Belzhar

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer is a fictional book about a girl named Jam Gallahue and how she is sent to a therapeutic boarding school called the Barn and is enrolled in the very prestigious Special Topics English class. Before Jam is sent to the Barn her life is great, she spends her time with her British boyfriend Reeve, drawing or hanging out with her best friends. And then Reeve dies and she breaks. Reeve was the only thing that was a little bit different in her life, he was the thing she looked forward to everyday. So her parents send her to the Barn and she is enrolled in a strange mysterious class called Special English Topics, the most selective English class in the school and everything changes for Jam. This book is a must read for mystery readers, fantasy readers and people who like to read in general. I would give it a 10/10 and would recommend to anyone who likes to read, especially because of the very interesting plot twist at the end. ~Abby

A "fragile" and troubled teen girl (Jam) is sent off to a boarding school where she is surrounded by other "fragile" teens, all with emotional, tragic, and dramatic reasons for being sent off to the school. Jam is placed in a Special Topics in English class with only four other students, and by the end of the semester, the small group has bonded over their traumatic experiences and subsequently find ways to heal. Such a good premise, and the idea behind the story made me think that this story could really connect with teens (and adults) today.

Now, after reading the book, I am pretty disappointed. I do have to say, I knew what the plot twist would be going in, but still continued with the book, because I was curious about the execution. First of all, I completely understand that the story is narrated by a teenager, but the loose, informal, and lazy language of a teenager was just too much. When in dialogue, it was completely believable and a good touch, but when in the narration, I was pulled out of the story whenever I came across "sched" instead of "schedule."

Onto the "plot twist." I found it to be very weak. Even though I knew what happened, I felt completely gypped and let down. And then, when we find out the truth, I thought the reactions by the other characters upon finding out were awful and unbelievable. I felt because of the reactions by one character in particular the story didn't feel resolved to me. I felt that there needed to be some consequences, but there was absolutely nothing. Everything seemed to be tied up into a nice little bow, which was the most ridiculous part of the story. I was disappointed, and while I am curious about other books by Meg Wolitzer, I will be very hesitant to read more of her in the future.

Jam Gallahue suffers from acute depression. When her family doesn't know what to do with her, they send her to The Wooden Barn, a small, private school for fragile teens in Vermont. While there, Jam is enrolled in the, "Special Topics In English Class," a class her roommate DJ would love to be in, but Mrs. Quenell hand picks the students for the Special class and there are only 5 enrolled. The other students in the class have all suffered trauma or loss and they each have a unique story. In the Specials class Mrs. Quenell has chosen to study Sylvia Plath and the kids are given journals to keep track of their own thoughts. Belzhar is the code word the kids in the class use to describe a unique experience that occurs only to the students in Mrs. Quenell's class.

I thoroughly enjoyed Belzhar and it's the best YA book that I have read in quite a while. The story deals with a lot of the drama and pathos of the life of a teenager. I enjoyed the first person narrative as Jam meets and makes friends with the other kids in the class and learns about them and their experiences of what caused them to be placed in The Wooden Barn and some of the stories are quite serious but the kids gain strength in their losses and trauma with the help of Mrs. Quenell's class. Mrs. Quenell is set to retire at the end of the year and she's taught this class for many years, but it's come time for her to move on. The kids reading, The Bell Jar will hold discussions in the "Special Topics For English" class for the last time, but the memories of this one semester will stay with them forever.

This is the first Meg Wolitzer book I've read and I read it in a few hours and thoroughly enjoyed it. Great writing, inventive story, wonderful book. Belzhar does have a twisty ending but it's not the type that shocks you or has you feeling like the entire book was a fake. I enjoyed reading the book as a whole and didn't find that the twists in the story were any sort of betrayal to the reader for shock value as some books do. This is a very put together story about a small group of teens learning the truth about their lives in a sort of magical way during one semester in a remote, small school.

Words matter. In Meg Wolitzer’s novel, Belzhar, the adolescents at The Wooden Barn, a Vermont boarding school for troubled kids, who have been selected for the Special Topics in English class learn quickly how much words matter. They are required to write in special journals for this class that does close reading of Sylvia Plath. The journal writing transports the students to a place they named “Belzhar,” a take on the famous Plath book. While this may be categorized as a young adult novel, that distinction may not mean much to those readers who appreciate finely written prose. I was entertained and delighted by this novel.

