Reviewed by Joséphine on
Book review is up on Word Revel.
April 10, 2015
Initial thoughts: I feel cheated. Belzhar was one of my highly anticipated 2014 books and now it has been reduced to this — a 2-star read. I hate it when books manipulate readers with plot twists that eventually fall flat. The magical aspect of its magical realism didn't enamour me either.
What Belzhar did have going for it at least was the no-nonsense style of writing. It was straight to the point. Still, this book ended up being slow reading because the plot was presented in a rather boring manner. It was a plain regurgitation of all the characters' stories that didn't allow me to experience anything as a reader.
I believe books should reach out to readers on both an emotional and an intellectual level. Belzhar was surprisingly devoid of emotion for a book that revolved around 5 teenagers who supposedly went through traumatic experiences.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 10 April, 2015: Finished reading
- 10 April, 2015: Reviewed