Thirteen Reasons Why

Since its publication in 2007, Thirteen Reasons Why has been at the center of controversy. Although the book received widespread critical acclaim, it has also frequented lists of banned and challenged titles, a position that resurged after the 2017 premier of its Netflix television adaptation. Central to the controversy is the novel’s treatment of suicide and mental health. Some laud the book for offering an opportunity for readers, schools, libraries, and mental health professionals to discuss difficult topics like suicide and sexual assault, while others criticize the title for glamorizing suicide and minimizing the importance of mental health conditions.

The book is important and beneficial, proponents argue, because it presents contemporary social issues and problems that affect today’s teens. In an interview with PBS News Hour, Asher asserts that books like Thirteen Reasons Why “need to be out there” (Strum, Lora. “Banning Books Like ’13 Reasons Why’ Makes it Harder for Teens to Open Up to Adults, Author Says.” PBS News Hour, 28 September 2017). Asher asserts that, when teens read books with potentially triggering themes like suicide and sexual assault, they may find their own personal experiences reflected and be encouraged to seek help. Thirteen Reasons Why opens the door for honest, transparent discussion about suicide and other difficult issues. The novel’s positive message to think deeply about how one’s actions affect others may also have the effect of reducing bullying—stopping people from harming others and proactively reaching out to help others.

Critics of Thirteen Reasons Why, including mental health professionals, suicide prevention societies, school districts, and parents, conversely suggest that the novel romanticizes suicide and can encourage suggestible readers who may have suicidal ideations to identify with and copy Hannah. According to Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE), in the year 2021, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, and the third leading cause of death for 15—24-year-olds. Teen suicide is a public health crisis. Critics suggest that Thirteen Reasons Why can increase teen suicides.

At the release of the novel’s Netflix adaptation, The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) published a list of “Considerations for Educators” which is as applicable to the novel as the series. The list cautions that the story may “may lead impressionable viewers to romanticize the choices made by the characters and/or develop revenge fantasies” (“13 Reasons Why Netflix Series: Considerations for Educators.” National Association of School Psychologists, 2017). Teens may decide, like Hannah, that suicide is a positive, viable solution to their emotional problems. Relatedly, while Hannah did not take her life specifically to get even with those who bullied her, teens may identify with Hannah’s use of suicide as a form of revenge. The story may also increase feelings of survivor’s guilt for those impacted by suicide. Another criticism of the novel is its alleged lack of attention to Hannah’s mental illness. NASP notes:

[C]ommon among most suicide deaths is the presence of treatable mental illnesses. Suicide is not the simple consequence of stressors of coping challenges, but rather, it is most typically a combined result of treatable mental illnesses and overwhelming or intolerable stressors (“Considerations for Educators.” NASP, 2017).

That is, there is more to Hannah’s suicide than just the “snowball effect,” and Hannah’s illness was treatable. Additionally, the negative portrayal of Mr. Porter, the counselor, could deter teens from seeking help.

As one of the most challenged (an attempt to remove or restrict a title) or banned (the removal of the title) books in 2012, 2017, and 2018, Thirteen Reasons Why is typically challenged in school and classroom libraries for its arguably adult content including suicide, sex, and alcohol use. The Mesa County Valley School District in Colorado, for example, briefly removed the book from its school libraries because it worried that the story would increase adolescent suicides, which were already high in the district. The book was returned to the library when librarians protested its censorship.

Asher is frustrated by the efforts to ban Thirteen Reasons Why because he feels that removing the book shuts down the conversation about important issues: “Not writing about them makes them something we don’t or can’t talk about” (Strum, “Banning Books,” 2017). Asher notes that it is adults who want to censor the title, not teens. Asher shares a story from a teen reader who wrote to him saying that reading Thirteen Reasons Why was “the first time they had felt understood” (Strum, “Banning Books,” 2017). Asher feels that his book helps teens by giving them a look at the reality of life—something they do not necessarily get from social media.

Suicide prevention and mental health awareness groups like the non-profit Jed Foundation and NASP offer guidelines for parents, educators, and mental health professionals for teens watching (and reading) Thirteen Reasons Why. Key among them: Talk with your teen. The story should not be consumed in a vacuum. Families and schools should foster discussion and help students to process their thoughts and feelings about the story. At the same time, adults must be aware of suicide warning signs, and recognize when and how to take action if they believe a teen has thoughts of suicide. A Harvard Graduate School of Education article offers 13 reasons why it is important for adults to lean into the novel and the television series. Among these reasons are positives like opportunities for relationship building, opening discussions of difficult conversations, helping schools and parents work together, and prioritizing prevention. The author asserts, “adults shouldn’t hide” from the impact the show has on adolescents. (Bayer, Casey. “13 Reasons to Talk About ’13 Reasons Why.’” Harvard Graduate School of Education, 12 May 2017).