Belzhar Book Review

I would recommend the book Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer to my friends. This book tells about a girl and the hardships she faces to get through a challenging time. Along the way, she meets people who change and affect her life. Readers who read the book may find it touching, or motivating, especially for those with similar problems as the main character and other characters. In the beginning, the protagonist, Jamaica Gollahue, nicknamed "Jam", is sent by her parents to The Wooden Barn, a boarding school for emotionally hurt people. Her heart shattered when Reeve Maxfield, a foreign exchange student whom she loved, went back home in England. She attends a class called "Special Topics" to study Sylvia Plath's writing and reads The Bell Jar. She with four other students are given journals by the teacher, Mrs. Quenell, and are assigned to write about anything they wish. Jam soon discovers writing in her journal brings her to a peaceful world with Reeve. Jam states, "I'm …show more content…
They decide to call the realm "Belzhar," which is a riff on the book title "Bell Jar." Jam narrates, "And so we all decide to follow the same simple guidelines: Visit Belzhar twice a week... only on the days we've each chosen; gather every Sunday night at 10:00 p.m. in the dark classroom around the candle in order to discuss whatever might have come up during the week; and, finally, and crucially, never tell a single outsider about any of this." Mrs. Quenell tells the students to look out for each other. When Thanksgiving vacation comes, a snow storm interferes with Jam travelling home, so Griffin allows her to stay at his farm with his family. They grow a liking to each other, however, Jam is in denial and tells herself she can only love