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Thirteen reasons why adaptations: books & series
Every version of Thirteen reasons why — the books & series, compared across media.
Thirteen Reasons Why begins with a box of cassette tapes and a question that refuses to let go: how does someone disappear in plain sight? Clay Jenkins, an ordinary high school student, finds himself listening to the recorded voice of Hannah Baker — his classmate and crush, gone two weeks — as she names the people whose actions shaped her final months. That story of grief, guilt, and the weight of being known exists as both a novel and a television series.
Thirteen reasons why series
Thirteen reasons why books
Frequently asked
Is 13 Reasons Why based on a book?
Yes. The TV series 13 Reasons Why (2017) is based on the novel Thirteen Reasons Why, in which Clay Jenkins discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker explaining the reasons behind her suicide.
How many versions of Thirteen Reasons Why are there?
There are two versions available here: the original novel Thirteen Reasons Why and the television adaptation 13 Reasons Why (2017), which tells the same story of Clay and Hannah Baker's tapes.
Should I read the book or watch the series first?
The novel Thirteen Reasons Why is where the story originated, following Clay as he listens to Hannah's tapes; the series 13 Reasons Why (2017) dramatises that same narrative across multiple episodes.