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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
Her "The Wife" I thought was superb, wonderfully, fizzily written and with some bite. Her doing a speculative YA therefore got me quite interested but unfortunately it didnt live up to my overly high expectations.
There are some books that have a little bit of the fantastical in them but dont focus on it - often I feel a bit short changed as the elements are underdeveloped and this is the case here. Much of the book works well and if there were bits that I didnt really like or gell with it was still a breezy entertaining read that I did enjoy.
There are some books that have a little bit of the fantastical in them but dont focus on it - often I feel a bit short changed as the elements are underdeveloped and this is the case here. Much of the book works well and if there were bits that I didnt really like or gell with it was still a breezy entertaining read that I did enjoy.
I really liked this one. It reminded me a little of We Were Liars that I read earlier this year.
I appreciated that although a more mature story, it was still clean enough that I can put it on my middle school book shelf.
It was a bit of a slow start for me, but the second half I couldn't put it down!
I appreciated that although a more mature story, it was still clean enough that I can put it on my middle school book shelf.
It was a bit of a slow start for me, but the second half I couldn't put it down!
I read this book last year, just about the week it came out. I was excited for a Meg Wolitzer YA, excited because the cover has the Joy Division shirt on it (it's the little things...) and excited because the story sounded great.
So here's the deal. The writing isn't the most authentic. It's not the best writing. I'm not going to argue with anyone. It does, at times, feel like this is very much an adult trying to appeal to kids. But the thing is, there's so much more to this book than than. Some of the dialogue is weird, and some of the characters kind of leave you guessing because there's really not too much development for them.
But where this book gets things right? The part everyone seems to really hate, I think. That the "twist" so to speak involves us finding out that a lot of Jam's pain is there because of something she made up in her head.
And I loved it.
Because there's a line, early on, when the kids are discussing the tragic things they've gone through while they're meeting all huddled around the candle. I don't remember who says it, but someone says "I feel awful, this isn't as serious as the things you guys went through." And someone says, "But it's the worst thing that's ever happened to you."
That's the whole thing. It's the whole thing that matters. Jam's situation isn't the worst thing that's happened to anyone, but it's the worst thing that's happened to her. And that's the thing that matters. That's the whole point. The things she's made up in her head, the lies she's been living and telling, she knows in the back of her mind that she couldn't face the reality of her "relationship" with Reeve.
There are so many clues to this, too. So many clues about the relationship not being everything we're made to think it is. The way Reeve acts in Belzhar, for one. Andd when she tells us in the beginning all of the things, like the party and everything else, it's so obvious and it's right there and you know this is going to turn out badly for her. The way she acknowledges her relationship with Sierra so early on, that they're becoming best friends when we haven't seen anything to clue us into it.
What I love about this book is that this is something that happens. This happens to people. They fixate on things and people. They create scenarios on their own and they get lost in the possibilities that aren't real. It happens, and it's stressful and it's hurtful to be pulled out of it, to have to finally face reality. So while she didn't get into a major car accident, while she didn't have her brother abducted, and she didn't leave a barn to go up in flames, what she experienced was still valid. It just wasn't real.
I love the way this was presented, love the fact that it is so uncommong to see these kinds of things really talked about. And maybe I can identify with it in a way, but that's so not to point. The point is that everyone always focuses on what they feel to be valid reasons to be depressed, to have mental illness issues.
But sometimes, they just exist. And that's all there is to it. And those stories are just as valid, just as serious, as the ones where deaths and accidents happens.
So here's the deal. The writing isn't the most authentic. It's not the best writing. I'm not going to argue with anyone. It does, at times, feel like this is very much an adult trying to appeal to kids. But the thing is, there's so much more to this book than than. Some of the dialogue is weird, and some of the characters kind of leave you guessing because there's really not too much development for them.
But where this book gets things right? The part everyone seems to really hate, I think. That the "twist" so to speak involves us finding out that a lot of Jam's pain is there because of something she made up in her head.
And I loved it.
Because there's a line, early on, when the kids are discussing the tragic things they've gone through while they're meeting all huddled around the candle. I don't remember who says it, but someone says "I feel awful, this isn't as serious as the things you guys went through." And someone says, "But it's the worst thing that's ever happened to you."
That's the whole thing. It's the whole thing that matters. Jam's situation isn't the worst thing that's happened to anyone, but it's the worst thing that's happened to her. And that's the thing that matters. That's the whole point. The things she's made up in her head, the lies she's been living and telling, she knows in the back of her mind that she couldn't face the reality of her "relationship" with Reeve.
There are so many clues to this, too. So many clues about the relationship not being everything we're made to think it is. The way Reeve acts in Belzhar, for one. Andd when she tells us in the beginning all of the things, like the party and everything else, it's so obvious and it's right there and you know this is going to turn out badly for her. The way she acknowledges her relationship with Sierra so early on, that they're becoming best friends when we haven't seen anything to clue us into it.
What I love about this book is that this is something that happens. This happens to people. They fixate on things and people. They create scenarios on their own and they get lost in the possibilities that aren't real. It happens, and it's stressful and it's hurtful to be pulled out of it, to have to finally face reality. So while she didn't get into a major car accident, while she didn't have her brother abducted, and she didn't leave a barn to go up in flames, what she experienced was still valid. It just wasn't real.
