Lemme just say, this is the first review I write about anything, and I have been a user for years. I started watching 13 Reasons Why a couple of days ago thinking it would be your "everyday teen melodrama" type entertainment - weak dialogue, stupid stereotypes, teen angst overdose, etc. As I got through the first couple of episodes, I was going to give up watching the show, but felt like there were some underlying layers of depth which compelled me to go on. And boy was I right! Watched the whole thing in a day! I have rarely seen such a heart wrenching and powerful TV series, and never has a TV show been stuck in my head in such a way.

Overall, the acting is solid (the leads especially), the structure of the show is solid - even though it can feel slow at times, eg the beginning. The project was also helmed by great screen writing and directing (Spotlight's Tom McCarthy everyone), and even though I didn't really like the songs on the soundtrack to begin with, I find myself listening to it repeatedly nowadays.

It also tackles dark material in such an effective way, it's very hard not feel affected by what's going on. Nevertheless, the show has some light hearted moments, which brought nostalgia of my years in high school. The sad and dark moments also brought back other memories that weren't so pleasant - as I had a friend who had been in similar experiences as Hannah. But it was at that point that I realized how well the show had captured the vibe of what it means to be growing up as a teenager (and the hidden struggles that are in fact very real) in this day and age.

Well done. 10/10