Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher: A Review of an Astounding First Novel

Title:  Thirteen Reasons Why

Author:  Jay Asher

Format:  Paper, Kindle

Rating:  9.5 / 10

Description:  When Clay Jenson plays the casette tapes he received in a mysterious package, he's surprised to hear the voice of dead classmate Hannah Baker. He's one of 13 people who receive Hannah's story, which details the circumstances that led to her suicide. Clay spends the rest of the day and long into the night listening to Hannah's voice and going to the locations she wants him to visit. The text alternates, sometimes quickly, between Hannah's voice (italicized) and Clay's thoughts as he listens to her words, which illuminate betrayals and secrets that demonstrate the consequences of even small actions.

In a market where the loudest voices are the teen girls with their breathtaking romances, the problems of the ordinary teen are often neglected.  There’s nothing wrong with these books.  They’re thrilling and a perfect escape from an ordinary life.  But ordinary life is important too, and there aren’t many teenagers out there whose problems include a vampire-werewolf love triangle or their own budding magical powers.  Friends and family are left to the wayside, and the boy problems become the only problems.  Yet teens go through so much, that every problem should have a voice.  Jay Asher brings us this voice as Hannah Baker in Thirteen Reasons Why. 

From first page to last, the book is a blinding race.  We open on Clay, the narrator, the good boy still reeling over his schoolmate’s death.  Only now he knows her story, and is passing it on to the next listener.  After this prologue, the reader teeters on the top of a peak as we backtrack to Clay first discovering the thirteen tapes and Hannah’s demand:  Listen to them all.  Find out what you did to contribute to my suicide.  Then pass them onto the next person on the list.  Thirteen names, a multitude of little crimes that build on each other.  I started the book at night, planning on reading a little before bed.  I went to sleep at nine in the morning.  Once you start, you’re drawn into Hannah’s tale.  Her voice talks to you as much as Clay; like him, you feel responsible for her.  Indebted.  You can’t stop, because you must know what happened to her, even if you already know how it ended. 

Sometimes I kept skimming Clay’s parts and having to re-read them because I was so engrossed in Hannah’s story; though his voice becomes stronger as time goes on, and it becomes clearer how much he cared for her.  You feel for him too, confused and lost, unsure what he did to drive Hannah to the edge, following her map from place to place and listening to all the little things that sucked the joy from her life.  You can’t give up until he does, and he never does.  Clay and I both sat awake through the night, listening.  And Hannah’s story grabs hold of you and never lets go.  She seems like a sweet, funny, friendly girl in a new place.  Not ever the kind who’d dream of killing herself.  Yet, a single rumor changes her life forever.  Suddenly people see her in a twisted light, and treat her as though the rumors are true.  Each action alone seems unimportant to the actors, but together they weave a tragic story of a teenage girl losing her faith in herself, in people, in life. 

Her voice is remarkably strong, at times tragic, at times funny and irreverent, at times terrified.  So compelling that when I found my paper copy had the last thirty pages misprinted, I bought it on Kindle at eight in the morning just to finish it.  Hannah’s ending is set from the beginning; Clay’s shows hope, and a new understanding of just what little actions can mean, for good or bad.  This is the message that Asher spreads, and it’s something that teens need to hear.  There are thousands of Hannah’s whose voices are never heard.  It’s my hope that people will embrace this book and better understand their suffering classmates.  That the sufferers will draw strength from it and search for help.  Websites along with the book help readers explore Hannah's world, listen to her tapes, and learn more about suicide and how to prevent it.  

Fantasy and romance is fun, but suicide is a crucial issue for young people.  Jay Asher brings it into the open in a way that is accessible, compelling, and above all sensitive to the complicated issues behind it.  A fantastic book that everyone should take a look at.  

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, the people at Hopeline can help.  http://www.hopeline.com/ 

The Fold, Live in Millennium Park

So I happened to be in Chicago yesterday, and I was walking on Michigan Avenue when I heard a ton of noise coming from Millennium park.  Good noise.  Musical noise.  Apparently there was a small show in the skating rink.  Sounds good to me.  I headed in, grabbed a drink and a seat, and watched the guys from The Fold jumping on stage like they were having the time of their lives.  That’s what first got me interested.  None of that stiff, angsty crouching, or flashy posing.  They looked like they were up there jamming in someone’s garage, playing around and bantering with each other and joking with the audience.    

