Belzhar
by Meg Wolitzer
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Pub Date Oct 01 2014 | Archive Date Sep 30 2014
Simon & Schuster (Australia) | Simon & Schuster UK
Description
I was sent here because of a boy. His name was Reeve Maxfield, and I loved him and then he died, and almost a year passed and no one knew what to do with me.
A group of emotionally fragile, highly intelligent teenagers gather at a therapeutic boarding school where they are mysteriously picked for 'Special Topics in English'. Here, they are tasked with studying Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar and keeping a journal.
Each time the teens write in their diaries they are transported to a miraculous other world called Belzhar, a world where they are no longer haunted by their trauma and grief - and each begins to tell their own story.
From internationally bestselling author Meg Wolitzer, and published by John Green's editor, Belzhar is a breathtaking and surprising story about first love, deep sorrow, and the power of acceptance.
'Sure to be an all-too-relatable bestseller' TIME Magazine
'Wolitzer writes crisply and sometimes humorously about sadness, guilt, and anger' Publishers Weekly
'The wit, intelligence and deep feeling of Wolitzer's writing are extraordinary' Jeffrey Eugenides
Available Editions
EDITION | Paperback |
ISBN | 9781471123764 |
PRICE | A$16.99 (AUD) |
Average rating from 2 members
Featured Reviews
A fine and captivating tale of troubled teenagers, finding a new and unexpected way to deal with their various "traumas".
"Belzhar" tells the tale of 5 "fragile" teenagers, sent to a special school The Wooden Barn, to recuperate and learn in a safe environment. The narrator is Jamaica (Jam for short), who has been in a state of depression and grieving since the loss of her boyfriend. Things change for her and he other 4 students, selected for an advanced English class when they start studying the words of Sylvia Plath and keeping their own journals. Mysterious, almost magical, things.
This is a bittersweet tale of love and loss, of the power of friendship, the influence of family and how one small action can spark a dramatic reaction. It is the story of the lies we tell ourselves, and the truths we are afraid to admit.
It is moving, engaging, and poignant. I thoroughly enjoyed it.