Belzhar

By: Meg Wolitzer

Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie

If life were fair, Jam Gallahue would still be at home in New Jersey with her sweet British boyfriend, Reeve Maxfield. She’d be watching old comedy sketches with him. She’d be kissing him in the library stacks.

She certainly wouldn’t be at The Wooden Barn, a therapeutic boarding school in rural Vermont, living with a weird roommate, and signed up for an exclusive, mysterious class called Special Topics in English.

But life isn’t fair, and Reeve Maxfield is dead.

Until a journal-writing assignment leads Jam to Belzhar, where the untainted past is restored, and Jam can feel Reeve’s arms around her once again. But there are hidden truths on Jam’s path to reclaim her loss.

From New York Times bestselling author Meg Wolitzer comes a breathtaking and surprising story about first love, deep sorrow, and the power of acceptance.

Critic reviews

"It’s been a long while since a book has pulled me in this way; I read it leaning forward, figuratively on the edge of my seat with my heart in my throat. I had no idea what was coming, but I was hungry to get there. So subtly plotted and painfully beautiful, I couldn’t put it down. Meg Wolitzer is a an amazing storyteller.” —Jacqueline Woodson, winner of the National Book Award for Brown Girl Dreaming

"Wolitzer has imagined a world for young readers that celebrates the sacred, transcendent power of reading and writing." —The New York Times Book Review

“Expect depth and razor sharp wit in this YA novel from the author of The Interestings.” —Entertainment Weekly

“A prep school tale with a supernatural-romance touch, from genius adult novelist Meg Wolitzer.” —Glamour

“Basically everything Meg Wolitzer writes is worth reading, usually over and over again, and her YA debut…is no exception.” —TeenVogue.com

“Demonstrates the power of words to heal.” —The Washington Post

“A riveting exploration of the human psyche…Wolitzer's teenage characters are invigorated, flawed, emotionally real and intensely interesting. Even as readers fold back the layers of the story and discover unexpected truths and tragedies, the plot maintains an integrity that has come to be hallmark of Wolitzer's novels.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“A smart and engrossing tale of trauma, trust, and triumph.” —School Library Journal, starred review

"A strong, original book." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Wolitzer handles Jam’s increasingly complex psychological state with delicate, nonjudgmental nuance …teen readers, especially rabid Plath fans, will relish Wolitzer’s deeply respectful treatment of Jam’s realistic emotional struggle.” —Booklist

“Enlivened by humor, memorable characters and a page-turning mystery only revealed in its final pages, Belzhar explores the role of trauma in young lives.” —BookPage

"But Jam herself is a fantastic portrait of a girl somehow younger than her own age, unable to cope with the hardships of being a teenager, and the final twist of the novel reveals an unexpected aspect to her character that makes her all the more heartbreaking." —The Daily Beast

Y/A Story, Suitable for Adults

Pretty good story, with good narration. Jorjeana Marie had the right voice for the 1st person narration. Unfortunately, the big "twist" in the plot was no surprise AT ALL. (Hint: if you've read "We Were Liars", this is quite similar).

Great Story

Very quick moving story. Did not see Jam's story wrapping up in the way it did. Really awesome story.

Amazing

I loved the story and the personalities shown through the sayings and the voices given to the characters, it was just c'est magnifique

different

this book was very interesting. I definitely didn't see the plot twist coming. I would've loved to have had a teacher like Mrs Q

highly entertaining; great story

wolitzer has done it again! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the characters and the narrator was wonderful. the characters well very well fleshed out and sympathetic. not once did I feel compelled to scream out of irritation of the over used emo or horribly narcissistic teen trope. this was simply the best.