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3.3 AVERAGE
3.3 AVERAGE
-young adult magical realism
-narrator, Jam (short for Jamaica), has been sent to a boarding school for emotionally troubled teens
-during a course called Special Topics in English, where Jam and her classmates are studying Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, the students are transported to another realm, which they call Belzhar
-Jam is a likable narrator, but as the story progressed, I started to find her rather annoying in the way teenage protagonists can be (i.e. Bella from the Twilight series)
-there is a twist ending (well, maybe more of a twist in a major plot line than in the ending itself) that, for me, saved the novel: midway through, it started to feel too predictable, but the twist, which was very surprising, re-vitalized the narrative for me
-going into the novel, I had thought that there would be more focus on the The Bell Jar, so I was a bit disappointed that Plath's novel, though a prominent plot point, did not receive greater treatment and more engagement with the major characters in Belzhar
-good, solid, easy read, though if you were a big fan (as was I) of Wolitzer's The Interestings, you might be disappointed because Belzhar is nowhere near as good as The Interestings, but Belzhar is a young adult novel and so is not as mature and well developed as The Interestings
-narrator, Jam (short for Jamaica), has been sent to a boarding school for emotionally troubled teens
-during a course called Special Topics in English, where Jam and her classmates are studying Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, the students are transported to another realm, which they call Belzhar
-Jam is a likable narrator, but as the story progressed, I started to find her rather annoying in the way teenage protagonists can be (i.e. Bella from the Twilight series)
-there is a twist ending (well, maybe more of a twist in a major plot line than in the ending itself) that, for me, saved the novel: midway through, it started to feel too predictable, but the twist, which was very surprising, re-vitalized the narrative for me
-going into the novel, I had thought that there would be more focus on the The Bell Jar, so I was a bit disappointed that Plath's novel, though a prominent plot point, did not receive greater treatment and more engagement with the major characters in Belzhar
-good, solid, easy read, though if you were a big fan (as was I) of Wolitzer's The Interestings, you might be disappointed because Belzhar is nowhere near as good as The Interestings, but Belzhar is a young adult novel and so is not as mature and well developed as The Interestings
Two stars on Goodreads means that the book was okay. And it was. It was really intense.
The plot was great. I loved the boarding school setting, the Special Topics English Class, Silvia Plath as a main theme, the journals. Those things were great.
The characters though. Especially the main character was so annoying. I just wanted to punch Jam in the face sometimes because she was so irrational. I couldn't see why she didn't get over this boy that she didn't even know for that long and I simply couldn't relate to her.
All of them had some kind of mental issue and as these issues were revealed as the story continued most of the things were not as horrific as I thought they would be.
I did like the general idea of it and I loved Mrs. Q's teaching methods and how she tried to confront them with their own problems.
But overall I think that the book could have been better if the characters were more thought out.
The plot was great. I loved the boarding school setting, the Special Topics English Class, Silvia Plath as a main theme, the journals. Those things were great.
The characters though. Especially the main character was so annoying. I just wanted to punch Jam in the face sometimes because she was so irrational. I couldn't see why she didn't get over this boy that she didn't even know for that long and I simply couldn't relate to her.
All of them had some kind of mental issue and as these issues were revealed as the story continued most of the things were not as horrific as I thought they would be.
I did like the general idea of it and I loved Mrs. Q's teaching methods and how she tried to confront them with their own problems.
But overall I think that the book could have been better if the characters were more thought out.
I wanted to like this, but in so many ways it just didn't work for me. So many things were glossed over, while others were unnecessarily dwelt upon for no apparent reason. The ending makes some things more clear, but it was also pretty lame. Majorly, in fact - a real let-down. And then it's all wrapped up with a few didactic pages about the meaning of life and how we should live. *groan*
Also, perhaps this is biased of me, but I feel like it's obvious this is written by someone who doesn't usually read or write YA, and knows little about the genre. So, as someone who does read a lot of TA, a lot of this felt like a retread to me, when the author is all, "Hey lookit my cool new thing!"
I didn't hate this, really. But the end was such a let-down, and it's colored everything else.
Also, perhaps this is biased of me, but I feel like it's obvious this is written by someone who doesn't usually read or write YA, and knows little about the genre. So, as someone who does read a lot of TA, a lot of this felt like a retread to me, when the author is all, "Hey lookit my cool new thing!"
I didn't hate this, really. But the end was such a let-down, and it's colored everything else.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
would rate it a 3 if it wasn’t for like the last like 3 chapters. i think it had some relatable moments, like the relationships between sisters and brothers and when u love a person so mich it takes up all ur time. the writing was pretty flat though and the dialouges were lowkey poorly written, they didnt feel real. the ending also sucked aaass, like i get that sort of thing can really throw u off and make u sad but the way the book had been building up to that anticlimactic moment was just not it. i liked the fact that jams verision wasn’t really the real one but i think it would have felt less like a joke if he actually died and they really had a connection. this verision of her story just felt like that, a joke.
A year after the death of her boyfriend, Jam still can't function, and her parents send her to The Wooden Barn, a boarding school for emotionally fragile teens who have experienced various traumas. From this fairly small group of students, Jam is one of five students who are chosen to participate in a special studies English class. The teacher, Mrs. Q, announces they will be studying Sylvia Plath over the course of the semester, and gives each of the five a red leather journal in which to record thoughts. The first time that Jam opens up her journal and begins writing, she's transported into an alternate world-- one in which she and Reeve have not had to say goodbye. She can stay in the world for a short period, and re-enter it whenever she begins writing in the journal. Jam is afraid that the world she has entered is evidence that she has gone around the deep end and is hallucinating, but slowly the five students realize that each of them is being transported to their own special pre-trauma world through these anything-but-typical journals. The group names their alternate world Belzhar, a play on [b:The Bell Jar|6514|The Bell Jar|Sylvia Plath|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1379098702s/6514.jpg|1385044]. Over time, the five students move toward healing, not only through the journaling, but as a group that is tentatively exploring friendship. A surprise twist at the end knocked me for a loop. An enjoyable and imaginative read that will have special appeal for those familiar with Sylvia Plath.
Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.
A lot of people have issues with this book, and while I disagree with most of the ones mentioned in the comments (for example, the bastardization of mental illness and depression, though Jam's story certainly can be viewed as a cop-out), even I can admit that this story is far from perfect. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but I think that was only because of all the information on Plath and the ties to her works. After all, Plath was the draw for me initially, combined with the concept of the world these characters escaped into to. Did I expect Belzhar to be more... poignant? Absolutely. Regardless, this quick little read was not a waste of my time. That being said, if you're looking for something powerful, meaningful, and moving, then this definitely isn't the book for you.
The end was pretty weird & I hated it. The enjoyed the other 90 percent of the book!
I loved this book. I loved it so, so, so much, until the end.