Recreational Therapy: Thirteen Reasons Why

Wow it has been four years since I read the book. Time flies frakkin fast, no? Anyway, I'm writing about the title once again but this time, the mini-series adaptation.

I really like watching a movie based on a book I've read because I like comparing the book versus the film/TV adaptation. The book will always win, imho. Always. Well, because they have five hundred pages to tell the story whereas the movie only has an average of two hours to retell it. So I guess it's better to make them into mini-series rather than movies. Back to Thirteen Reasons Why (13RY)...

The entire duration I was reading the book, I kept thinking how selfish Hannah was. For dumping all of this on Clay. After seeing the series, my opinion of Hannah has changed, but for the worse. I can't remember if in the book the point of view of her parents or if their emotions were illustrated but in the series, you can see (and almost feel) their grief. Not only did she cause Clay this cargo de conciencia (when all he did was not act on his crush towards her), but she also caused her parents tremendous pain.

So yeah, there's this explanation that teenagers' brains are not yet fully developed and they don't see the world yet as adults do which makes them think and do stuff. But did Hannah really think her suicide would solve her parents' financial problems?

I know Hannah is the "victim" in this story but I really found her annoying AF (see what Hannah made me do??? I don't even use that AF term cos it annoys me AF, LOL). I mean, the world doesn't revolve around you, Hannah!!! Why put a blame on Clay for not noticing your existential crisis when he's obviously also going through stuff and busy living his own life?

I do not condone the horrible things the other kids did to Hannah, especially Bryce. However, I also do not condone Hannah's action which was very final and ultimate. I do not get why people have to be so mean. I see people I know posting on Facebook (after watching 13RY) asking the same question when I know for  fact that they are meanies themselves.

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So I liked the series just as I, hmm... "enjoyed" reading the book. I wish it had ended differently but nope, Hannah killed herself. Which leads me to some of the controversy surrounding this series- that, a) it glamorized suicide and, b) for showing the very graphic suicide scene. Yes, I think it did glamorize suicide and it showed the kids how to do it the right way, I know what the author really wants to say is suicide is not the answer to your problems, that there are people out there who can help you, but for me, as a viewer, I didn't get that message from the series. Maybe it's just me. Because all the frickin' time all I could think of was how selfish Hannah was and not the message of hope, if there's any. And I just can't believe how these kids are so young yet so evil.

I wouldn't recommend this to a teenager. Baka maging "inspiration" pa sa kanya. Remember people, THIS TOO SHALL PASS.