The Tenth Circle is a captivating novel that delves into the lives of the Stone family. After fourteen-year-old Trixie Stone is raped at a party filled with guys and various drugs and alcohol, a series of events unfold. Trixie endures the heartbreak and suffering of being a rape victim, while also facing accusations that she is crying wolf. Her father, Daniel Stone, struggles to contain the beast he has hidden for so long. As a young boy, Daniel was the only white kid in an Alaskan fishing village, which led to teasing and bullying. When he met Trixie's mom, he vowed to create a new and better self for their child. Laura Stone, Trixie's mother, is recently recovering from an affair with another man and feels responsible for the family's troubles. This book offers a close-up look at the three different perspectives of a struggling family, their bond, anguish, and hope.

I devoured this book in just two days. After reading Nineteen Minutes, I couldn't wait to get my hands on another Jodi Picoult novel. Although I didn't think this one was as good as Nineteen Minutes, I still recognized her strong writing style and the vividness of her three-dimensional characters. The only drawback was that the middle of the story seemed to drag, and the ending felt a bit too rushed and lacking in detail. Nevertheless, it was still a great read, and Jodi Picoult did not disappoint.

For the first book, I was pleasantly surprised.

However, I must confess that perhaps I expected more of something.

My biggest problem was not being able to sympathize much with the main characters.

Nevertheless, the plot is very good, just like the author's writing style, which hooks from the beginning.

I became very curious to read more stories by Jodi.

Overall, despite the small issue with the characters, the book had its strengths.

The engaging plot and the author's unique writing kept me interested throughout.

I look forward to exploring more of Jodi's works and seeing if she can further captivate me with her storytelling.

I believe that with each new book, she may continue to improve and offer even more satisfying reading experiences.

Even though this first encounter had its pros and cons, it has definitely piqued my interest in her future writings.

Jodi, Jodi, Jodi. We really need to have a serious talk. You know, I have such deep feelings for you. I truly, truly do. I think you're an incredibly fun girl to be around, especially when we're flying together. And I really enjoy those moments when we hang out just the two of us, away from the prying eyes and the teasing of others who might make fun of me when they see us together.

But here's the thing. I feel as if our relationship is headed in a direction that I'm not too happy about. It's kind of like what happened with Beatrice Sparks. Remember how well we hit it off with "My Sister's Keeper"? That first meeting was just amazing. But now, this relationship seems to have taken a serious nosedive. What's up with "10th Circle"? Are you on some kind of drugs? Or did you have a lobotomy? I don't know, Jodi, but you can tell me anything. Let me help you. I don't want to lose you the way I lost Bea.

Sincerely,
Liz

P.S. I'm having a party this weekend, and we'll be playing Rainbow. Let me know if you want to come. The boys still think you're a total hottie, and most of them only care about one thing (and it's not your writing, thank goodness!).

Uma grande história desta autora. It is truly a remarkable piece of work. This is the second book that I have read by her, and I really liked it. The writing style is captivating and has the ability to take us on a journey through various different paths.

It is a book that delves into the theme of the violation (or not) of an adolescent. The multiple justifications given by the alleged victim and the alleged aggressor add depth and complexity to the story.

Moreover, it also explores themes such as self-harm, suicide, infidelity, and drugs. It makes us think about the extremes that people are capable of going to for love, whether it is love for a partner or love for a child.

I adored the character of Daniel Stone, the doting father, the present father, and the creator of a comic book. I was also able to develop a great deal of empathy for the mother and her journey.

The separation between chapters through small excerpts from the comic book created by Daniel Stone is fantastic. It adds an interesting and unique element to the story.

However, the only part that I didn't like as much was the one that took place in Alaska. But overall, it is a very well-constructed and well-written story. I highly recommend it.

I don't know what it is... but lately, every time I've delved into a Picoult novel, they seem to be deteriorating. This particular novel was no different. What began with a powerful impact and seized my attention abruptly took a nosedive halfway through.

Firstly, the name Trixie. Every time it was uttered, it evoked images of a dog or a rather promiscuous woman. In this day and age, who in their right mind would name their daughter Trixie?

Secondly, the unrealistic nature of the story. I'm sorry, but in the real world, there is no way on earth that a parent would allow their 14-year-old daughter to roam around with her friends unaccompanied. What truly irked me was that Trixie's parents permitted her to have a boyfriend at 14???!! That's just crazy and completely far-fetched. Reading about 14-year-olds engaging in sexual activities like sleeping with random guys and having oral sex at "rainbow" parties was not only irritating but also disturbing.

