Th1rteen R3asons Why, Jay Asher’s excellent first novel about a high school student trying to understand the reasons behind the suicide of a classmate, is featured in the New York Times this week; read the article here.

In the novel, Clay Jenkins returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers 13 cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay’s dual narratives, Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect readers.

In an intriguing synergy between the print and digital world, a YouTube campaign features videos of a cassette recorder playing Hannah’s tapes. Tape 1 can be found here.