta alle persone attorno a te, se davvero gliene importa qualcosa, farti parlare e cercare di convincerti a non farlo. E Clay non lo ha fatto. E alla fine anche lui ha compreso che, anche se non era nelle cassette per le ragioni per cui lo erano gli altri, lui ha avuto una parte nella decisione di Hannah.
Io non so cos'altro dire. Penso di essermi spiegata e mi è difficile parlarne.
la recensione si può trovare anche su thereadingpal.blogspot.it show less
I understand why teens adore this book -- it's suspenseful and full of sordid high school drama. I also give it a lot of credit for encouraging kids to think about how they treat others, and how small unkindnesses can have chains of unintended consequences. The main character is a boy who, like many high school boys, didn't participate in his classmates' casual misogyny ("hot or not" lists and the like) but stood by while it happened and even thought it was a little funny. Watching Clay show more shift his perspective on that behavior is worthwhile.
But oh lordy is it overwritten, full of the kind of short incomplete sentences that redundantly beat you over the head with drama:
"Stupid? Yes. But did it make sense? Yes... at the time.
You should've called the cops, Hannah. It might have stopped this snowball from picking up speed. The one you keep talking about.
The one that ran over all of us."
Also, I never bought that Hannah was suicidal. I understand that depression doesn't need and rarely has an objective cause, so a series of events that seem petty from the outside can build to something serious. I just never believed that Hannah was experiencing that seriousness. She seemed in despair about her classmates being jerks, but I didn't buy the path from that to no longer feeling able to participate in life. I want to be clear: it's not that I don't think that path is possible, just that the writing of this book didn't work for me.
The ultimate message ended up feeling like, "Suicidal people are going to make whatever decision they make and there isn't much you can do about it even if you try." Clay and others tried and failed, because Hannah shut them out and refused to accept help. I'm pretty sure that wasn't the intended message, but that's how it came across to me. show less
But oh lordy is it overwritten, full of the kind of short incomplete sentences that redundantly beat you over the head with drama:
"Stupid? Yes. But did it make sense? Yes... at the time.
You should've called the cops, Hannah. It might have stopped this snowball from picking up speed. The one you keep talking about.
The one that ran over all of us."
Also, I never bought that Hannah was suicidal. I understand that depression doesn't need and rarely has an objective cause, so a series of events that seem petty from the outside can build to something serious. I just never believed that Hannah was experiencing that seriousness. She seemed in despair about her classmates being jerks, but I didn't buy the path from that to no longer feeling able to participate in life. I want to be clear: it's not that I don't think that path is possible, just that the writing of this book didn't work for me.
The ultimate message ended up feeling like, "Suicidal people are going to make whatever decision they make and there isn't much you can do about it even if you try." Clay and others tried and failed, because Hannah shut them out and refused to accept help. I'm pretty sure that wasn't the intended message, but that's how it came across to me. show less
Apparently Hannah did not suffer from any mental illness, yet still found those reasons enough to commit suicide. Now, had this happened in real life, I would have assumed surely there’s something deeper that pushed her to do it, despite not being apparent to us, but since this is a tell-all fiction… well, it’s unconvincing and dumb. It also pushes teens reading this to probably romanticise suicide and that there will be a “Clay” to be deeply hurt by their death, when in reality, show more people will move on and your message will continue to remain petty and driven by revenge. Hannah was the worst offender in this case, because she blamed a bunch of teenagers on her suicide without fully realising how much it’ll screw them up in the future. What they did was mean, but normal. What she did was over the top, and selfish/unnecessary (again, considering she was a "normal" teenager, with no mental illness). She never spoke up once, or communicated her thoughts to any of them, yet she expected them magically to just KNOW and ASK. I think the author should have twisted the story around to make what Hannah did seem wrong and idiotic, instead of heroic and deep/tragic. And as a previous sufferer of depression, it really pissed me off on a whole different level. It also gave me the feeling that Jay Asher does not know what actually suicidal teens go through which led to him writing Hannah in a way that's condescending to their actual pains.
Skip this one, I would give you 13 reasons why you should- but I’m not a petty revenge-seeking teenager. show less
Skip this one, I would give you 13 reasons why you should- but I’m not a petty revenge-seeking teenager. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 5
- Members
- 16,215
- Popularity
- #1,402
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 1,003
- ISBNs
- 204
- Languages
- 19
- Favorited
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