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3.3 AVERAGE
3.3 AVERAGE
I am unsure of how to feel about this book. I really enjoyed the magic and all. But some of the reviews here made me realise some of the faults. So now I'm torn. Hmm.
I've long believed that through writing, we have the power to transform ourselves and our experiences. It's why I journal every morning, even when there are a million other things waiting to get done; it's why I've taught writing classes to kids, teens, and senior citizens; and it's why I wanted to read this book the moment I read my first review about it.
It rests on the concept that when a group of traumatized teens write in these certain journals, they are transported to an alternate reality where they can get back something they have lost. For the main character, that is the chance to spend time with her boyfriend who has died. The other four teens in her class who also have the journals have their own experiences to work through various traumas.
There are certain rules to this place, such as that it takes five pages of writing every time you make a trip there, and that you can't do anything there you haven't actually done in real life. These rules imposed a constraint on the experience that made me feel as if the characters should quickly get tired of it and itch to allow their real lives to unfold, but all of them stayed attached to the idea of returning to Belzhar throughout the entire semester. I liked the metaphor about the way writing can allow you to escape and also to face your demons, but I was hoping for more commentary about how or why visiting Belzhar was helpful to these students, and what might make them ready to live in the real world after spending two days there a week. The main character felt real to me, even her somewhat exaggerated heartbreak over a relationship she lost after only 42 days -- there is, after all, a certain amount of lost hopes in something that ends so abruptly that must be grieved -- but the rest of the characters seemed to come just shy of feeling fully fleshed out. As an author primarily known for her books for adults, something about Belzhar felt a little self-conscious to me, as if Wolitzer were trying just a little too hard to get this teen thing right. The class instructor felt a little too wise, the students a little too reverent and earnest. And it was as if the whole world outside of this one particular class didn't even exist -- I don't remember any mention of other classes or other students aside from the mc's roommate and her forced extracurricular participation in a singing group.
I also felt that family threads were left unresolved, particularly the one involving the younger brother.
There was a little bit of a twist at the end, which I liked.
The truth is, this book is leagues better than a lot of other books I've also rated three stars. I just think that, with a subject that is so dear to me, I expected a whole lot more.
It rests on the concept that when a group of traumatized teens write in these certain journals, they are transported to an alternate reality where they can get back something they have lost. For the main character, that is the chance to spend time with her boyfriend who has died. The other four teens in her class who also have the journals have their own experiences to work through various traumas.
There are certain rules to this place, such as that it takes five pages of writing every time you make a trip there, and that you can't do anything there you haven't actually done in real life. These rules imposed a constraint on the experience that made me feel as if the characters should quickly get tired of it and itch to allow their real lives to unfold, but all of them stayed attached to the idea of returning to Belzhar throughout the entire semester. I liked the metaphor about the way writing can allow you to escape and also to face your demons, but I was hoping for more commentary about how or why visiting Belzhar was helpful to these students, and what might make them ready to live in the real world after spending two days there a week. The main character felt real to me, even her somewhat exaggerated heartbreak over a relationship she lost after only 42 days -- there is, after all, a certain amount of lost hopes in something that ends so abruptly that must be grieved -- but the rest of the characters seemed to come just shy of feeling fully fleshed out. As an author primarily known for her books for adults, something about Belzhar felt a little self-conscious to me, as if Wolitzer were trying just a little too hard to get this teen thing right. The class instructor felt a little too wise, the students a little too reverent and earnest. And it was as if the whole world outside of this one particular class didn't even exist -- I don't remember any mention of other classes or other students aside from the mc's roommate and her forced extracurricular participation in a singing group.
I also felt that family threads were left unresolved, particularly the one involving the younger brother.
There was a little bit of a twist at the end, which I liked.
The truth is, this book is leagues better than a lot of other books I've also rated three stars. I just think that, with a subject that is so dear to me, I expected a whole lot more.
Sucked me in and kept me reading late at night, but I was fairly disappointed with what the "big secret" turned out to be.
The more I think on it the more I agree with other reviews that the plot was emotionally manipulative. Not a fan.
This book is a little hard to rate for me.
First of all, let me just say that The Bell Jar is one of my favorite books, and I think that Sylvia Plath is a genius. Her poems and her novel are brilliant and beautiful. When I heard that a retelling of sorts was going to be published, I went to buy it right away.
The idea behind this story was awesome, and for the first 50 pages or so I was completely sucked in and couldn't put the book down. The overall plot wasn't terrible, just mediocre. However, some of the characters, Jam in particular, were utterly unbearable. It wasn't even just that she wasn't relatable, but there was just something about her that made me roll my eyes nearly every other page. I felt that the writing was rather clunky as well. Toward the end of the book, I felt like I was dragging myself through it just to be finished.
The only reason I even gave this book 2 stars instead of 1 was because of those first 50 or so pages, and the overall message of the book was decent, if a bit cliché. If you're going to read this book, I just wouldn't go into it with high expectations. I did and was pretty disappointed. Or better yet, just read The Bell Jar instead.
First of all, let me just say that The Bell Jar is one of my favorite books, and I think that Sylvia Plath is a genius. Her poems and her novel are brilliant and beautiful. When I heard that a retelling of sorts was going to be published, I went to buy it right away.
The idea behind this story was awesome, and for the first 50 pages or so I was completely sucked in and couldn't put the book down. The overall plot wasn't terrible, just mediocre. However, some of the characters, Jam in particular, were utterly unbearable. It wasn't even just that she wasn't relatable, but there was just something about her that made me roll my eyes nearly every other page. I felt that the writing was rather clunky as well. Toward the end of the book, I felt like I was dragging myself through it just to be finished.
The only reason I even gave this book 2 stars instead of 1 was because of those first 50 or so pages, and the overall message of the book was decent, if a bit cliché. If you're going to read this book, I just wouldn't go into it with high expectations. I did and was pretty disappointed. Or better yet, just read The Bell Jar instead.
3.75 stars. For some reason I thought I had heard bad things about this so I didn't think I was going to like it, but I actually ended up rather enjoying it! Plus it may be just me, but I didn't see the ending coming at all. I'll definitely read more things by Meg Wolitzer in the future.
Very bizarre at times, and I didn't feel like the characters were well developed. The romance felt forced, and the twist at the end, while surprising, made me really dislike the main character. But the writing was well done otherwise, the flow was smooth and the premise was original.
Full review on my blog: http://maggiekeller.net/2016/03/30/book-belzhar/
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Nothing like what I expected; a real surprise for me. It’s a great look at grief, isolation and mental health, and the author keeps the teen protagonist’s voice very authentic. A definite recommendation if you love Sylvia Plath.
I really liked this book up until the last 50 pages. Then it all fell apart for me. Up until then, I was torn between a 4 and a 5. The plot, pacing, style, and characterization were great (I couldn’t put it down!) but I wasn’t a fan of the language, sexuality, and substance abuse in a book written for my students. The end bumped that down another notch. I love the power of language lessons, but some parts dragged on anticlimactically while others were wrapped up in a hurry without enough detail, and some of it was just unbelievable. I wish Wolitzer had put the same focus on pacing, style, and character into the last 3 chapters that she’d demonstrated in the first 18. I will, however, happily try more books by her in the future.