Thirdly, how does a rape storyline transition into a "Dog Sledding in Alaska" storyline? Seriously? It made no sense to me whatsoever. And all the filler about Eskimos that Picoult threw in was just unnecessary and incredibly dull. Oh, and I predicted the ending halfway through.

I read somewhere that this book was made into a movie? You've got to be kidding me. Well, I hate to say it, but this is the last Jodi Picoult novel I'll be reading. It's time to move on to other authors and explore new literary landscapes.

I have an intense love for her books.

Among them, this particular one stands out as it is a little different from her new books.

While her new works may possess certain common characteristics and styles, this older piece has its own unique charm.

Perhaps it has a different narrative structure or a more distinct tone.

It might explore themes that are not as prevalent in her recent publications.

Nonetheless, this difference only adds to its allure and makes it a special addition to her body of work.

Despite the variance, it still showcases her remarkable talent and creativity as an author.

I find myself drawn to this book time and time again, eager to uncover its hidden gems and appreciate the nuances that set it apart from her newer offerings.

A book about adolescence, family, suffering, violence, and forgiveness.

It is very well-written, with a well-developed plot and well-constructed characters. However, there is an incongruity that caused me a great deal of confusion throughout the entire book - the age of the main character, Trixie. At just 14 years old, she had already had such intense and traumatic experiences.

This seems rather unlikely and makes it difficult to fully believe and empathize with her character.

Despite this flaw, the book still manages to explore important themes and emotions related to adolescence and family dynamics.

The author does a good job of描绘 the struggles and challenges that Trixie faces, as well as the complex relationships within her family.

Overall, while the incongruity with Trixie's age is a significant drawback, the book still has its merits and is worth reading for those interested in exploring these themes.

Honestly, I really hated this one. I despised the entire family who served as the main characters. From the very moment they made their appearance until the conclusion of the book, I had nothing but loathing for them. There were a great many things that occurred within the story that simply didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. For instance, how on earth did the father just know that his daughter would run off to Alaska? It seemed completely unfounded. Anyhow, that's just my personal opinion, but I truly hated it. I found it difficult to engage with the characters and their actions, and the overall plot left me feeling rather dissatisfied. I don't think I would recommend this book to others based on my own experience with it.

My video opinion: https://youtu.be/RlF_N7E6mpI

Once again, it's a great, great story by Jodi Picoult. It kept me hooked from the beginning to the end. The only part that I liked a little less was the one about Alaska. However, aside from that, I loved everything!

Jodi Picoult has a remarkable talent for creating engaging and thought-provoking stories. In this particular one, the plot was full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters were well-developed and relatable, which made it easy for me to invest in their lives and emotions.

Although the part about Alaska didn't quite resonate with me as much as the other aspects of the story, it still added an interesting dimension. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good read. It's a captivating tale that will leave you thinking long after you've turned the last page.

This is my very first encounter with a Jodi Picoult book, and boy, am I truly sorry that it had to be The Tenth Circle.

Rape, self-cutting, an overbearing father, infidelity, murder, suicide - any single one of these plot elements has the potential to turn into a melodramatic literary catastrophe if not handled skillfully. And believe me when I say that not a single one of them was executed properly in this book.

Trixie is your typical, silly, and rather intolerable pre-teen who is attempting to navigate the complex social hierarchy of high school. She gets dumped by her first love and then proceeds to go to a party with the intention of winning him back, making him jealous, or engaging in rather inappropriate behavior like giving blowjobs and acting like a complete mess.

Meanwhile, her father sits at home, mourning the loss of his daughter's innocence and taking her transition into adolescence far too hard. In fact, his reaction is almost bordering on the strange. One morning, he wakes up to find her crumpled on the bathroom floor, claiming that she has been raped by her ex-boyfriend.

What follows is a painfully drawn-out girl-who-cried-wolf situation. From the very beginning, the idea that Trixie has been raped is ambiguous, yet the reader is led to believe that she is a young virgin who has been date raped by her ex-boyfriend. Later, we discover that Trixie is not actually a virgin and has, in fact, had sex with Jason numerous times already. However, I still held onto the thought that perhaps for some reason, Trixie didn't want to have sex with Jason at this particular party, and he held her down and took advantage of her, maybe even drugged her. This is a very real and important issue that could have been explored in a meaningful way.

By the end of the book, (at this point, the rape case has been blown completely out of proportion, to the extent that Jason is murdered) Trixie admits to her father that she never actually said no, told Jason to stop, or did anything that would indicate that the act was not consensual. Hello! Jason can't read Trixie's mind, especially after she has played strip poker, taken her top off, cried, and thrown herself at him! And let's not forget that they had dated and had sex a hundred times before!

