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3.3 AVERAGE
3.3 AVERAGE
I was curious to see such mixed reviews on this book, especially the way people were describing it, but now that I've finished it myself I can totally understand.
This book, for lack of a better metaphor, can be best described with the image of a bell curve (hardy har). The beginning was hard to get into, as Jam was very depressed and apathetic and it was kind of torture having to listen to her. Once we started learning more about the other students in Special Topics, I began enjoying myself more and breezing through a good chunk of the book. But then, we got closer to the end, to where you fully understand everything, and it started to get weird again. By the end, I was vaguely satisfied but also a bit put out. It's not a bad book. It's not exactly a great one.
Looking back on the whole, it didn't feel long enough or deep enough to let you form a good connection to all of the characters. I expected some people to play bigger roles than they did. It felt unfinished.
A few spoilery thoughts:
It's nice that Andre was found, but it also felt a bit like a cop-out. That whole storyline felt weird.
This book, for lack of a better metaphor, can be best described with the image of a bell curve (hardy har). The beginning was hard to get into, as Jam was very depressed and apathetic and it was kind of torture having to listen to her. Once we started learning more about the other students in Special Topics, I began enjoying myself more and breezing through a good chunk of the book. But then, we got closer to the end, to where you fully understand everything, and it started to get weird again. By the end, I was vaguely satisfied but also a bit put out. It's not a bad book. It's not exactly a great one.
Looking back on the whole, it didn't feel long enough or deep enough to let you form a good connection to all of the characters. I expected some people to play bigger roles than they did. It felt unfinished.
A few spoilery thoughts:
Spoiler
The uneasiness I felt when learning the truth about Reeve I'm totally fine with, because I think you're supposed to feel a bit revolted and tricked by Jam. Still, the bait-and-switch doesn't give me the best taste in my mouth, nor does the trickery even give me grudging feelings of respect for the book pulling the wool over my eyes.It's nice that Andre was found, but it also felt a bit like a cop-out. That whole storyline felt weird.
Meh book about a central character for whom I had no sympathy and surrounding characters who were mostly pointless. Perhaps an allegory for self-cure psychotherapy, but a weak one at best.
Once again, I give this text 4/5 because it is a great novel for teens (see my earlier review on "Seraphina"; not my usual read...).
YA novels are usually written in order to educate younger readers about life, its hardships, experiences, etc etc and maybe Wolitzer drove this point home a little too hard at the end of her story. Regardless of this, it was light and easy to read and remained captivating until the end.
I'm glad I didn't spend more than two days on it, but i can see how other people mayn't have enjoyed it as much as, honestly, there wasn't much to it.
YA novels are usually written in order to educate younger readers about life, its hardships, experiences, etc etc and maybe Wolitzer drove this point home a little too hard at the end of her story. Regardless of this, it was light and easy to read and remained captivating until the end.
I'm glad I didn't spend more than two days on it, but i can see how other people mayn't have enjoyed it as much as, honestly, there wasn't much to it.
Sylvia Plath, sweetie, I'm so sorry...nearly offensive for her name to be dragged into this LOL
probably about a 2.5 for me. As others have said, it does feel really shallow for what the characters are going through. And the twist was a bit frustrating, though I did feel for her-- I can recall feeling like an outsider back in 6th-9th grade -- but that's just the problem; it seemed a bit immature for her age. I did enjoy reading it and I liked the writing for the most part, though.
I don't care what you guys think. I LIKED THIS BOOK.
A decent story about a young woman dealing with the trauma of losing a person she thought she loved. Sometimes you tell yourself a story.
Emotionally crippled after the death of her boyfriend Reeve, Jam Gallahue is sent to recover at The Wooden Barn, a boarding school for teens suffering from trauma. Upon arrival, Jam is surprised to find herself registered for Special Topics in English, a mysterious and highly sought after class taught by a professor who hand-picks students using unknown criteria. Jam and her Special Topics classmates are encouraged to write in professor-provided journals as a part of their coursework, and to Jam’s surprise, the journal transports her to a realm where Reeve is alive. Through their studies of the work of Sylvia Plath and their magical excursions into their journals, the Special Topics students learn to overcome the pain of their individual tragedies, and in some cases, discover hidden truths that had been long buried.
I’m going to be fairly vague here, but if you’re trying to remain totally spoiler-free, stop reading the review at this point. You with me? Good. So, toward the end of Bezhar, there’s a big reveal. Your reaction to this reveal will severely impact your overall feelings for this novel. A few friends who also received advance copies loved the reveal. Personally, it left me feeling a little cheated Reveal aside, I felt that this was a really well-worked novel. Wolitzer’s style was descriptively plain, but it felt authentic for Jam’s first-person narrative. I also loved the thought that this book might encourage readers to pick up some of Plath’s work. I would recommend this one to all teens who enjoy tragedies or stories with emotional depth.
I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and to NetGalley for the advance copy!
I’m going to be fairly vague here, but if you’re trying to remain totally spoiler-free, stop reading the review at this point. You with me? Good. So, toward the end of Bezhar, there’s a big reveal. Your reaction to this reveal will severely impact your overall feelings for this novel. A few friends who also received advance copies loved the reveal. Personally, it left me feeling a little cheated Reveal aside, I felt that this was a really well-worked novel. Wolitzer’s style was descriptively plain, but it felt authentic for Jam’s first-person narrative. I also loved the thought that this book might encourage readers to pick up some of Plath’s work. I would recommend this one to all teens who enjoy tragedies or stories with emotional depth.
I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and to NetGalley for the advance copy!
This is an Eliot Rosewater Nominee 2016-17.
Meg Wolitzer's writing is beautiful but the plot was just okay. It had a strong premise however, like most of the other reviews, I was upset that Jam had a serious issue that was not dealt with. In the book, she was helped in mourning her boyfriend's death but she had deeper issues that were not addressed. Maybe it's because I work with teenagers--but I believe this book should have demonstrated more responsibility toward mental illness.
Meg Wolitzer's writing is beautiful but the plot was just okay. It had a strong premise however, like most of the other reviews, I was upset that Jam had a serious issue that was not dealt with. In the book, she was helped in mourning her boyfriend's death but she had deeper issues that were not addressed. Maybe it's because I work with teenagers--but I believe this book should have demonstrated more responsibility toward mental illness.