Rating: Four-star (I like it)

Anyone who has grieved should read this book. And that's all of us, right? Grief is such a heavy thing. The weight of it is something all of us carry, some thicker and heavier than others. And so I would like to say I picked up this book because I knew that it would give some insight into grief. But, it sickens me to write why I really picked up this book...for its title and cover. Superficial, I know. I am a sucker for anything Sylvia Plath, and the black and white, vintage-looking jacket of this book with its carefully placed items of journals, pen, headphones, and a copy of "The Bell Jar" was enough to pull me in.

The book felt like a mix of some of my favorite books and movies: "Dead Poet's Society", "A Separate Peace", "The Butterfly Effect", "Looking for Alaska" and of course, "The Bell Jar". Even when I realized that the book was not really going to involve that many allusions to Sylvia Plath, wasn't as complicated as "A Separate Peace", and had a bit more magic than one might expect at a therapeutic boarding school in Vermont, I was already sucked in. The characters of Belzhar , an eventual tight-knit group of young adults, specially chosen for their problems (not talents) to attend the elite and elusive "Special Topics in English" class at The Wooden Barn where they will read only Sylvia Plath, are enough to keep one reading. Even when they are given instructions to write in journals (although this entrance into Belzhar is predictable, it is still interesting to read given all the character's various backstories), and have been given explicit instructions by Mrs. Q to "take care of one another", the forming of their small, but somewhat secret society makes the reader feel like they are in on a secret too. And when all the secrets of the characters' grief are revealed, it is too late to stop reading.

The book became so much more than a book about a group of young adults entering otherworlds or dealing with their own particular type of angst, some valid and some not, but who am I to judge? And this becomes central to the book. Who are we to judge one another's pain? Who are we to decide what may or may not send someone into an emotional tailspin? Who are we to decide what should be grieved and should not? The important part is what follows. What one does with their grief. I like Mrs. Q.'s words of advice to her class, which are sparse throughout the novel, but profound. She says, "Everyone...has something to say, but not everyone can bear to say it. Your job is to find a way."

Jamaica "Jam" Gallahue, the main character, does find a way to eventually share her story about what got her sent to The Wooden Barn. She reveals at the beginning that it is due to "lingering effects of trauma", but we quickly find out it is really because of a boy. A boy who died. Reeve Maxwell, a foreign exchange student from Britain for who Jam had fallen utterly and completely in love with. That first love. That all-consuming, passionate, remember-every-moment kind of love. As an adult reading the passages about Jam's encounters with Reeve, which involve timid glimpses at first, then small moments involving jars of jam being handed over as sentimental gifts, and an eventual first kiss at a party, the book makes one remember what it is like to REALLY crave someone- from the "scrape" in their voice, to the way they "get" you, to how your head feels leaning against their brown-sweatered shoulder. It makes one remember how getting so lost in someone that time can lose its value when you're with them is an experience in life no one should ever miss. The book also makes one remember what it is like to grieve on every level whether it be for someone who has died, for a mistake you have made that you can never take back, or for a life you once had that no longer is . . .or never was.

Because this book kept me guessing (and believe me, I was mad at myself for not being able to see the ending coming, and because Meg Wolitzer's writing was something I couldn't get enough of (reading a book in a day means that this was a valuable escape for me), because the cast of characters were so memorable that they are haunting me days after reading this book (in fact, I wish I could have heard even more from them), and because I believe that writing and literature really can transform us like the ways described in Belzhar, I would definitely recommend this book. Did the ending disappoint? Mildly so. Did Jam disappoint? Possibly. She might have grown a bit, but she hasn't grown up entirely. She hasn't completely learned the lesson that you don't need a boy to make you happy. But by the end she's getting better. And she is still a young adult after all. She has time. But not all the time in the world, a clear message of the book. There are many other messages in the book too: that we can continue learning, can somewhat move on past grief, that there are people who will take care of us in times of depression, that new friends can be made despite how bad we think our problems are, or that we can still be loved no matter how horrible our mistakes. These might be considered cliché or superficial themes for a young adult book. But, call me superficial. But don't call "Belzhar" superficial. I'm grateful for the cover and the title and everything in between.