Yet, Jodi Picoult still throws in this strange line about how Trixie shouldn't feel guilty because "she WAS raped by her standards" (I'm paraphrasing). It's just so odd, as if Jodi is trying to come through the story and tell the reader that they better not have any other opinions.

This whole thing is really strange, and this watered-down and rather confusing portrayal of rape made me feel extremely uncomfortable and a little bit angry. It completely reinforces the stereotype of the stupid high school jock being in the wrong place at the wrong time with a crazy girl. So many real-life rape cases are not taken seriously, and here we have a story about a girl who seemingly faked a rape. This is not the kind of story that needs to be told.

When you read the Acknowledgements at the front of the book, you know The Tenth Circle covers a vast territory: rape, teenagers, Dante, comic book superheroes, Alaska. Don’t say she didn’t tell you right off, “This was a massive undertaking…” Indeed, Jodi! She doesn't shy away from difficult topics.

Who has ever had a boyfriend who played hockey? Growing up near Detroit, I knew about Gordy Howe, the star. But hockey wasn't a high school sport where I was from. In Maine, where the story is set, things are different. So, with the hockey aspect, this story seems unusual to me from the very start. A boyfriend who plays hockey and is a star? And then there are the several pages of dark graphics that precede each chapter. How does that fit into a novel? I've read many books, but it's been a long time since I've read illustrated material. Sure, there was Mad Magazine when I was a pre-teen, but before that, it was illustrated picture books in elementary school. That was a long time ago. So, I'm not sure, Jodi Picoult, if I'm ready for this. I picked this book because I wanted an easy read and thought it was time to read a Picoult book again. I got this book on a GR swap site, so it's been on my shelf for a while. The last one I read was in May 2012. That's plenty of time between chick lit selections! Besides, I like Jodi Picoult and her exploration of social issues.

The Tenth Circle has a modest GR rating of 3.39 with just under 60,000 opinions. Based on the ratings, it seems people don't think this is one of her better books. Most of her other books rate higher, many quite a bit higher. It was the middle of the third page of reviews before I came across a male reviewer. That was both surprising and not surprising to me. It's labeled as chick lit, which is almost like saying, “Men stay away!” But this is my fourth Picoult book, and I've enjoyed them so far. As I said, one every six or eight months is about right.

The juxtaposition of the words in the story with the graphics is a new experience for me. It's been a long time since I've read comics, even the ones in the newspapers. I read the local paper online, but there are still the comics in color. I ignore them. When I was a kid, The Detroit Free Press went on strike for several months. When they came back, they printed three months of cartoons. It was overwhelming. As I recall, my favorite comic was Dondi, a World War II orphan. It ran in more than 100 newspapers for three decades. I don't remember why I stopped reading Dondi. Probably I just grew up. It happens.

There are many paragraphs in this book that I would like to quote. Before starting the book, I read a few GR reviews, especially some one and two star reviews. As a result, I'm almost embarrassed to say that I generally enjoyed reading this book and found the writing to have some impressive aspects at times. It's not as 'brainy' as many books I read, but maybe it's just at a comprehension and reading level that works better for me. I don't have to work so hard to understand what's going on, and my brain thanks me for that by giving me an enjoyable experience. Ironically, although this book has a lot of tension, I felt comfortable reading it. I thought the Alaska adventure towards the end was rather lame and couldn't believe it was a fourteen-year-old's adventure.

Jodi has hidden a message in the graphics. She says at the end of the book that “the letters spell out a quotation that sums up the theme” of the book. You could try to find the letters in the graphics like she suggests, or you could look up the answer on her website, or you can simply click the “spoiler” and it will all become clear. The decision is yours.

The Tenth Circle has some good paragraphs and even some good pages. But I'm thinking that this will be my last Jodi Picoult book because it just wasn't that good from start to finish. I think there were some interesting insights into what it's like to be a teenager in love or just a teenager in general, and that was interesting for a geezer like me. But I can only give it three stars in good conscience. I want to be able to sleep at night.

This one truly fascinated me.

I was really intrigued by the aspect that makes one question whether "no" really has to be explicitly said for an act to be considered rape. It adds a thought-provoking layer to the story.

Moreover, the whole messed-up family aspect served as an undertone, adding depth and complexity to the narrative.

Overall, the characters were mostly likeable, which made it easy to engage with the story. However, it is the debate of the themes of the book that really keeps you on the edge of your seat, eagerly grasping for the next page.

Now, I'm onto my next Jodi Picoult book in my marathon: Harvesting the Heart. I'm excited to see what new and captivating stories and themes this book will bring.

I'm sure it will be another engaging read that will keep me hooked from start to finish.