By now I'm sure everyone has seen or at least heard of the critically acclaimed book turned-Netflix series Thirteen Reasons Why. Once singer/songwriter Selena Gomez got a hold of it, it more or less blew up in the social media world. For years we heard about this book being turned into a movie or a t.v. series, and finally a Netflix series. And if you're anything like me, I couldn't wait for the media adaptation.

I was walking through Barnes & Noble one day back in 2012, a good 5 years after Jay Asher released this masterpiece, and I came across a book with a girl sitting on a swing, and the words TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY written across it in bold letters. Of course, it looked highly interesting, so I bought it. I stayed up all night binge-reading (is that a word?) this book because it was so good. Not many people by this time had been willing to take this topic and run with it. Suicide just wasn't something people wanted to talk about, much less write about.

But that's the thing, though. It should be talked about in our society. It should be explained to the minds of the youth who will soon be the working generation. Thirteen Reasons Why should be a required read during middle school, or the first part of high school. Here's why, three reasons to be exact (sorry, this won't have 13, go watch Hannah's for those).

1.) The connection.

We all know that at some point in our lives, we feel as though we can't go on. That there's nothing left for us. And sometimes we feel like we have to do what Hannah Baker did. Now, Hannah wasn't a real person, but she was definitely based on the people in this world who've done exactly as she did. We can all relate to her on some level, and maybe even more than we're willing to admit. If this was taught in schools, it could potentially help people, or at least help them to see what suicide does to a community. There's always ways to prevent it, we just have to talk about it to make a change.

2. The realness

For a girl who isn't real, Hannah Baker is someone we've heard a lot about over the past few years. But Hannah's not the only one we should be talking about. She speaks for the percent of people who take their lives, who have reasons who can't or won't. She shows just what happens when people don't notice, or people don't talk about it. Things that happened to Hannah throughout the duration of the story have happened to those in real life. Bullying is an issue we've all been taught about. Rumors spread like a wildfire, and people feed into those rumors so much that bullying comes about. Rape is another topic people like to shy away from, but again it still happens everyday. Hannah tells not only her story, but the story of hundreds of people around the world. Suicide happens every year. In fact, the suicide rate is 13.26 per 100,000 individuals. I don't think people realize just how often this happens. Suicide is a very real thing, and people tend to look the other way, or not talk about it because it's a sensitive topic. Well boys and girls, there are so many things we can do. Teaching students about the signs, and the rights and wrong's of handling those situations, can benefit our society.

3. The themes

Thirteen Reason's Why has major themes that are so so important to the world we live in today. Death creeps into every line of Thirteen Reasons Why, which centers on the audio-taped suicide note that Hannah gives us. Hannah doesn't shy away from the fact that she wants those who hurt her to feel guilty, and she's not afraid to shift the blame from person to person. The story contains enough betrayal to put Shakespeare to shame. Hannah talks about the numerous people she put her faith into, her trust, and the ones she turned to, only to be betrayed in the end. And finally, one of the most important themes in the entire book, choices. Hannah does admit that taking her life was her choice alone, but she also sets it up in a way that it shows the consequences of those who also made the choices, especially the ones who had a part in her death. I believe she hits more on that theme than any because she wants the readers (or listeners) to understand just how much of an impact one choice can have. Just as Hannah put it, "A rumor based on a kiss started a reputation that people believed in and reacted to."

Thirteen Reason's Why made such an impact on my life, and my outlook on the world. To be able to see students learning about the outcome, and impacts suicide has, would be world changing. So why not add it to the curriculum?

And please remember, you are not alone. There is always, always someone to turn to. Text "START" to 741741 or go to 13reasonswhy.info if you need anything.