I agree with other comments on Wolitzer's ability to craft a story. As a high school teacher, books like these guide my perspective on students' lives and angst. This copy by SPEAK (a Penguin company) is annoying, however. About every 5 or 6 paragraphs letter and word spacing is increased, disturbing its readability. I doubt that this was intended by the author. More likely, along with the choice to write out "World War Two", it's likely that SPEAK wanted to hit a certain page length. I recommend grabbing a different printing.

This is a beautiful book on a very sensitive subject. It's aimed at teens, but it's deep reading for adults also. You know the plot from the other reviews. Five traumatized teens are in a specialized class in a private school and so we go from there. Meg Wolitzer's writing is faultless and this is one YA novel with true literary quality. Teens and adults, treat yourself by reading this. It will truly make you think while touching you emotionally. One of this year's best novels.

(This review is based on an advanced copy I received from the publisher.)

I will admit that I cried. I wasn't expecting to. It was just one of those books that makes you relive emotions.

Belzhar was an emotional read for me because I thought I had a connection to the main character, Jam. Unfortunately, for me, the ending took a turn for the worse and wasn't at all what I had been expecting for an outcome. However, despite the ending, Belzhar was a good book.

I read Wolitzer's The Interesting's last year. It was good. It was long, but good. To sum up Wolitzer's writing style I would say that it is based on connections you make with the characters. In both books I have read from her the characters and their stories were what mattered. The other bits, the scenery and the dialogue was present, it just didn't matter... and I mean that in a good way.

Belzhar began with Jam and her emotional state after losing her boyfriend of only 41 days. I would've liked to have seen more anxiety issues dealt with towards the beginning of the book, but those were shoved down until later. Jam doesn't want to be shipped off to a school for the emotionally unstable. She just wants to be left alone and be with her memories of Reeve, her dead boyfriend. As morbid as that sounds it is part of the grieving process, but in Jam's case she can't quite handle day-to-day life. We get to meet her new roommate DJ, her Special Topics in English classmates, and their teacher Mrs. Quenell. Everything about Mrs. Quenell and her class are a bit off. Mrs. Q gives them special antique journals for them to write in until the end of the semester. It was quite a shock to find magical realism in what I thought was going to be a book about dealing with teenage emotions. It seemed a bit too childish, but with the ending it made sense.

The other characters in this book are much like they were in The Interestings- in fewer pages. I don't mean they were copies of those characters, just that they were very well developed and seemed to show up just at the right moments. Wolitzer is quite a brilliant writer. Belzhar left me with tears in my eyes at Jam's emotional state. I am glad that there were bits of magic, romance, and happiness in such a drab book. She certainly made it uniquely personal. But, it left me feeling awkward.

It was almost as if this book couldn't be placed in any other genre besides magical realism. For me, it was unfortunate to have such a great story take it too far with such fragile characters. It was too cheesy and I felt a little betrayed at having read about characters I came to like and having them turned upside down.

I would recommend Belzhar to anyone that is looking for an emotional read.

After barely surviving the loss of her boyfriend the previous semester, Jam has been sent away to the Wooden Barn, a small private school in New England that's a halfway house between a psychiatric hospital and real life. Her fellow students are all broken in some way, and Jam can barely bring herself to even attend classes, not even the Special Topics class to which she has been mysteriously accepted - without ever applying - a secretive class that is taught only occasionally, to select students. There are five students in this semester's class, all of whom are reeling from their own recent tragedies: the gorgeous dancer, the superstar stud who's lost his way, the girl in the wheelchair, the boy with the hoodie.. and Jam. Their teacher, Mrs. Q, gives them each a journal to write in. And suddenly, in the writing, each student finds that the thing they lost is returned to them. Each student revels and is brought back to life as they find their grief erased, their lost loves returned - but as the semester progresses, each student knows: when the semester is over, when the journals end, the loss will return. And will they be able to recover, to survive their grief, this time for good?

