Goodbye, bloggers! I've made a tough decision recently.
I decided to stop blogging.
There are no readers, and I seemed to have lost my touch. The blogging world just isn't as fun as it once was, sadly.
So why keep blogging when I could be writing? Having fun? Finishing that language arts project due Monday? Exactly.
Thanks for reading my blog over the year(s), everyone. And so, I have but one very last thing to say to all of you: April Fools!
Did you guys seriously think I was giving up? Yes, I have no readers. Yes, I haven't written a truly awesome post in a while. But do you ever think I'll stop trying, Nonexistent Readers? No. Never. I mean, you're reading the words of a girl who is still best friends with a girl living two states away and has been for five years. I'm not the kind to throw in the towel (unless the towel is gross and dirty--those are the worst!)
Your Faithful Blogger,
Nadia
April 01, 2010
"Thirteen Reasons Why" I Hate Hannah Baker
I just finished Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, which was disappointing. After the amazing reviews I'd heard, the book fell short. It was still very good and engrossing for the most part, but the second half lacked. A lot of the characters were just not good characters, and they were not believable. Especially Hannah Baker.
Hannah Baker, in this book, is the girl who kills herself and sends out her suicide tapes (but not it that particular order).
Most of this book revolves around her character, so since she sucked, she brought the rest of the book's average down with her. She's like that stupid study hall grade you get just because you fell asleep a few times, and then it brings you down from a 3.8 to 3.2! Stupid Study Hall Teacher--I mean, Hannah Baker. Now, I give you a Th1rteen R3asons Why I Hate Hannah Baker. [Mild To Major Spoilers Ahead.]
1. She makes mountains out of molehills.
So what?! You thought someone was your bff, then she forgets to say bye to you? Yeah, sure that's a sign that your not besties with Courtney, but does it really matter? Deal with it! Plenty of people are like that, and plenty of people get on with not being their bestest friend in the world without killing themselves.2. She's bad at explaining stuff.Wait a sec, why did Jessica slap-punch Hannah after the Hot/Not List came out? Why did Alex want to get back at her? Er, Jessica?
3. She's overly dependent on others.Find your own reason to live! Does she seriously need everyone else to prove that she deserves to exist?4. She's just not smart.
Ok, if she really felt violated, she would have called the cops on Tyler. If she were really feeling guilty, she would have told the police about Bryce.5. She doesn't know how to deal with ANYTHING!
So what if there are rumors circulating about you? Deal. I mean, I'm sure that sucks, but contrary to her belief, it does not ruin your life. If she talked to people instead of shoving pills down her throat, then people would try to see past the rumors. But how could she--rumors ruined her life! No one can see past them! No one understands me! Ugh, give me a break!6. She expects too much from others.Ok, she wants Mr. Porter to talk her out of suicide, but she won't talk to him or tell him anything. She wants Clay to stay with her and talk to her, but she tells him to leave her alone. She wants an innocent date, an innocent kiss, but she won't set any boundaries herself--instead she blames absolutely everything on him.7. She's a hypocrite.She pulls on a fake face for everyone else, but calls Courtney Crimsen a fake? She expects the world from people, but gets mad when Courtney uses her for a ride?
8. She's dramatic.
She says things that even she doesn't believe. "My room was a safe haven for me. You took that away, Tyler!" (I'm paraphrasing) No one is gonna buy the "safe haven" crap. Trust me. And how rumors ruin everything innocent? B.S. Yeah, they make it harder to make friends, but don't tell me the first thing Hannah thought when she heard that first rumor was, "Darn it! There goes another nice memory tainted!"9. She loves attention.Most of her reasons went something like this: Something bad happens to someone else, but instead of acknowledging that the other person is hurt, Hannah focuses the situation back on herself. Like, "My uncle died last night." "Oh no! I am so hurt and guilty. If only I discovered the cure for cancer! I'm going to go kill myself now." It gets annoying. She also runs just to see if they follow. She does it with Clay and Mr. Porter. We get it! You like knowing that everyone loves you! Well, not everyone is going to like you, so deal with it (which takes us back to Reason #5).10. It was her choice.No matter what she said, it was always her choice. That's what really annoys me, when people say they have no choice, because everyone always has a choice. She could've decided not to kill herself and stick it out for another year and a half. She could have not let any of it get to her, but I suppose she has a thing for theatrics.
11. She blames everyone but herself.Like I said, it was always in her control. She didn't have to kill herself, but she seems to be convinced that it's everyone else's fault that she's dead. They didn't kill Hannah--she did. Why doesn't she take the credit or responsibility? It's her fault that it got to her, that she read into it all, that she doesn't allow others to see the "real Hannah." The killer here is Hannah.
12. She torturing them all.Most of the people who get/got the tape didn't do anything that bad, but Hannah is a huge hypocrite and says they're the terrible ones, while she's in torturing them with her tapes. She is ruining their states of mind, their outlooks on life, and they make them miserable. How is Hannah not the villain here?
13. She can't count.Since Clay didn't count as a reason, and neither did Bryce, that makes 12 "reasons." Why did she send anything to Clay anyway? To torture him? Didn't she like him? Clay never even really wanted to know all about why Hannah killed herself. He said that he wanted to know, but only after he had started listening to the tapes. Before the tapes, he really didn't care.
