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Belzhar | July 9, 2014

by Meg Wolitzer (Dutton Children’s/Penguin Young Readers Group, September 2014)

Jam Gallahue’s boyfriend, Reeve, is dead, and without him in her life nothing else matters. When her parents no longer know how to help her cope with her grief, Jam is sent to The Wooden Barn, a boarding school for “fragile” and traumatized students in middle-of-nowhere, Vermont. At first, Jam is miserable and misses Reeve more than ever. But when she is selected for Special Topics in English, an exclusive and mysterious class, things begin to change. The students are given special journals, and when Jam writes in hers she is transported to ‘Belzhar’—an alternate reality where Reeve is still alive, and Jam is still happy. But when the journal’s pages start to run out, Jam is forced to face a truth that she never knew existed.

Meg Wolitzer’s Sylvia-Plath-steeped Belzhar is intriguing, dark, and surprising. Jam’s journey, as well as those of her classmates, is heartbreaking and realistic. Wolitzer integrates magical elements seamlessly into the contemporary setting. This dream-like YA read is perfect for fans of E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars.

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