I read this book in one day, in two sittings. It is a simple and clean story and it races forward with barely a wasted word, ratcheting up the tension with a surgeon's precision. The characters hover between archetype and stereotype a bit, but I didn't mind. Think of this as Breakfast Club meets the Bell Jar; five delinquents brought together for a brief interlude from the real world, hoping in that time to find a way to emerge from their bell jar of depression, loss and grief. It's a very well told story with universal themes and a nice new way to tell them.

It's not a perfect book - Ms. Wolitzer places a lot of weight on the mysterious day when Jam lost her love forever; the real story, revealed at the end, was a surprise, but in my mind, didn't quite hold up. I will day there's a twist, and an interesting one, which I didn't see coming. I wish I could discuss this book with a group; there's a lot going on here. And if the ending didn't quite hold up, that's okay with me. I recommend the book very much.

I enjoyed this book, the plot was really interesting with the journals and the mix in of Plath. However, it dragged in a lot of places for me, which is something because the book was not even 300 pages.

I liked the main character Jam, but I would have liked Casey or another character as the main POV, I think that was my problem with the book. I did not connect with Jam very much.

I did not see the ending coming at all, it really shocked me so bad. I'm pretty sure I gave it one more star just because of the ending.

This is teen fiction about love, loss, trauma, friendship and a bit of fantasy. When five teens are chosen for the “Special Topics in English” class at The Wooden Barn school in Vermont, they experience true friendship and bizarre journal writing that helps them move past their individual traumas and deal with real life. This is a very interesting read that drew me in right away. I liked all the main characters in the book and enjoyed seeing how the class “jelled” as the book progressed. This is a fun read that I recommend to anyone who wants something a little different and unusual.

I really enjoyed Wolitzer's last book, The Interestings, which covered teens at a summer camp who take it over later in life. This book covers some similar gorund, teens at a crossroads who make special relationships and grow. This one takes place at a boarding school for troubled teens and adds a touch of fantasy. I found the writing sharp and effective, a good mix of details and emotion. The fantasy element made it a page turner, wanting to see what was real and how things would play out. A fun, moving, quick read about teen friendship and heartache.

Wolitzer's attempt at YA truly felt like an attempt at YA- not like a story that naturally fell into the category. While the twist at the end caught my interest, I struggled through the unnatural dialogue and thoughts that felt more suitable to a juvenile story about a 12 or 13 year old than a Junior in high school.

Great premise, some interesting twists, but altogether an underwhelming read from an author who may simply thrive in her adult genre; and there's nothing wrong with that.

I hardly ever rate books but after reading this I just had to tell the world how great it is. It captured the voice of a younger person so well. The problems and internal struggles people deal with was nicely executed. There is a crazy plot twist that I never saw coming, it was just awesome. (I also liked that it didn't much away about The (actual) Bell Jar because I want to read that next.)
Now I want to read everything Meg Wolitzer has written!

A "pretty good" book, hence the (3) star review. I liked the references to Sylvia Plath and her semi-autobiographical novel, "The Bell Jar", a book that I remember for it's emotional impact when I read it as a teenager. The big "reveal" was anti-climatic for me, as I read a book earlier this year with a similar plot devise. ( hint - if you've read "We Are Liars" this book had many similarities.) Good overall, but not a (5) star "wow".

Interesting plot. The magical elements didn't bother me like they sometimes do, I think because they were handled so matter-of-factly. The only disappointing thing about the book, as others have mentioned, was the revelation of the nature of the main character's trauma. Despite trying not to, I found myself losing some sympathy for her and having trouble taking her as seriously as I had. But I enjoyed the book anyway.

I had hoped for a better showing from Wolitzer in her Young Adult foray with Belzhar. What I found, however, was an over-told tale that's already been done and done better if it comes to that.

Jam Gallahue is a heart-broken teen who just cannot get over the death of her British exchange-student boyfriend of 41 days. Not knowing what to do with her, Jam's parents send her to the New England boarding school specially designed for dealing with broken teens, The Wooden Barn. Once there, Jam is tapped with three other students for a Special Topics in English class that is focusing on Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar." Additionally, they are to write in journals. It is this journal writing that is the crux of the story (a little magical realism). If I tell any more, it will spoil it so we'll stop there.

