Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

“We're talking about the novel, right? But maybe we're not. We're talking about ourselves. And I guess that's what can start to happen when you talk about a book.”

I hadn't heard about this until a friend read it. I read the synopsis and right away I knew I needed to read it. So when I saw it on the shelf at our used book store, I snatched it up. The concept is lovely the writing not so much.

Stats:

Genre: Paranormal-ish contemporary 

Feelings: Yeah
Happiness: A bit
Cuteness: Ehhhh?
Fast pacing: Slow, but it wraps you up
Series: No
Read if you like: mysterious concepts and messed up characters 
Content: Swearing. Some shirtless kissings. Nothing explicit but keep that in mind if you are uncomfortable with that. I found a lot of the lovey things to be annoyingly unnecessary. A lesbian character.
In one sentence... A group of teens lost and struggling with their own problems find a place in a special boarding school that transports them to a realm where their terrible pasts are unwritten.
Thoughts: A filled in journals and voices of friends 

Overall:

Rating: 3/5 stars

This review is SPOILER FREE

The Lovely Bits:

Concept. This whole story is very concept driven. The idea was original and intriguing, and I found myself very much caught up in the world and the different characters with their different troubles and sorrows. 

There was some really nice sibling love going on, some raw feelings and a few great characters.

There wasn't actually a whole lot that stood out to me as really good, which is sad, because this really was a good book. It wasn't bad... the concept was good enough that the bad things didn't make me hate the story.

The Less Lovely Bits:

Prose. It was so...lacking. And the telling? After a while I got tired of Jam telling us over and over that she was sad and lonely. I am also currently reading Burial Rites, a book in which the character never once states that she is sad and empty, but you can feel it.

Belzhar really needed a shot of that. I was sick of being told Jam was sad. I was tired of how the feelings were being shoved down are throat. It was even to the point where Jam pondered how goats must have it easier.

I found myself really more concerned and interested in the side characters tragedies instead of Jam. I couldn't understand how she was feeling...her boyfriend being dead and all...but still I didn’t relate to her. Everything was Reeve. She kept saying how she wasn't human without Reeve. I was beginning to think she had other mental issues, not just depression. Her whole storyline really didn't show depression that well. 

That being said, I think it was hard for anyone to relate to her. In a situation where a character has a past experience few readers will understand the writing really has to be good enough to show what the character is feeling. Belzhar didn't have that, so I really didn't feel Jam's pain at all.  I found a lot of the character relationships and interactions seemed forced and rushed. 

All of these less lovely bits did detract from the story, but in the end, I don't regret reading it. I loved the concept and world enough that the lacking prose didn't bother me as much. I really just wish they had other POV's instead of Jam's. 

Review for Don't You Forget About Me by Kate Karyus Quinn to come soon! I actually finished this before Belzhar, but never got around to writing a review.