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Parents' Guide to

Belzhar

By Kate Pavao, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Girl uses fantasy world to recover in moody, moving book.

Belzhar Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

age 18+

It sucks

I think this book sucks

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Written in the same vein as books such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower, BELZHAR deals beautifully with sensitive teens trying to cope with traumas that have left them forever altered. Beautifully written with great significant details, it will inspire great empathy in readers who will care deeply about the teen characters who have to face the realities of what happened to them (versus the stories they've told themselves) and accept the new realities of their lives.

Last-minute plot twists will surprise readers and force them to rethink the protagonist's tragedy in a whole new way. Many readers will want to read the book one more time once they finish, and it's rich enough to deserve that second read. Though Belzhar has fantasy elements, this is a better choice for realistic fiction lovers; the magical elements are never fully explained.

Book Details

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