Thirteen Reasons Why is a TV-series based on a 2007 young adult novel by Jay Asher.
It’s the latest hashtag on social media. Some say it is heart-breaking, others agree with the experiences depicted in the series while others feel motivated to change the norm.
The series is about 17-year-old Hannah Baker, who kills herself and leaves behind 13 cassette tapes, on which she has narrated the reasons behind her suicide.
Yes, she commits suicide because it is hard for her to face the days ahead after being a victim of bully and abuse for too long.
The tapes are given to 13 various people. Each one listens and then passes it to the next person in order to learn what they have done so that it never has to happen again.
The episodes show her tragedy unfold over two timelines, with flashbacks of how it all came to be, and a present-day story from the eyes of nerdy Clay (Star Wars-loving kid, oh and his jaw game too strong) attempts to undo the mystery.
Rather than listening to the tapes all at once, Clay takes his time over it, confronting those whose secrets are revealed as he discovers their part in it.
Kind of the whole reason why it has only 13 episodes.
It drags out to the viewers in detail and to be honest it’s really graphical for a 22-year-old like me.
There is an ugly blend of violation, from bullying to secretively taping sexual assault to a fatal car crash, all against a backdrop of sex, drugs and high school drama. Hannah’s choices are also complicated but it is clear why she blames others for her suicide.
In a way it makes one wonder what she hoped to gain by inflicting guilt on parties either actively engaged in tormenting her or innocently involved.
Well, I would say it gave me a thought-provoking glimpse of what it’s like to pick up the pieces after a suicide.
The story has a dark tone of blame and revenge, which should send some concerning messages parents may need to temper — this is not a “fun” show and fair warning it could be interpreted poorly by teens that aren’t ready for the fine pointed portraits of a young girl’s life and death.
This challenging story, however, could help parents start conversations with teens about issues such as bullying, isolation, and depression.
The way the series addresses these issues is complex and may be confusing to young viewers.
So for me, this series advocates strongly for communication between kids and parents and between friends also.
It also promotes basic human decency and shows many ways friends and loved ones failed Hannah. It took me a while to actually soak it all in. This is one of those heart-breaking TV series with a lot of meaningful messages because it is a dark reality and it is happening.
At the back of my head, I know there are people going through the same experiences. The question is, how can we help curb suicide?
