Teen Suicide dramas never appealed to me. Better yet, I should say, I've never been aware or am completely ignorant of their very existence. Until....
One of the chat web sites I was active with was overflowing with the users swooning over the new netflix series '13 Reasons Why'. Like many great shows, it was based on a book. So, it was this book that I delved into on a return journey to home by rail. Just curiosity? Succumbing to popularity? Something appealing in an unorthodox subject?
At it's core the subject is that a teen girl (Hannah Baker) explains why she had to take the drastic step of committing suicide, in 7 audio cassettes, blaming 13 friends, class mates, acquaintances - call it whatever or whoever they are. As the train chugged with inconsistent pace, sometimes slow, sometimes fast, contrasting the 'snow ball' effect of Hannah Baker and the sheer helplessness of Clay Jenson (One of the 13), I was amused at the story and reasons at first.
But by the end, the book did show a refreshing perspective, tackling the subject of suicide. I could go on to say, maybe if she's a little brave or 'if onlies' and 'for buts', but one's suffering should never be a cause of ridicule, whether real or perceived.
There's a raging controversy about the netflix series, as it allegedly encouraged a few teens to commit suicide across the world, but I can not judge as I did not watch an episode of it.
As for the book, it was anything but suicide-inspiring, fast paced and unputdownable!
Book - 13 Reasons Why
Author -Jay Asher
Link -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13_Reasons_Why
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