I think the first conclusion that most people - including myself at first - would jump to in this novel written by Jay Asher is that it is about Hannah Baker and why she committed suicide. However, I could not help but think why the story focuses on another character, Clay Jensen. Before Hannah killed herself she sent out thirteen tapes (yes, tapes and not CD's or mp3's) to thirteen different people. Instead of looking at how each character reacted to the tapes, Asher focuses solely on how Clay reacts to the tapes. That fact leads me to believe that Asher wanted the reader to learn from Clay as well as Hannah.
The novel feels like a conversation between Clay and Hannah even though he is only talking to her through the tape that she sent him. Through their "conversation" Clay realizes how little he actually knew Hannah Baker. He mentions multiple times throughout the novel how little he now realizes he knew her. I think Asher wanted us to take a moment to critically analyze our own friendships and see if we truly know our friends at the depth that we think we know them. There is a big difference between playing a video game with a friend, watching a movie with a friend and even kissing a boyfriend or girlfriend and knowing their core beliefs and values; knowing who that friend is as a person. Getting to know one another at this deeper level is no easy task by any means. As human beings we are reluctant to share this information and even more reluctant I think to ask what I like to call the "tough questions" of one another. This can be compared to what is expected out of students in an academic setting. A teacher who only expects a summary from his or her students will know his or her students differently and at more of a surface level than a teacher who requires his or her students to discuss how the novel made them feel while they read it. The latter requires critical thinking and the sharing of an opinion that might be accepted or might be rejected by classmates. It is much more difficult to do than simply reporting a summary because of the added element of the possible rejection by classmates. In order to "know" a person, you need to talk about real-life issues, even if digging for that information is much more difficult than just shooting the breeze. In the end it could go as far as saving someone's life. Hannah was just looking for someone to listen and talk to her, and unfortunately Clay did not realize what she needed until it was too late. While this story does involve a suicide, a character like Clay is a shining ray of hope for the future; as you will discover if you read this book which I highly recommend.