Their sound was anything but garage.  Looking to the old Chicago scene, I’d compare them to a punked up Plain White T’s, or the drastically underappreciated Lucky Boys Confusion.  But that doesn’t really do them justice, because their sound was their own.  A smooth pop punk with energetic melodies and playful lyrics.  Their cover of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” was hysterical and humbly interjected with “I don’t know French,” and they even did a rendition of “Empire State of Mind” by Alicia Keys and Jay-Z.  A song I hate passionately.  And guess what?  I loved it. 

Not to mention their own stuff, songs that remind me of the days when the popular radio stations still played Green Day, Third Eye Blind, and Fall Out Boy.  Good pop.  The kind that sticks with you.  The five dollar CD I bought instantly after the concert was a steal.  Best part?  The guys were hanging out signing whatever people would throw at them; not just taking stuff and handing it back with an aloof smile, but actually talking with their fans and taking an interest.  That’s something I can never appreciate enough.  Good music is well and fine, but it’s better when it’s played by good people.  People who don’t forget their roots. 

And guess what?  They had lyrics about real things, like girlfriends and heartbreak and waiting for the future and just having the kind of fun that normal people have.  Something I’ve been missing these days in a radio culture full of club stuff.  Katy Perry and Kesha are fun to dance to, but Katy’s lost her voice in the last few years and Kesha’s songs are fun but very similar.  For both of them, like so many others, it comes down to this:  I don’t go out and get drunk and forget what I did all the time.  So those songs don’t exactly touch me on an emotional level.  The Fold?  Now these are songs I could drive with my best friend to.  Meet a new crush.  Jam to in my pj’s when I’m alone in my apartment feeling down. 

So kudos, guys.  You have something special.  Oh, and the CD is now on permanent rotation in my car.  

Trylle Covers and Cassandra Clare at last!

Just a short post today before I run off to meet my mother for shopping (you’re never too old to shop with your mother!).  First off, I’m extremely excited that I finally found a print copy of City of Bones by Cassandra Clare at Borders.  I’m still sad that Borders is leaving me, but at least I’ve gotten loads and loads of books out of it.  Now I can read the Mortal Instruments series before I crack into Infernal Devices, and see what all this well-deserved hubbub is about.  I’m so jealous of the covers too.  They’re gorgeous. 

Speaking of covers, Amanda Hocking’s new Trylle covers are out.  I’ll admit they make a lot more sense than her original covers, which just seemed pretty but kind of random to me, but I’m still not totally satisfied.  Maybe because I’m getting a little tired of the pretty girl + mysterious object + dark lighting + swirls formula.  Especially pretty girl in dress.  Don’t people ever do scenes from the book as covers anymore?  The cover for Ascend is the prettiest and it makes the throne look appropriately scary and treacherous, which works.  However I think the swirlies around the titles make it look a little amateur Photoshop.  And I don’t get the flowers.  Why is she in fields with flowers?  There’s only one garden mentioned in the books and it hardly comes in.  But ignore all my complaining.  They are very pretty looking. 

I’ve got Firelight by Sophie Jordan now, but I’m still on the lookout for a cheaper copy of Delirium.  I just can’t afford a seventeen dollar hardcover, it seems so expensive even though it’s really pretty.  Maybe I’ll check on Amazon. 

Onward to the stores!  

Kit-in-the-Candlestick by Nixie Turner: A Successful Adventure into Lighthearted Fantasy

Title:  Kit-in-the-Candlestick

Author:  Nixie Turner

Format:  Kindle

Rating:  7 / 10

Description:  When Mopsa discovers the secret that lead to the death of her father, she runs away and finds herself late at night in the doorway of a mysterious shop on one of York’s ancient streets. She tries the door handle and tumbles inside, only to find herself banished to the strange and inhospitable land of Lethe.

