13 Reasons Why

To all of those that read the book 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, watch the Tv series, and I promise you won't even need to compare. The Netflix original Tv series did such a fantastic job at bringing the characters to life from the pages to the screen.

Just to recap, 13 Reasons Why is about Clay Jensen who receives a mysterious package with audio tapes from a dead classmate, Hannah Baker, who claims there are thirteen reasons why she killed her self.

In the book, we only learned about the 13 people responsible for Hannah's death through her tapes, so we didn't know if what she said about these people was true. We want to or have to believe what she says because she is dead, and her secrets are buried with her. We only see glimpses of the people Hannah talks about when Clay, the narrator of the story, runs into them or recalls a memory about that particular person. The Netflix original not only stuck to the exact story structure of the book, such as plot progression and characters, but they took the story further. They allowed us to look into character's personal lives. Not only did we get a reason for their actions towards Hannah, but we got a reason for how and why they act around other people.

If I have to make a comparison, I would say that the book takes place in one evening, whereas the show takes place over the course of a few months. The reason for this is because Clay experiences emotional anxiety when listening to the tapes. He has the hardest time going through the tapes, and at many times, the other characters call him out for it. There is also a lot more explicit details than the books. I won't reveal any spoilers, but I will say, brace yourself for some explicit scenes and language. I had to watch some happy movies after watching this show. Nevertheless, it is a show worth watching and experiencing.

At first, I thought the casting choice was a promotion of diversity since every character is from a different race, but after awhile, I really enjoyed the cast. I am pro diversity, but I do not like producers or publishers telling me I am a bad person for not having enough diversity in my stories. Not every story requires diversity, but this show definitely fits a diverse cast. Each actor brought something new to the characters from the book. When the audience is in love with or absolutely loathes a character, then the actors have done their job. At times the actors may have used standard reactions, but their captivation of the characters back story throbbed my heart. As terrible as what happens to Jessica in the book, Alisha Boe takes the character one step further and showing what happens to a person dealing with psychological trauma.

This show and book is an epic yet tragic coming of age story. Everyone watching can relate to at least one character in the show, and have a slightly new perspective on what it means to treat others as you wish to be treated.

#teens #highschool #suicide #harshreality #hope #secrets #justice