Thirteen reasons why by Jay Asher

book: Thirteen Reasons Why
written by: Jay Asher
series?: no series
genres: young adult, drama, romance
pages: 288
publication date: October 18th, 2007
publisher: Razorbill


first thoughts:
After reading 'The Future of us' and loved Jay Asher's way of writing, I knew for sure that everyone was right about his talent for writing, so when I stumbled upon a copy of 13 reasons why in my library I picked it up, and read it in one breath. Or at least, I would have, if that were possible... :)

the book: 
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.


On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

review:

Oh. My. Gosh. This book is so good!

The main character in this book, Clay, is so greatly developed. His emotions are realistic, he seems like a great guy, and he actually appears to be human and have a heart thumping in his chest. He is a great friend to everyone that gives him a chance to be a friend, he's the good guy. He's the one you can always call, and who will never let anyone hurt you. So what would happen to this good guy that cares about you after you commit suicide? Will he be lost without her? Or will he just move on with his life?

Then there is the other character, Hannah. She's dead, but I just kept on forgetting that. On her tapes she seemed so much alive it was almost terrifying. And all the things that happened to her just kept on making me cry, get angry, and even smile at some points.How could all of that happen to someone?!

The story is told by Hannah and Clay. It's Clay who listens to Hannah's memories. The combination of her memories and the way they made Clay feel was just so wonderfu! I have never read a book that was written in this way that was so good!

The book is about suicide, a subject way more books should be written about, because there are still way too many teens that decide to end their lives. And, here, in the Netherlands, there rests a stigma on the subject suicide, I have no idea how it's in the other parts of the world, but here there is. And books like this could change that! 

The writing style of Jay Asher is terrific. That's what actually made me want to read this book in the first place, his writing style. And, for a debut novel, I think his way of writing is even astonishing. I get that authors change and improve their writing styles after a little time, but his shouldn't change at all!

A book that touched me, a lot, and that will be one of my favourites forever! A recommender for every teen, a realistic and heartbreaking tragedy filled up with a lot of humor.

rating:

5 stars

xo Mar

Torn by Stephanie Guerra

book: Torn

written by: Stephanie Guerra
series? nope
genre: young adult, romance, drama
pages: 263
publication date: April 1st, 2012
publisher: Marshall Cavendish Press


first thoughts: Thanks a lot, Netgalley and Marshall Cavendish! I loved this book, and I think lots of teenage girls should read this, it will help them a lot in their lives!

the book: 
Stella Chavez is your classic good girl: straight As, clean-cut boyfriends, and soccer trophies . You’d never guess that Stella’s dad was a drug addict who walked out when she was a kid. Or that inside, Stella wishes for something more.


New girl Ruby Caroline seems like Stella’s polar opposite: cursing, smoking, and teetering in sky-high heels . But with Ruby, Stella gets a taste of another world—a world in which parents act like roommates, college men are way more interesting than high school boys, and there is nothing that shouldn’t be tried once.


It’s not long before Stella finds herself torn: between the best friend she’s ever had and the friends she’s known forever, between her family and her own independence, between who she was and who she wants to be.


But Ruby has a darker side, a side she doesn’t show anyone—not even Stella. As Stella watches her friend slowly unravel, she will have to search deep inside herself for the strength to be a true friend, even if it means committing the ultimate betrayal.

my review: 

Stepanie Guerra created a book lots of teenage girls will love. Even though it's not the genre I like best, I loved this book, and want to read more by the author, Stephanie Guerra.

The main character in this book, Stella, really is a good girl, but will she turn into a good girl gone bad? She is someone I'dlove to be friends with! She takes care of her brother and sister, and acts as if she is an adult, but never complains to others how much her life sucks. Then there comes the new girl, that is completely different, and she decides to give her a shot, which immediately made me love her. No love at first sight for her, which is another + :D

Then there is the other important character, Ruby. She is the exact opposite of Stella, but I adored her too, or at least in some parts of the book. She is the one that always chooses dare with thruth or dare. She's the one that will never abandon you, and the one that loves you as a sister. She's the one with a hard life you don't know about until it's too late, just because she is such a great actor. 

This book showed me the value of friendship. Also, boyfriends were not the #1 priority for Stella, and that was great. She had a life, even without a boyfriend. Some other YA books make me wonder if the characters would survive a week without their boyfriends. *FYI, that's a bad thing ;)*

The story starts happy, and everything's ok. But of course, it turns around, and drama takes over. And not only whiny-girl drama... Stella has to make some serious decisions, and will she choose the right thing. Will there even be a right thing to choose?

The writing style of Stephanie is great, and the pace of the story was perfect, there was happening enough, and not too much in each chapter. 

A fun read that includes some difficult choices, a lot of drama and everything a teenage girl can ask for.

rating:

4.5 stars, a great debut novel!

about the author:

Stephanie Guerra has an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Notre Dame. She teaches children’s literature and a seminar in writing instruction at Seattle University. She also teaches creative writing at King County Jail, and researches and speaks about literacy instruction for at-risk and incarcerated young adults. She would like to encourage her readers to donate used books to juvenile correctional facilities. Stephanie lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband and children. TORN is her first novel. visit her site: http://www.stephanieguerra.com/

xo Mar