Pursued by hidden enemies, and in a desperate race against time, she attempts to discover the whereabouts of a missing girl and unlock the magic within her amethyst necklace. On her journey, she meets Tom, a boy as lost as she is, and together they try and find their way home.

Kit-in-the-Candlestick is a fantasy novel for older children and young adults with magic, mystery and romance. 

Nixie Turner’s Kit-in-the-Candlestick is a refreshing return to traditional fantasy in a market dominated by horror-based romance, with a modern feel that keeps it fresh and a light-hearted tone that allows for danger while still keeping everything fun and exciting.  The general feel of the story reminds me favorably of Diana Wynne Jones (an author I don’t compare to lightly).  I couldn’t quite figure out why the story had to be set in Lethe (her name for Limbo) rather than just a fantasy world beyond the door (ala Gaiman’s Stardust).  One, Lethe is the river in the Greek underworld whose waters caused spirits to forget their past lives, while Mopsa never experienced forgetting.  Two, the world did not seem very much like a Limbo, but more like a medieval landscape.  I don’t think the story would lose anything being set in only a medieval world; however to be Limbo, I think the setting needed darker, more supernatural elements and a much more forbidding environment, whereas Mopsa seemed pretty comfortable most of the time.  (And why “Mopsa”?)  

The plot itself begins a little slowly.  The language can be a little heavy-handed in some places, with too much description and not enough action, or overly repetitious passages.  However the majority of the writing is simple and clear, allowing the reader to move quickly through the story and focus on the characters and plot.  The prologue could be taken out without changing anything; it continues with a ghost tour that is never mentioned again and a tarot card reading that serves only to signify that something will happen, which the reader already knows.  However, it picks up dramatically when Mopsa reaches the inn in Cyanesglade.  Turner uses this seemingly peaceful time very well to sow seeds of the mystery of Janas, Elizabeth, Tilda, and the necklace.  These chapters create a sense of impending danger that pushes the reader forward, eager to learn more.  More scenes with Janas in the very beginning would help establish his villainous ways better than Elizabeth just saying he’s terrible, but his later actions make up for his early absence.  Once they leave Cyanesglade with Wilberfoss and Tom, the plot races forward to the very end and it’s hard to stop reading; you always want one more page. 

Overall, the plot is very original, with an unexpected final twist that made me slap myself in the forehead; Turner sets it up so carefully and so early that you’d never see it coming, but when it does, it makes perfect sense and really adds strength to the story.  The romance between Tom and Mopsa is built on friendship, develops slowly, and has its fair share of snags; a sweet alternative to the whirlwind love affairs that develop in seconds in other books.  Overall, Mopsa’s search for home, the secret of the necklace, and the relation of Lethe to her world are well done.  The combination of old English superstitions with a modern fantasy sensibility makes for an exciting, whimsical adventure that feels new. 

My only criticism on the plot is a certain lack of danger.  There are many places where Mopsa and her friends have the opportunity to be in real trouble, but everyone escapes without a scratch.  Even at the end, how quickly they escape Lethe doesn’t really matter.  As a result, Janas doesn’t feel like a very dangerous villain and Mopsa’s story lacks urgency.  The endearing characters kept me reading because I truly cared for them by the end, but I kept wishing that something really terrible would happen to one of them to add spice to the story.  Even so, Turner makes up for it with an ending that is sweet but not entirely perfect; a great bittersweet ending for a modern fairy tale.  The book is self-contained and satisfying as a single, but I would be pleased to hear more adventures of Lethe. 

As a first effort, Kit-in-the-Candlestick is a successful novel.  It relies on some contrived situations and miraculously easy escapes that might annoy older readers and its language shows room for improvement.  However, its plot is very original and has the rare quality of feeling like a fresh new world with characters you can really care about; even when the plot lags, they’re so endearing and interesting that you can’t help but go on.  The final twist and ending is satisfying and clever, justifying every page.  Turner shows great promise as a writer, with all the positives there, just waiting for a little maturing and a little tightening.  I look forward to her next book!  

What ever happened to 90s music?

