Belzhar Review

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer
Released: September 30, 2014
Series: n/a
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: 272
Stars: 3/5

Hey guys, I just finished reading Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer. I have very mixed feelings on this book. I initially picked it up because of the cover, and then bought it because of the summary.

If life were fair, Jam Gallahue would still be at home in New Jersey with her sweet British boyfriend, Reeve Maxfield. She'd be watching old comedy sketches with him. She'd be kissing him in the library stacks.

She certainly wouldn't be at The Wooden Barn, a therapeutic boarding school in rural Vermont, signed up for an exclusive, supposedly life-changing class called Special Topics in English that focuses - only and entirely - on the works of Sylvia Plath. 

But life isn't fair. Reeve has been gone for almost a year, and Jam is still mourning.

When a journal-writing assignment leads Jam into a mysterious other-world she and her classmates call Belzhar, she discovers a realm where the untainted past is restored, and she can feel Reeve's arms around her once again. But, as the pages of her journal begin to fill up, Jam must confront hidden truths and ultimately decide what she's willing to sacrifice to reclaim her loss.

From the New York Times bestselling author Meg Wolitzer comes a breathtaking and surprising story about first love, deep sorrow, and the power of acceptance. 

When Jam's boyfriend dies she goes into a terrible depression. When her parents no longer know what to do with her, they send her to The Wooden Barn, which is essentially a school for emotionally unstable teens. In her Special Topics in English class, she meets four other students who have all gone through terrible things as well, and they begin to bond over their experiences and their journals.

I thought the style of writing in this book was great, although I couldn't care less about the main character. I found her to be very detached and a bit whiny which just didn't personally appeal to me - I was more interested in the side characters.

Up until the ending I was fairly interested in this book, the plot and storyline were interesting and I liked how certain poems and things about The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath were woven into the story.

However, I did not like the ending at all. When I found out the truth behind the gigantic delusion in this book it was an instant turn-off for me.

Overall I thought it was a decent book up until the ending. I more than likely won't read it again.