Helpful Score: 1
I am firmly of the opinion that, despite all the numerous books in print, there are only a tiny fraction that can truly speak to you and influence you on a level that makes you come away from reading them "wiser" or in any way truly "better" from the experience alone. For me, this was one of the few, and I consider myself lucky to have discovered it. I truly can't sing this book's praises enough. I was captivated by it from beginning to end, and was engrossed in the tale that was unfolding. The idea, as far as I know, is rather original, and is done with such honesty that it pulls you in and makes you think.
Basically, after a fellow classmate commits suicide, the boy who had a crush on her receives a package of cassette tapes in the mail. The tapes tell the story of why she did what she did, as well as who influenced that decision and how. I don't want to give anything away, but the story truly does make one consider how the smallest action or decision we make can have a large affect on someone else, particularly when those actions or decisions are added to the actions and decisions of others around us as well. Definitely not a bad thing to keep in mind.
Probably one of the most clever aspects of the book wasn't the idea though, but rather the execution of the idea. Cassette tapes. As the author discusses in the interview at the end of the book, who uses cassette tapes anymore? This makes me agree with him. By using "outdated" means within the book, he has managed to make sure the book stays current. After all, whether one reads it today or ten years from now, they will (as the characters in the book do) recognize that cassette tapes are a bit behind the times. So, the book shouldn't be "dated" for quite a while to come.
I am hopeful that this book will continue to reach people in the way it has reportedly been doing so far, and encourage all readers to think carefully about how they treat others. If we're lucky, it may even help some see when they're thinking the wrong way or going down a dark path, or help those around them recognize that they're doing so. We can only hope. Even if it only helps ever so slightly, it would already be well worth reading and making sure those in your family (especially teens) read it as well.
Basically, after a fellow classmate commits suicide, the boy who had a crush on her receives a package of cassette tapes in the mail. The tapes tell the story of why she did what she did, as well as who influenced that decision and how. I don't want to give anything away, but the story truly does make one consider how the smallest action or decision we make can have a large affect on someone else, particularly when those actions or decisions are added to the actions and decisions of others around us as well. Definitely not a bad thing to keep in mind.
Probably one of the most clever aspects of the book wasn't the idea though, but rather the execution of the idea. Cassette tapes. As the author discusses in the interview at the end of the book, who uses cassette tapes anymore? This makes me agree with him. By using "outdated" means within the book, he has managed to make sure the book stays current. After all, whether one reads it today or ten years from now, they will (as the characters in the book do) recognize that cassette tapes are a bit behind the times. So, the book shouldn't be "dated" for quite a while to come.
I am hopeful that this book will continue to reach people in the way it has reportedly been doing so far, and encourage all readers to think carefully about how they treat others. If we're lucky, it may even help some see when they're thinking the wrong way or going down a dark path, or help those around them recognize that they're doing so. We can only hope. Even if it only helps ever so slightly, it would already be well worth reading and making sure those in your family (especially teens) read it as well.
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