What ever happened to 90s music?  Yes, I know, the 90s are over, but is there a reason that all the good stuff vanished?  Don’t mistake me here.  Stuff like Katy Perry and Kesha is fun to dance to, and Adelle has a wonderful voice.  However the sound of today’s popular stuff is very different than what it used to be.  The music of the early 2000s has an electronic feel that looks back to the 80s, but without the really noticeable electric guitar and opera-like vocals.  Pop punk, dance pop, and hip hop has taken center stage.  It’s fun and bouncy, but it leaves me missing something. 

The power pop of the 90s (thanks, Wikipedia, for telling me what it was!) has such a distinctive sound.  All the bands still managed to sound unique and interesting in their own ways, but still.  You hear a song by the Wallflowers, Third Eye Blind, Matchbox 20, Barenaked Ladies, or any of the one hit wonders ... it just screams 90s.  It’s the soft male vocals.  The bouncy power chords.  The really cheery beats hiding really somber, trippy lyrics.  They were fun songs about life, love, and death in the modern landscape, without all the oversexed stuff that’s everywhere nowadays, and doesn’t really have anything to do with me or my life. 

Which is the big issue.  I don’t go to clubs and wear fishnets and have Rihanna-style weird sexcapades.  I can’t really relate to that.  It’s fun to dance to, but at the end of the day it doesn’t really draw an emotional reaction.  I forget about those songs as soon as they’re off the radio.  But I won’t forget about listening to “One Headlight” by the Wallflowers when I was feeling down over my first crush, or “Semicharmed Life” by Third Eye Blind driving and head bopping in the car with my best friend, or “3am” by Matchbox 20 after my first hard breakup.  Dance pop is fun, but 90s songs just get inside your head and heart in a way that Kesha and Gaga can’t. 

So I’m crossing my fingers, hoping that a few new bands will go back and take a look at what we’re all missing.  

Short Excerpt from Rebellion #2

In honor of me having visitors, it's time for excerpt day!

"

I heard them groan and complain loudly.  A breaking news bulletin had just flashed across the screen, interrupting the adorable canine antics.  I wasn’t paying attention until I heard the word “boardwalk.”  

“Sh!” I told them, leaning closer to the television.  

“I repeat, the body of an unidentified girl has just been found at Hargren Pier on the boardwalk.  The police have stated that they will not release full details until the girl has been identified and the family contacted.  They will not confirm a cause of death until the autopsy has been performed, but they have ruled out natural causes.  There are no suspects at this time.  If you have any information, please...”  

My heart was thumping so heavily that I couldn’t hear the rest.  The bowl of cereal went limp in my hand, sloshing milk all over the floor.  

“Whoa, watch out!” dad said, scooting away from the puddle.  

“Sorry...I’ll get that,” I said. My mouth was moving on auto-pilot.  All I could hear was the news story, playing over and over like a scratched CD.  No matter how many times I told myself that it was just coincidence, I couldn’t shake the chill that made my skin permanently goosebumped.  By then, the dancing dog had returned and dad and Jake were chuckling again.  Unable to finish my cereal, I threw it in the sink and ran upstairs to my room, heart pounding like I was being chased.  

Not even twelve hours earlier, I was sitting on that boardwalk next to Tyler. Now the police were investigating a murder.  They hadn’t exactly said “murder”, but the reporter had made it pretty damn obvious.  The question that made my head throb as I sunk onto my bed was, how the hell did Tyler know this was going to happen?  

I hadn’t jumped to that conclusion immediately.  My first thought after hearing the announcement was how if I had just stayed at the boardwalk last night like I wanted, that could have been me.  If mom knew I’d been there, she’d probably never let me out of the house again.  Then slowly it dawned on me.  Last night, when Tyler had demanded we leave, I had been so flustered that I’d assumed he was angry.  However now I remembered him looking at the sky with that odd expression in his eyes, and I realized what it was.  Tyler had been afraid.  Somehow, he’d known this was going to happen.  I had to talk to him.  

I was about to storm out to the car but I stopped dead in my doorway when I realized that one, I was still wearing my duckie pajamas, and two, Tyler could be the murderer.  

