Jay Asher has created a masterpiece of writing with his novel Thirteen Reasons Why, a Young Adult novel about a girl who has recorded thirteen things that may or may not have led to her suicide.

Young Clay, one of the recipients of her recorded tapes is torn between guilt over something he may have done, and horror that he may not have done enough. His very “teen” voice sounds so authentic it’s hard to believe that Mr. Asher did not follow some teen boys around with his own tape recorder.

Really. I am so impressed.

This book deserves its international best-seller status. It speaks not only to angst-torn teens but to those who genuinely have contemplated or are contemplating suicide. But it isn’t a “how-to” book, or a cautionary tale. It is a beautifully crafted tale of sorrow from a girl who believed she would never ever have a good reputation again, despite the fact that she had done nothing. Nothing. Every human on the planet who has experienced being wrongfully accused would empathize with and appreciate the main character Hannah Baker. The cautionary message is this:  “Be Kind-everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.”