There was a time when the shows about regular, everyday high-schoolers were the bread and butter of young adult television. But now unless you have a murder mystery to solve, have a vampire or werewolf boyfriend, or a dystopian future to survive it’s as though the inner lives of teens aren’t important enough to take seriously on their own.

However, Netflix’s new drama “13 reasons why” is here to change that. 13 Reasons Why was released on March 31st. Based off the book by Jay Asher, it tells the story of Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford), a girl who made tapes for 13 different people, each person being a reason of why she killed herself. The story starts when Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette), a shy high schooler, receives the tapes and the show revolves around his struggles and discoveries of listening the tapes. Hannah described what all those people, including Clay, did knowingly and unknowingly to push her over the edge.

I was hesitant to watch this show in the beginning because of how serious the plot is. But after finishing it, I’m glad I got myself to watch this remarkable show. After watching all the 13 episodes, I have to say it was an emotional rollercoaster. Because you know of Hannah’s fate at the beginning of the series, it’s interesting to watch the story unfold. I really liked it.

They use of flashbacks in the show is very useful. We get to see what she was like when she was alive and how the characters around her made her feel. You can tell when there are flashbacks due to Clay’s cut on his face in the present and the different lighting in each one. It turns to a warm yellow-orange color when Hannah was alive, symbolizing that Hannah was filled with life, and a dull blue to the present when she isn’t.

The show doesn’t simply state each reason Hannah committed suicide, but graphically shows the brutality of it all within the episodes, making it the top reason why I liked it. The main purpose was to give the public a somewhat real experience of what high schoolers go through almost everyday.

The characters tell us what they feel, and I can relate to what some of these characters are feeling. 13 Reasons Why accurately portrays drama that teenagers deal with on a daily basis. The show reveals the effects that bullying, gossip, peer pressure, and rape has on young adults. The show doesn’t just graze over these issues, they go deep into these problems that happen everyday, creating the space for our society to realize that these serious problems are harsh realities for many. The series isn’t pleasant watch by any means, but it does raise vital issues that can inspire valuable discussions between parents and teens.

There are two disturbing forces at play throughout the story, the first being Hannah’s downward spiral and the circumstances that instigated it. Serious matters like cyber bullying, rape, and sexual assault are addressed unflinchingly and these scenes may be too difficult to watch for some and can be too mature for the targeted teen audience. For instance the on-screen suicide of Hannah might inflict some strong emotions, and maybe scar some young teens in the process.

However, it provides a clear message. That you never know what someone else is going through and you should always be careful of what you say and do to people. The show demonstrates how the actions of others can have a big or small impact. As we watch Hannah tell us what each person did to her, we see things that could have been easily prevented and things that are just terrible. I got mad at most of these people for being jerks and couldn’t believe the hate in people’s hearts.

Finally, the series shows us that there are plenty of reasons to keep living. The show even shares a suicide prevention hotline number you can call (1-800-273-8255). Parents, counselors, friends, other family relatives, and this hotline are always available.

Overall, you don’t need a show to know how to treat people with kindness. I’d give this show a four out of five stars. This show is an eye opener for the truth, and just aides the saying that everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about, and that you are not alone.