You can’t go back to how things were. How you thought they were. All you really have . . . is now

I read Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher years ago, but I had an urge to revisit it. Honestly, it still held the same impact.

Hannah Baker commits suicide, and only a few weeks later Clay Jensen receives a package in the mail. This shoe box full of tapes will soon reveal the full story Hannah has left behind, and these tapes will change his life.

Before Hannah dies, she records herself reflecting on the thirteen reasons that lead to her inevitable downfall. Each tape has two stories, each story targets a different person and their actions, and each story is just a small piece that leads to her ultimate death.
Clay continues to listen to Hannah's stories, and he continues to wonder where he fits into this puzzle. He had a crush on her, he wanted to be with her, so how can he possibly be a reason leading to her demise? But the more he listens, the more he realizes that each person mentioned on the tape had something to hide, and each one of them should be utterly ashamed for their actions. However, not one of them realized their misstep would be piling up into the dark depths of Hannah's life.
Hannah's story goes through awful rumors, horrible jokes, and ghastly experiences that built up to such a boiling point, Hannah saw no way out. The more Clay listens, the more he realizes the signs were there, but everyone failed her. The tapes are reminders to him and every person who was sent this box of cassettes, that even the smallest actions have consequences; some that you are unable to see.

This novel truly sticks with you. Hannah's voice is so prominent throughout, and you almost feel like you want to try to help her too. But when everyone lets her down, her depression seems to worsen. It goes to show that even a tiny action, positive or negative, has an affect on people. Sometimes, it has a deeper affect than we would like to know.At the end of the novel, we as readers are hopeful that things will change. Clay reaches out to a fellow classmate, and we can assume this is how the tapes will leave their positive influence.

Hannah's story is not much different than a lot of students in the world today; and I think that was what left the biggest impact on me. We don't realize the impact of words, and we don't realize that everyone's "bad day" is different. I recommend this one to all my students because it is important, especially in today's society, that they be aware that every thing they do has an impact of some kind. It could be small, but even a tiny good deed always means something to someone. If Hannah's tragedy teaches readers anything, it is to always find the good because sometimes that good really can bring change and acceptance.

Sounds of the Great Depressions

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck tells the tale of two migrant workers during the Great Depression. Work was scarce, but Lennie and George traveled ranch to ranch in hopes of purchasing land. Their dream was to own their own land, live off it, and have animals (especially rabbits) for Lennie to tend to.
They arrived at Curly's father's ranch in hopes of getting work. Both men are in search of their American Dream, which appears only just out of reach. However, with Lennie's mental disability and the past not so far behind, the two men have a struggle; and it only takes one night for their lives to change.

I revisited this novel because I am teaching it for my Sophomore American Literature class. I am not a John Steinbeck fan. He has a lot of overly done description, in my opinion, and I just can't connect with the characters or the setting on any of his novels; then I reread this one.
Lennie is such a likeable character. You know off the bat he has a mental illness, but he is so loving, so caring, and all he wants is something soft to touch. He gets in his own way, and it is because of his past run in that he and George  continue to look for work. Lennie seems to not fit into this society, and it almost seems like he never will be able to blend in. In the end, George knows this in his heart, and he makes a decision that could be seen as questionable. It really does play with the reader because you wonder "should I be okay with this?", and "was there another way"?
This novel has so much emotion embedded in it that it's hard to read and not think about. It does a great job of showing readers the view of the Great Depression in the 30s; people were forced to work odd jobs in order to just make a few bucks. And it wasn't easy work. But you can see how the characters relate to each other; how the other migrant workers have their quirks, but they are, overall, a good bunch of people who look out for each other.

It really goes to show you the difference between now and the past. Nowadays odd jobs are known as minimum wage, and you can't trust a person father than you can throw them. 
After revisiting this novel I did change my mind. Instead of disliking it because it was a Steinbeck novel, I found myself actually enjoying it. I liked it because it made you feel emotions for the characters; it made you sad, or angry. Any book that gets an emotional reaction is usually a good one for me. It's a quick read, literally I finished the book in a day, and it is a thought provoking one. Chances are anyone who has read it has made their mind up about the content and the likeability of the novel, so reading this won't make or break anyone's opinion. But it is a book that shows friendship, companionship, and the overall moral that life is hard, but sometimes doing the "right thing" is harder.