Book Being Reviewed:
Asher, J. (2007). TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Reviewer:
Debbie Strum

Review:
Not long after learning his friend had committed suicide, Clay received a package containing 13 audiotapes and two simple rules: you listen and you pass it on. It was her voice, Hannah’s, telling the story of the people, events, missed opportunities, and unheard pleas that culminated in her taking her own life. The back and forth first person style, weaving Hannah’s story and Clay’s experience together, allows the reader to empathize with the child lost and the one who survives.

This is highly recommended for anyone who works with adolescents and their families. Perhaps one of the more powerful aspects of this book is its illustration that suicidal ideation frequently evolves through subtle, often hidden, experiences that chip away at hope and at self. These are rarely bright waving red flags. For the young girl in this story, nearly three years of seemingly unconnected events led to a slow and steady erosion of her desire to live. Near the end, the signs became clearer, but the dots were never connected in time. This is a reminder to us as counselors that the path to suicide ideation, attempts, or completion rarely presents in a textbook manner. And it reminds us that taking time to understand and validate each client’s story, being mindful about connecting the dots, and being present enough to truly listen beyond what is said are some of the best ways of preventing suicide.