The Tenth Circle

by Jodi Picoult

From New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult, a powerful novel that explores the unbreakable bond between parent and child, and questions whether you can reinvent yourself in the course of a lifetime--or if your mistakes are carried forever.

Fourteen-year-old Trixie Stone is in love for the first time. She's also a straight-A high school student, pretty and popular, and the light of her father's life.... Comic book artist Daniel Stone would do anything to protect his daughter. But when a single act of violence shatters her innocence, seemingly mild-mannered Daniel's convictions are put to the test--while his own shockingly tumultuous past, hidden even from his family, comes to light. Now, everything Trixie's ever believed about her hero, her father, seems to be a lie as Daniel ventures to hell and back, seeking revenge. Will the price be the bond they share?

Revealing an "exceptional, unflinching, and utterly chilling" (The Washington Post) portrait of today's youth culture, Jodi Picoult pulls readers inside a shattered family facing the toughest questions of morality and forgiveness.

• ISBN10: 074349671X
• ISBN13: 9780743496711
• Publish Date: 24 October 2006 (first published 1 February 2006)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Atria Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 416
• Language: English

Reviews

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

Breaking up is hard to do

• I went through a Jodi Picoult phase when I was in my twenties. True her novels are formulaic but they were still enjoyable and that's the important thing.


• Unfortunately, that was not the case with The Tenth Circle. While it is a timely book The Tenth Circle just fell flat.


• Jodi Picoult tried to tackle too many topics at once, date rape, infidelity, murder and drug use. If she had focused on one of these subjects the novel could have skimmed by but by including all of them The Tenth Circle felt unfinished and poorly defined.


• Trixie's character became diminished under the vast plot which only annoyed me.


• Halfway through the book I realized what the "big reveal" would be and begged that it wouldn't be so. Sadly, my begging was not rewarded and received an unbelivably ridiculous ending which left more loose strings than it tied.


• Unfortunately, in the last few Jodi Picoult books I've read I feel her unreliable plots and tired themes are becoming a trend and a regrettable one at that.

Sorry Jodi, but it isn't working for me anymore and I think it's best that we make a clean break.

This review was originally posted on First Impressions Reviews

[girlinthepages]

This book is really interesting with the structure loosely based off of and incorporating Dante's Inferno. It also brought up striking yet surprisingly blatant issues that surround teenagers sexual awareness. I am excited to reread after having read the Inferno.