Review

Where does 13 Reasons Why Fit?

I don’t think I could classify 13 Reasons Why as just one genre. It’s a tragedy and a thriller mixed with romance and mystery. There are just so many things happening throughout the book that you can’t just stick it in one section and define it completely.

It’s a tragedy because we’re dealing with a girl’s suicide letter (or tapes, in this case). It’s the story of why she decided to end her life and all the little things that piled up over time. Each tape tells a different story and is its own mini tragedy in itself.

It’s a thriller because it keeps you guessing. On the edge of you seat. It’s one of those books that you can’t spread out over weeks or months. It has to be read in the fastest amount of time possible because you have to know what happens. You want to know the ending.

It’s a romance because she tells about the first guy she kissed and talks about how- even though most of it was a rumor- her life was changed because of boys trying to take advantage of her. It’s also told from Clay’s point of view and he really liked Hannah.

Finally it’s a mystery. You want to know why Clay’s name is on the tapes. You want to know who else contributed to Hannah’s death. You have to figure out what contributed to her finally deciding to kill herself.

So where do all these genres fit? In the broadest section. Inside realistic-fiction. This is a story that could have happened to anyone. It just happens to be filled with complex stories that help build the book overall. That’s one of the reasons I think 13 Reasons Why is such a good book. You can’t define it in just one word. It’s a little bit of everything.