13 Books to Read If You Liked 13 Reasons Why

On March 31 Netflix launched their 13-episode television adaptation of Jay Asher’s hit young adult novel Thirteen Reasons Why. Whether you’re a fan of the book, the show, or both, we’ve found 13 books you’re sure to love.

1. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Melinda becomes an outcast at her high school after calling the police to bust an end-of-summer party at which she was sexually assaulted. In a compassionate and inspirational story, Melinda must learn to trust others and find her voice again in this National Book Award Finalist.

2. Hush by Eishes Chayil

Like Speak, Hush explores the challenges of speaking out and standing up for what’s right in an unsupportive environment. In Hush, 13-year-old Gittel questions the beliefs taught by her insulated community after they try to cover up an assault that she witnesses.

3. Where the Truth Lies by Jessica Warman

Except for her unexplained nightmares, Emily Meckler had a great life, until a new love sweeps her away. Soon after, she begins to uncover the lies she’s been told her entire life in a gripping tale of love and secrets.

4. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Theodore Finch, who is fascinated by death, crosses paths with Violet Markey, who is grieving for her recently deceased sister, in a heartbreaking story of romance and mental illness.

5. What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler

Inspired by a true story, What We Saw examines what happens in a society that blames the victim and looks the other way. In a unique twist, the story is told from the perspective of Kate Weston, a bystander, as she tries to piece together her memories of the event.

6. The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Two seniors take wallflower Charlie Kelmeckis under their wings and show him a world filled with humor and angst in a book that also delves into complex psychological issues.

7. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

After Craig Gilner’s stress and depression land him in a mental hospital, he begins to understand himself and find hope in a story that is able to take a serious look at teen mental health while still being humorous.

8. Everything Is Fine. by Ann Dee Ellis

Mazzy has a perfectly normal life—if normal means staying home to care for a catatonic mother after being abandoned by her father. Written in the form of Mazzy’s seemingly random thoughts, the book slowly reveals the cause of the family tragedy and the path to a better future.

9. By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

After being bullied her entire life, Daelyn Rice decides to take matters into her own hands. This compelling story tackles bullying, teen mental health crises, and the dangers lurking on the internet.

10. Cut by Patricia McCormick

Echoing Speak, Cut presents a struggling teen who won’t speak after facing mental health trauma and being sent to a psychiatric facility in a moving story about the suffering of those who cut themselves.

11. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

From the author of The Silver Linings Playbook, Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock takes place on Leonard Peacock’s birthday, the day in which he’s decided to exact revenge on a former friend turned bully and end his own suffering in a compelling story of trauma and abuse.

12. Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford

Where’s the line between normal and ill? 15-year-old Jeff learns that the boundaries aren’t so clear after bonding with patients in a mental health hospital in a story of self-discovery and compassion.

13. Blind by Rachel DeWoskin

Emma Silver is finally learning to deal with being rendered blind from a horrible accident when a classmate dies, leaving Emma struggling to understand what happened in this touching look into the mind of a disabled teen.

What about you? What books would you put on your 13 books for 13 reasons list? Leave a comment below to let us know! 

Read more by Devin B.