I'm going to be honest. I thought this show was going to be like any other teen show I've seen in the past. I thought it was going to be exaggerated or way too stereotypical like a lot of teen film/TV shows end up actually being. But this is no Degrassi. This is no ABC family teen show. This show is important. And honestly, everyone should, no, everyone needs to see it.

If you've read the book in the past, you obviously know what it's about. But to some of my friends who have already read the book (I did not), this show brings added truth in the way it visually tells Hannah Baker's story. It was explained in the very first trailer that she is dead. But that's not what this show is about. It's about what happened to make this girl get to that point in her life. The seamless way the show weaves in and out of the past and future of Hanna's life is what makes the storytelling so on point.

What I appreciate the most from this 13-episode show is that none of its characters are one-dimensional in the slightest. Each has their own back story, and each has motivations behind why their character did what they did to Hannah (big or small), and act the way they now act because of their current consequences.

Too many times, we as a society gloss over the different factors that take a toll on us during our adolescence. Teens do not get the understanding that they deserve at this age when we are exposed to so many new and even sometimes scary things that we open ourselves up to for the first time. This show does not simplify or pacify the situations of sexual harassment, rape, suicide, bullying, slut-shaming, victim shaming, morality, drinking, friendships, school counseling, social media and even relationships among friends, parents and other loved ones. It is all these things happening at the same time in our adolescence that affect who we are -- and that is the scary part of being a teenager.

(Spoiler warning) One of the more disturbing areas of this adaptation are the incidents of rape that occur within the story. Something really considerate of the show-runners is to make a claim before these graphic episodes to let the audience know that this is their trigger warning. Alisha Boe, who plays Jessica Davis in the show, said that while reading the script, she was so thankful that the writers were not scared to approach the horrific and scary aspects of rape. Since she knew victims of rape and sexual assault, they said to her that it was scarcely seen in film/TV but important for people to know just how scary and traumatizing it actually is.

Many times with depictions of suicide we, as the audience, tend to get the same gist of the story; that suicide is bad and that the victim had so many people around them that wouldn't have wanted that for them. "13 Reasons Why" showed every aspect of this young girl's life that added more and more pain until she didn't have any room left to feel it anymore--from friends, family, ex-friends and even loved ones at times. With something like a small rumor sparking what seemed to be a snowball effect of humiliation and bullying, high school can actually be a terrible place for someone who is alone having to deal with it all by themselves like Hannah Baker.

But this show doesn't just show the bad people who were against Hannah. It showed the good people in her life that made it bearable, like Clay and even Tony. Showing these characters, in particular, made it clear that there are good people in your life; and even though they're not perfect either, we need to recognize that.

If there is one thing to take from this show, it is that what we say to someone else could make a huge difference in their life -- good or bad. But something I took to heart in watching this show is to not just walk away from someone you know who's in need and not acting the same. They may be dealing with more pain than you know and cannot physically communicate what they need. Sometimes, the worst thing someone feeling pain can do is stay alone. Having a Clay or anyone that can just make you feel like you're really you in that moment is a something all of us should hope for throughout our lives. In surrounding ourselves with good people that care for us, and want us to do well in life, we create the greatest possible outcome for our futures.

This show is just amazing, on so many levels, and I think everyone should see this -- no matter who you are or how old you are. From its amazingly diverse and talented cast, to how it handles such strong subject matter with care and truthfulness in all of its layers, this show will stand the test of time. It will forever be a controversial topic that still needs to be discussed, and I truly think that with the buzz this show is already getting, its concepts will influence other people to create even more content with these types of important, necessary messages.