Okay....it was difficult to connect with any of the characters. Jam was given the most attention, of course, so if a reader is going to feel a connection with any one it would be with her. (Unfortunately, there is a twist ending might leave you questioning your connection with her.) The secondary characters are never given enough attention to become more than just cardboard cut outs. Which is a shame because they could have been fabulous and made the story completely worthwhile. Their dialog is stilted, their connections to each other remain unexplored...they are, in a nutshell, complete and utter cliches. Ugh.

Now I mentioned there is a twist at the end. This is VERY popular these days in YA literature (see E. Lockhart's recent hit "We Were Liars" among others). Twists are good. But I'm not sure that the twist here redeems the rest of the novel. Not only for reasons of my criticisms above, but also because of what the twist reveals. Again: too hard to review because it will spoil. Hmmm.

Let's do it this way....if you love a novel with a twist you never saw coming, go with Lockhart's We Were Liars. It's not a perfect novel, but the characters are far better fleshed out and on the whole it's better written. Of course, as I always say, if you're set on this this book, by all means. But I'd recommend going the library route and not spending your hard-earned book money.

Belzhar started out so wonderfully. Like, seriously. That prologue? So much potential. Sadly, halfway through, everything fell apart. The characters (mostly Griffin and Jam) were pretty unbearable. And Jam? Really? Get your life together.

This is a great book - using parallel's from Plath's The Bell Jar to describe the stories of teenagers dealing with emotional issues, Wolitzer has provided the reader with an interesting, page-turning, extremely absorbing story of a time in our lives that most of would never like to repeat. Recommended!

I was very excited about this novel after a friend of mine swore I would love it. I did. Until I reached the end. It was disappointing to see how much Wolitzer chose to stick to a formulaic ending rather than commit to crafting a more thoughtful and complex message. Though everything leading up to the ending was enthralling, and it was an interesting premise, its ending left a lot to be desired for me. Check it out if you're curious, it's a short read, but don't expect anything great from it.

Belzhar is a magical story that honors intelligence, intuition, the written word, and the power of community. It's a story about healing. I know the book is YA, but I'm way beyond that and enjoyed it completely.

This book had such a promising beginning and a lot of really developed side characters, but it has such an insulting and ridiculous plot twist that I finished the book angry and slightly disgusted. The strong start was entirely ruined by how this book makes a mockery of mental illness and recovery. This book has a lot of negative reviews and I can clearly see why

I struggled to connect with everything in this novel. The narrator is incredibly unlikable and unbelievable. The dialogue between teenagers and the inner thoughts of the narrator were not well written. Every time Wolitzer wrote out a text message or used the word "skedge," I cringed.

This is an amazing book that has changed my life. It was an absolutely wonderful experience.Everyone should defintely read this book whether they like fantasy or not. I dnt want to spoil it but i will say that all of you who have not read this book, your missing out on alot!!!

This is an amazing book that has changed my life. It was an absolutely wonderful experience.Everyone should defintely read this book whether they like fantasy or not. I dnt want to spoil it but i will say that all of you who have not read this book, your missing out on alot!!!

An imaginative portrayal of teens and how complex their lives can become. Well written of course. Wolitzer has given the reader amazing insights into life through this group of young students and their magical teacher. A good read beyond young adults.

Really, really enjoyed most of this book, but, good Lord, talk about a disappointment.I felt like I was watching that famous episode of Dallas...
You had me in your clutches, Meg Wolitzer, until chapter 18.

This book had an original plot. The pacing was exquisite and built beautifully. It was cerebral and the lessons imbedded echoed and haunted. I wish it had less profanity which was distracting at times but well thought out and interesting.

It is astonishing how mediocre and immature this book is. Wolitzer is supposedly a writer of some critical acclaim, so how could she write something so poor?

The plot itself is ok I guess - a bunch of students with various psychological problems are learning to deal with them by experiencing their issues in a sort of hypnotic world of Belzhar (really?)

But EVERYTHING about this story is superficial - exploration of grief and guilt, portrayal of first love/obsession and mental illness, even teaching and critical reading of Plath is extremely simplistic!

Barely managed to skim through this.