Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - I'm halfway through this book, and I just HAVE to talk about it. This is one of the saddest books I've ever read. It's told in two voices - Clay Jensen is an ordinary teen who is given a set of tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - who committed suicide two weeks ago. He listens to the tapes as he travels around town through one agonizingly long night.
Hannah explains in sad, intimate detail exactly how the thirteen people on these tapes affected her, how their actions led her slowly but surely to make the decision to kill herself, and how each person could have changed that decision, if only they had not behaved the way they did.
Clay hasn't yet heard his own role in Hannah's decision at the point where I am, but I'm sure when he does he'll be devastated - he's a nice kid who liked Hannah, and he's already confused and afraid of what he'll find out about himself.
I love books that force both the characters, and the reader, to take a close look at themselves. This story isn't pretty - it's about insults, gossip, revenge and carelessness, as well as innuendo, lies and people's reactions to those lies. But it is a very honest book, and well worth reading. Just keep the hanky nearby...
And now for something Classic - "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford. This story has twice been made into a Disney movie, and it reads just like one. Two dogs and a cat are separated from their family and decide to make a 250 mile cross-country journey to get home. It's a heartwarming, sad-but-happy story about what happens to these loyal companions as they meet danger and trouble all the way... read it, smile, drip tears, and keep reading!
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