"

Teen Actresses in Too-Serious Roles, or I just don't get Seyfried and Stewart

I just don’t quite get the Amanda Seyfried craze.  She was cute and funny in Mean Girls as the ditzy friend, but I never expected to see her in leading roles.  Maybe for something lighthearted and silly like Mamma Mia, but I just finished watching Red Riding Hood and I have to say, I don’t see what all the fuss is about.  She’s pretty.  She’s sweet.  However she still doesn’t have the maturity and depth needed for a dark role.  Her voice is always light and airy even when the mood is very serious.  I couldn’t really feel the burning love she had for Peter, or her fear in front of the wolf, or her anger at her mother or the searchers.  She didn’t seem to take those things seriously, and so I couldn’t take the movie seriously.  I’m sure she’s a lovely girl and she may be a great actress someday, but right now, I think they’re throwing her into roles she’s not ready for. 

It’s the Kristen Stewart effect.  A lot of people like her.  I’m not convinced.  In Adventureland, the character called for someone emotionless and monotone.  She was perfect.  In Twilight and the sequels, I just can’t feel Bella’s obsessive love radiating from her, or her spirit of sacrifice, or her doubt or fear.  Everything she says is flat.  Again, she’s cute, but there’s no fire or spirit in her.  When I learned she was picked to play Snow White too, I was disappointed.  So many feisty young actress like Alexandra Daddarios, Ashley Greene, or Emily Browning who could really be the strong, armor-clad Snow White, and they fold to Twiteen-pressure.  It’ll catch all the Meyer fans, but as far as making a good movie, they could have gone far better with an unknown. 

I don’t mean to be mean.  Acting isn’t exactly my forte.  I just think it’s disappointing that Hollywood seems to be picking its teen actors by the trends, while sidelining a lot of great, talented girls who don’t yet have the Twilight stamp of approval, so to speak.  Girls like Seyfried and Stewart have roles that fit their particular talents, but in the dark, serious roles they’re being given, they just don’t convince me.  

E-Publishing vs. Printing, or You Just Can't Flip Through a Kindle

Don’t misunderstand me.  I really, really love my Kindle.  The convenient purse size.  The light weight.  The smooth screen with its cheery soft glow.  The fact that I can pack 50 books for my flight instead of just one or two. 

At the same time, I feel like a traitor.  With Borders closing, I can’t help but wonder ... is it my Kindle that did it?  Not just mine obviously, but many Kindles owned by people like me.  Booklovers who would normally be buying all those books in paper and shelling out our money to Borders, not Amazon.  Sure, Barnes & Noble is still in business, but how long before they’re just a front website for Nook? 

I stare at my Kindle and I realize that it’s just not the same.  You can’t walk through Amazon.  You can’t stand in the middle of the shelves scanning book spines, looking for a title or cover that interests you.  You can’t pick up a book and flip through it.  Scrolling down a page of tiny book-shaped gifs doesn’t really have the same personal feel.  It’s like shopping for clothes online.  What looks really cute on the skinny gorgeous model just may not work out for you unless you try it on first. 

No matter how many numbers and parameters and excerpts Amazon gives you, it just isn’t the same as picking up the book yourself and taking a look.  The reading experience is all different too.  Kindle books can’t have those uneven edges like in Series of Unfortunate Events that make the book look old.  They all have the same typeface.  And face it, knowing that you’re on location 3457 out of 5086 just isn’t as satisfying as looking at the big hunk of pages you’ve already finished and seeing the little sliver ahead of you. 

However we also live in a time where being global and saving energy is important.  Kindle books do use a lot less paper than real books.  You can also reach an audience of billions instead of just thousands.  So why do authors like Amanda Hocking still want those paper copies?  Because reaching an audience is great, but hardcore booklovers just won’t compromise on the real thing.  Even if I read a book on Kindle and love it, I’m still going to buy a copy to slide onto my shelf. 

Maybe it’s a little wasteful, but look at it on the bright side.  When the dystopian apocalypse comes and the EMPs hit, at least I’ll have something to read.