I love the way this was presented, love the fact that it is so uncommong to see these kinds of things really talked about. And maybe I can identify with it in a way, but that's so not to point. The point is that everyone always focuses on what they feel to be valid reasons to be depressed, to have mental illness issues.
But sometimes, they just exist. And that's all there is to it. And those stories are just as valid, just as serious, as the ones where deaths and accidents happens.
This review of Belzhar originally appears on Laura Plus Books.
Today I’m here with a review on Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer. This story is about a girl named Jam who has to leave her school and boyfriend for a school dedicated to people with “special needs.” Jam is mentally unstable after everything that has happened to her. When she is put into an advanced English class, she wonders how she got there. Then she realises that the class isn’t for the talented English students after all. Their teacher exposes them to Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and asks them to write in a journal. Of course, the journal isn’t as it seems. Belzhar is an extremely unique story that captures the essence of change.
In short, this book was basically perfect. The writing was spectacular. I love the author’s idea of incorporating Bell Jar. It’s an amazing story that should be shared more often. Jam and all the characters in the story were very true to character. The new ‘love interest’, Griffin, didn’t overwhelm the story and instead enhanced it. Throughout the majority of the book, I was able to empathise with Jam very well. I could understand her on a very strong level. I stayed up until 2am just to read this book because it was one of those amazing stories. I literally could not close the book.
But then. Everything went to shit. Literally, if I’d ripped out the last 10-20 pages before I read it, I probably would’ve given this book 5 stars. *Slightly spoilery ahead* Literally, the ending was so stupid. This story had the chance to express the importance of moving on. It had the chance to portray a story full of hurt and pain being turned into fullness. But then, when the reason for the hurt and pain isn’t something that people can relate to, what can that do?
Ultimately, this story was 90% perfect. If you’re the type of person who can deal with an ending that’s a little different then I say, go for it. The problem for me was that at the end, you find out about the beginning and it changed a lot for me. I honestly think that most people would still be able to love this though. Definitely check it out if you have some time! It’s a rather short book as well.
Today I’m here with a review on Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer. This story is about a girl named Jam who has to leave her school and boyfriend for a school dedicated to people with “special needs.” Jam is mentally unstable after everything that has happened to her. When she is put into an advanced English class, she wonders how she got there. Then she realises that the class isn’t for the talented English students after all. Their teacher exposes them to Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and asks them to write in a journal. Of course, the journal isn’t as it seems. Belzhar is an extremely unique story that captures the essence of change.
In short, this book was basically perfect. The writing was spectacular. I love the author’s idea of incorporating Bell Jar. It’s an amazing story that should be shared more often. Jam and all the characters in the story were very true to character. The new ‘love interest’, Griffin, didn’t overwhelm the story and instead enhanced it. Throughout the majority of the book, I was able to empathise with Jam very well. I could understand her on a very strong level. I stayed up until 2am just to read this book because it was one of those amazing stories. I literally could not close the book.
But then. Everything went to shit. Literally, if I’d ripped out the last 10-20 pages before I read it, I probably would’ve given this book 5 stars. *Slightly spoilery ahead* Literally, the ending was so stupid. This story had the chance to express the importance of moving on. It had the chance to portray a story full of hurt and pain being turned into fullness. But then, when the reason for the hurt and pain isn’t something that people can relate to, what can that do?
Spoiler
So many people lose a loved one in their lifetime and this story had the chance to tell us that we can get through it. And then we find out that he never actually died. She was just acting like a twelvie. And I hate it. I expect a little more maturity from a book that is classified as Young Adult. Especially a book that is literary advanced enough to involve Sylvia Plath.Ultimately, this story was 90% perfect. If you’re the type of person who can deal with an ending that’s a little different then I say, go for it. The problem for me was that at the end, you find out about the beginning and it changed a lot for me. I honestly think that most people would still be able to love this though. Definitely check it out if you have some time! It’s a rather short book as well.
emotional
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:
Complicated
I am torn about this book. Parts I loved but parts I didn't care for. I think realistic fiction readers will not care for the touch of fantasy, but there is not enough fantasy for lovers of fantasy. I did like the references to Sylvia Plath and her books throughout.
Read Harder Challenge #11: A YA Novel
I, frankly, would not have read this were it not for the challenge. This title kept popping up on the BookTuber blogs I follow so I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did. It tells the story of 5 troubled kids, including the protagonist, Jam. These kids have been sent to a school for trouble teens and have been selected to join a mysterious English class called Special Topics. I don't want to give too much away, but the class brings the kids together via a great storytelling device. I really enjoyed the characters, their individual stories and the plot twists. I will likely read more Meg Wolitzer when I can. I liked this book as an adult. I likely would have been obsessed with as my younger self.
I, frankly, would not have read this were it not for the challenge. This title kept popping up on the BookTuber blogs I follow so I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did. It tells the story of 5 troubled kids, including the protagonist, Jam. These kids have been sent to a school for trouble teens and have been selected to join a mysterious English class called Special Topics. I don't want to give too much away, but the class brings the kids together via a great storytelling device. I really enjoyed the characters, their individual stories and the plot twists. I will likely read more Meg Wolitzer when I can. I liked this book as an adult. I likely would have been obsessed with as my younger self.