Book Review

REVIEW: Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

[book-info]

I was reluctant to read Belzhar at first because I’d read very mixed reviews. However, I decided to finally read it on a whim, and I’m very glad I did!

Jam Gallahue has been sent to a school far away from her family in the hope to recover from a devastating disaster: her boyfriend dying. The Wooden Barn is a school for people just like her, so when she’s put into a special and exclusive English class called Special Topics, she doesn’t think much of it. It’s only when the class are given a special journal writing assignment that things start to change dramatically for her and her classmates.

At first glance, Belzhar is a contemporary novel dealing with the effects of grief and loss. It then takes a psychological turn that I loved because it added a whole new element to the book. I’m quite glad I didn’t pay too much attention to the synopsis!

I loved the closeness of the Special Topics group because it demonstrated that it’s possible to have a book that features strong friendships. Each character developed at a constant rate, each one seeming as familiar as the protagonist, Jam.

Jam herself was a good character, but I wouldn’t necessarily want to read about her further. I liked her for the duration of the novel, but I doubt that she’ll be memorable enough to think about again in the future. Her story has ended satisfactorily and so I’m content with leaving her as we left her at the ending.

A note for all you future readers of Belzhar: The title may not make sense right now, but it will do once you get deeper into the novel. I love the feeling of when a book title finally falls into place – it’s very magical!

I feel as if I should fully explain why I chose to rate Belzhar five stars because it definitely wasn’t a perfect book. Whilst Belzhar did exceed my expectations, it was the literary techniques used and shock ending that sealed the five star fate. I love books that break out of the regular mould, and Belzhar definitely did that.

It also deals with mental health in an approachable and understanding way; it was very easy to relate to.

I enjoyed Belzhar, especially its originality and ability to amaze. I would recommend it to people looking for something a bit different to read!

You Might Also Like

5 Comments

  • Reply
    Georgia (The Bibliomaniac)
    21 November, 2014 at 8:59 pm

    I’d only seen this (gorgeous) book cover but nothing else about the book on the internet – but this review was so great! This has gone straight onto my to-buy list… Thanks Lucy!;D
    Georgia (The Bibliomaniac) recently posted…British Books Challenge 2015!My Profile

  • Reply
    Ebony @ Daring Damsels
    23 November, 2014 at 7:54 am

    Fantastic review, Lucy – glad you enjoyed this one! I received this one for review, too and was also hesitant to begin it due to the mixed reviews. However, I began it last night and am now 60 pages away from the ending. However, I am a little bit nervous about the reading as another blogger whom I trust said that the ending made this book go from a 5 star book to a 4 star book for her and she really didn’t enjoy it…anywho, I guess I’ll find out sooner rather than later my opinion on that. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Lucy. 🙂
    Ebony @ Daring Damsels recently posted…What’s Your Opinion on Weekly Recaps?My Profile

  • Reply
    Sophie
    23 November, 2014 at 10:50 am

    I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Like you said, the originality, the twist and the treatment of mental health was brilliantly done – I hope I’ll see it read, raved about and reviewed a little more than it has!
    Sophie recently posted…Letterbox Love #67My Profile

  • Reply
    Chrissi Reads
    Twitter:
    23 November, 2014 at 11:48 am

    I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did! Great review Lucy, I can totally understand why you’d rate it so highly.
    Chrissi Reads recently posted…A Week In The Life of a Primary PGCE Student: The halfway point!My Profile

  • Reply
    baofeng ipad
    5 December, 2014 at 5:34 am

    In fact, I had such a fantastic time I’m considering launching a PR campaign centered on radio.
    Positive thinking may be the ability to view the good in challenging situations.
    baofeng ipad handheld You
    may recall that the angel that gave the impression to Cornelius
    inside book of Acts 10 was not able to mention the category of Jesus
    or meet with him about salvation, but we are.

    For example, Howard Stern and Martha Stewart only deal with Sirius
    Radio, whereas Oprah Winfrey, Casey Casem, Colmes and Good Morning
    America are only on XM Radio. Baofeng specs But nobody told
    her life could be easy, sufficient reason for each insult
    or injury, she seemed only to acquire stronger.

    Internet hosts will frequently post on their websites a primary link for
    a website or an Amazon.
    baofeng ipad recently posted…baofeng ipadMy Profile

  • Leave a Reply

    CommentLuv badge

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.