PublishedSimon & Schuster, October 2014 |
ISBN9781471123764 |
FormatSoftcover, 272 pages |
Dimensions19.8cm × 13cm |
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 Jarand 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, Belzharis a breathtaking and surprising story about first love, deep sorrow, and the power of acceptance.
Entertainment Weekly's YA book of 2014
TIME Magazine's Top Ten YA of 2014
Kobo's best of 2014
Amazon's best books of 2014
'A story about what it means to lose someone, or something, you love. Twice.' Kirkus Reviews
'A welcome attack on continuing to live in the past at the expense of the present...Dry humour accompanies each journey in this readable novel, already selling well in America and deservedly so' Independent
'Breathtaking' Glamourmagazine
'Wolitzer has imagined a world for young readers that celebrates the sacred, transcendent power of reading and writing' New York Times
'An engaging fable about literature's healing power'Financial Times
Amy is a keen children’s book nerd and spends a lot of time reading and reviewing picture books with her toddler, Fenrir. But it’s not all colourful pictures! Her passion is getting kids reading, and her life's mission is to get the right books in the right hands. Ask her for advice or recommend something to her and watch her eyes light up!
“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.”Jam Gallahue is sent to the therapeutic boarding school “The Wooden Barn” to try and overcome the trauma of her loss. She is selected for an exclusive class called “Special Topics in English” in which there are only five students and they are tasked with studying Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar and her tormented life. A journal writing assignment takes her to the private world of Belzhar. In this dimension, Reeve isn’t dead and she is able to talk and laugh with him again. Each student experiences their own thing in Belzhar and they begin to meet and discuss their experiences. Friendships and relationships form and the bond between them grows. Together they learn to overcome their sorrow and start to accept the things they cannot change. This book has a distinct Dead Poet’s Society vibe and is a different twist on grief and acceptance.