[Mild To Major Spoilers Over]
Now, I don't think that you shouldn't read this. Just be prepared not to like or feel with/for the characters at all., which takes away from the experience of reading a book.
Your Blogger,
Nadia
P.S. This, of course, is not a criticism of anyone who is suffering from depression. I have the utmost sympathy with them and wish them all the luck in the world as they struggle with that obstacle. This post is only a criticism of the book, which I believe does not do justice to the plight of those who actually have depression, does not properly connect with readers, and does not come with likable, relate-able characters.
Hannah Baker, in this book, is the girl who kills herself and sends out her suicide tapes (but not it that particular order).
Most of this book revolves around her character, so since she sucked, she brought the rest of the book's average down with her. She's like that stupid study hall grade you get just because you fell asleep a few times, and then it brings you down from a 3.8 to 3.2! Stupid Study Hall Teacher--I mean, Hannah Baker. Now, I give you a Th1rteen R3asons Why I Hate Hannah Baker. [Mild To Major Spoilers Ahead.]
1. She makes mountains out of molehills.
So what?! You thought someone was your bff, then she forgets to say bye to you? Yeah, sure that's a sign that your not besties with Courtney, but does it really matter? Deal with it! Plenty of people are like that, and plenty of people get on with not being their bestest friend in the world without killing themselves.2. She's bad at explaining stuff.Wait a sec, why did Jessica slap-punch Hannah after the Hot/Not List came out? Why did Alex want to get back at her? Er, Jessica?
3. She's overly dependent on others.Find your own reason to live! Does she seriously need everyone else to prove that she deserves to exist?4. She's just not smart.
Ok, if she really felt violated, she would have called the cops on Tyler. If she were really feeling guilty, she would have told the police about Bryce.5. She doesn't know how to deal with ANYTHING!
So what if there are rumors circulating about you? Deal. I mean, I'm sure that sucks, but contrary to her belief, it does not ruin your life. If she talked to people instead of shoving pills down her throat, then people would try to see past the rumors. But how could she--rumors ruined her life! No one can see past them! No one understands me! Ugh, give me a break!6. She expects too much from others.Ok, she wants Mr. Porter to talk her out of suicide, but she won't talk to him or tell him anything. She wants Clay to stay with her and talk to her, but she tells him to leave her alone. She wants an innocent date, an innocent kiss, but she won't set any boundaries herself--instead she blames absolutely everything on him.7. She's a hypocrite.She pulls on a fake face for everyone else, but calls Courtney Crimsen a fake? She expects the world from people, but gets mad when Courtney uses her for a ride?
8. She's dramatic.
She says things that even she doesn't believe. "My room was a safe haven for me. You took that away, Tyler!" (I'm paraphrasing) No one is gonna buy the "safe haven" crap. Trust me. And how rumors ruin everything innocent? B.S. Yeah, they make it harder to make friends, but don't tell me the first thing Hannah thought when she heard that first rumor was, "Darn it! There goes another nice memory tainted!"9. She loves attention.Most of her reasons went something like this: Something bad happens to someone else, but instead of acknowledging that the other person is hurt, Hannah focuses the situation back on herself. Like, "My uncle died last night." "Oh no! I am so hurt and guilty. If only I discovered the cure for cancer! I'm going to go kill myself now." It gets annoying. She also runs just to see if they follow. She does it with Clay and Mr. Porter. We get it! You like knowing that everyone loves you! Well, not everyone is going to like you, so deal with it (which takes us back to Reason #5).10. It was her choice.No matter what she said, it was always her choice. That's what really annoys me, when people say they have no choice, because everyone always has a choice. She could've decided not to kill herself and stick it out for another year and a half. She could have not let any of it get to her, but I suppose she has a thing for theatrics.
11. She blames everyone but herself.Like I said, it was always in her control. She didn't have to kill herself, but she seems to be convinced that it's everyone else's fault that she's dead. They didn't kill Hannah--she did. Why doesn't she take the credit or responsibility? It's her fault that it got to her, that she read into it all, that she doesn't allow others to see the "real Hannah." The killer here is Hannah.
12. She torturing them all.Most of the people who get/got the tape didn't do anything that bad, but Hannah is a huge hypocrite and says they're the terrible ones, while she's in torturing them with her tapes. She is ruining their states of mind, their outlooks on life, and they make them miserable. How is Hannah not the villain here?
13. She can't count.Since Clay didn't count as a reason, and neither did Bryce, that makes 12 "reasons." Why did she send anything to Clay anyway? To torture him? Didn't she like him? Clay never even really wanted to know all about why Hannah killed herself. He said that he wanted to know, but only after he had started listening to the tapes. Before the tapes, he really didn't care.
[Mild To Major Spoilers Over]
Now, I don't think that you shouldn't read this. Just be prepared not to like or feel with/for the characters at all., which takes away from the experience of reading a book.
Your Blogger,
Nadia
P.S. This, of course, is not a criticism of anyone who is suffering from depression. I have the utmost sympathy with them and wish them all the luck in the world as they struggle with that obstacle. This post is only a criticism of the book, which I believe does not do justice to the plight of those who actually have depression, does not properly connect with readers, and does not come with likable, relate-able characters.
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