When I mentioned Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why a few days ago, I knew it was a major YA bestseller as well as a powerfully emotional, horrifying book. What I didn’t know, and have since discovered via Publisher’s Weekly that there is a dedicated YouTube channel tied in to the book. The video itself is simple- you are watching an audiotape spool around and around on the most basic kind of tape recorder. What’s compelling is the voice on the tape, the accusatory voice of the now-dead Hannah Baker. You can also go the the novel’s website to find the videos as well as a comment tool.

Teens can also contribute to an online scrapbook, the Thirteen Reasons Why Project showing how the book has changed their lives, using either text, image, or video.

Thirteen Reasons Why is on its way into being a movie- but how a full length movie could do justice to the book, or have the impact of the short videos on YouTube, I cannot imagine. If you haven’t read the book, check out the videos. You’ll want to read the book.