Reading for Intermediate and Advanced Learners, Fall, 2011

Ok, so I know we aren’t supposed to comment about our book until Tuesday but I just couldn’t wait! I’m trying to stay on task with our reading pace plan, but that is proving to be quite a challenge. I just want to know WHY? Why did Clay receive the tapes? What did he do? And how will the book end? I wasn’t sure if I would really like this book, but apparently I love it. I can’t seem to put it down! In order to stay on the same page as you guys, however, I will put the book down and get some sleep before the second day of school. So what do ya’ll think about the book so far?

I am like you with the book Heather. I am having a hard time putting it down too. I am trying not to read ahead. I am not so patiently waiting the answer to your question about why Clay received the tapes. I am interested to see how he fits in the puzzle and who he will send the tapes to or if he will be the last one to listen to the tapes.

What do you think of the alternating narrator? How do you think it hurts or enhances the story?

I have to admit that I have to think about who is speaking sometimes, and it is a little confusing as the story moves from present to past even though some of the parts are in italics. I think that the tape icons like play and pause help the reader decide who is speaking and if it is Clay thinking and talking or Hannah.

Guilty! Putting it down has been difficult for me, too. I am now reading the section regarding Clay's tape. What I find especially interesting is Clay's inner struggle with the whole situation. His emotions seemingly fluctuate between regret and anger. (That's all I'll say about Clay's part until everyone has a chance to read it. Sorry my curiosity got the best of me.) It's amazing to think about how the mindset of Hannah is so different from that of her peers. Throughout the book, she seems to place great value on her reputation while her peers seem to enjoy the drama of adolescence. I appreciate her need for a wholesome reputation, and it bothers me that her peers fail to see the effect of their carefree and insensitive actions. This book clearly demonstrates how one action can be viewed so differently from two different perspectives. Adolescence is an especially delicate time. It would be interesting to read about the inner thoughts of the other characters in the book. I am sure each one of them would have his/her own personal traumatic experiences to share.

Alright guys, I did a bad, bad thing. LOL I finished the book last weekend. I really didn't mean to! I tried my best to put the book down, but I let my curiosity get the best of me. I won't give anything away though!

I will say, though, I am pretty upset with Hannah. Why did she have to commit suicide?! All teenagers go through tough times (I went through plenty of difficult times myself when I was in high school), but that is no reason to do what she did. And I do not like the fact that she made these tapes! I don't understand how she could record those tapes knowing that it was the last thing some people would ever hear her say. Every single person has their own struggle that others do not know about. These struggles are not a reason to commit suicide, they are a way to make us stronger individuals.

Hi girls! I received my book on Thursday evening. I began reading and was on page 92 before I knew it! The plot of the book totally captivates you! Clay feels innocent in the death of Hannah, but he can't help but listen to the tapes to understand exactly how he may fit within this whole story. With a busy weekend, I haven't been able to read much more, but have reached page 119 (cassette 3; side b). I'm with all of you in reading the alternating narrators. I have found myself reading and then re-reading to figure out who is speaking. I understand, though, why the alternating narrator is so powerful for this book. I'll be reading tomorrow and hope to finish it. Shame on you for finishing early, Heather! Just teasing ~ I know how you area about reading!

I am about at the same place as you Robin. The alternating narrators has been challenging for me at times, but it definitely adds to the plot of the story. The more I read the easier it is for me to identify who is speaking.

I agree with the alternating narrator thing! It was a bit confusing at the time, but makes the story so much more powerful! I can't wait for you guys to finish so we can discuss it more!

I just read Clay's tape and it is getting good and questions are being answered. I hope I can finish tonight so we can discuss the final chapters soon.

I finished the book today. So what do you think about Hannah's homelife? There was very little reference to her home and I just wonder how supportive her parents were. She did go to the school counselor to talk, but I wonder what kind of red flags went up at home.

Ohh yay! Clay's tape is a good one! Hope you enjoyed it :)

Hi girls! I just finished the book last night. I stayed up until 11 pm (late for me) to finish. I couldn't wait to find out what happened ~ the "final straw" for Hannah. And, thanks for not telling me! Basically, in my opinion, she committed suicide because she was a coward. She couldn't face herself in the mirror for not helping Jessica the night of the party. What??? She blamed Bryce (the rapist) and Mr. Porter (counselor) for not helping her overcome her fear to tell. Again, what??? I'm not quite sure that I understand. Hannah suffered for the rape? What about Jessica? I'm not sure what I did expect, but that wasn't it. I thought maybe she was found out in the closet and beaten or even raped herself. But, no, she only witnessed the rape and did nothing about it. Again, who suffered more here? Even though I did not like the conclusion, I did love the book. I've been telling all my reading buddies about it. And, they've asked me to share when we are finished with our project. Jay Asher was very creative in writing this book. The perspective, even the male points of view, were very realistic. I really believe that those guys (Tony and Clay) would have reacted that same way in a real life situation. Everything was very believable. The use of the cassette tapes is what "reels you in". Can't wait to share our project with the class!

Michelle, I also thought about Hannah's parents. They were never mentioned in the book except that they did ground her for sneaking out of the house to go to the party and that they owned the store down the street. Her relationship with them must have not been really strong or she wouldn't have resorted to making the tapes. And, did they get a turn to listen to them? Will they have the answers they need?

With regards to Hannah's parents, I feel that they probably weren't very involved in her life. It seems awfully strange that they didn't notice any warning signs, i.e. change in her appearance.

While I was angry with Hannah for committing suicide, I had not really thought of her as a "coward" until I read your post, Robin. It does seem that Hannah took the easy way out. Instead of risking the possibility of appearing to be like all the others in the book, she decided to play the victim.

I guess the most tragic effect is the fact that Clay seems to suffer the most from Hannah's suicide while he is the one who did nothing wrong. I truly believe that the other characters are shallow enough to move on fairly quickly and deny any responsibility.

It would be interesting to see how Mr. Porter reacts to the tapes.

I agree that Hannah was a coward. She could not live with herself for not stopping the rape. I think she got what she wanted from the counselor and I think she wanted him to say the things he did so she could kill herself. It somehow gave her the go ahead. I did the background on Jay Asher and was very impressed with what I found out about him. YOu will find out next week in class. He did do an amazing job making the characters in the book believable.

I agree with EVERYTHING you said Robin! It's so true..nothing even happened to her. She lived through typical 'high school stuff' and for some reason she just couldn't seem to handle it. Clearly, she had some issues. And I do wonder if those issues came from the fact that her parents obviously didn't play a huge role in her life. Maybe if she had someone she could talk to then this would have never happened. Honestly, she did have someone to talk to..Mr. Porter. And I think he did a fine job in their little session. Bless his heart, I would hate to see what these tapes did to him. This was a great book, but I'm still mad at Hannah! Can't wait to talk about all of it during our book talk!