This isn't my favorite Jodi book, but it's still excellent!

The father character in the book is a penciler for comic books, which adds a unique touch. Before each chapter, there are 4 pages of comic panels. It was truly interesting to read them and see how they seamlessly wove in with the story.

The novel delves into a heavy topic as it's about a teenager who is sexually assaulted. So, if you're not comfortable with details in that area, I wouldn't recommend it. However, for those who can handle it, it's a tender and beautifully written book. It explores the journey of a teenager and her family as they strive to make amends with themselves, confront their inner demons, and start over as individuals and as a family.

It's a powerful and thought-provoking read that shows the strength and resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Della Picoult had appreciated "The House of Others". However, this one seemed predictable to me, not very interesting, with two-dimensional characters for whom I didn't feel any connection. The ending in Alaska is artificial and overdone.

I am uncompromising, I know, but I can't hide my irritation when I find things like this: North Face jacket, X-Acto knife, Life cereals, Kenmore washing machine, Dixie cup, Sephora makeup, Pixi Stix package, Thai coconut milk, etc.

There are also TROJAN brand condoms, which seems like a really great name, especially if you remove the final N.

;-)

The overall experience of this [activity/book/movie etc.] was rather mediocre.

It had a slow start, which made it a bit difficult to engage with initially. However, things did pick up in the middle, and there was a glimmer of hope that it would turn out to be quite interesting.

Unfortunately, that hope was short-lived as the ending dragged on for what felt like an eternity. It became increasingly boring and tiresome, and by the time it finally ended, I was just relieved.

The pacing of the whole thing was really off, and it could have benefited from a more concise and engaging conclusion. Overall, it was a disappointment and not something I would recommend to others.

I am not overly interested in the extensive array of recent popular literature catering to women. However, when Jodi Picoult's latest work, "The Tenth Circle," arrived at my doorstep as an advanced reader's copy from Simon and Schuster, I thought it was time to give it a try and at least understand what made it so appealing.

To my surprise, I found that the millions of people who keep her books on the bestseller list are not completely irrational.

This is a story about a family. The mother, Laura, is a college professor specializing in Dante. One of her most popular classes involves students reading "The Inferno" and considering its relevance to contemporary life. The father, Daniel, is a cartoonist and an emerging writer of graphic novels. He has been the stay-at-home dad, taking care of their daughter, Trixie (whose real name is Beatrice, directly from Dante). While he draws and communicates with his editors at Marvel from home, he also meets the needs of his daughter. The bond between father and daughter is, not surprisingly, unusually strong.

The story begins with a prologue - a false alarm when Daniel thinks Trixie, a four-year-old in a stroller, is lost in a crowd. The main action commences when 14-year-old Trixie returns home from a party, disheveled and bloody, and tells her father that she has been raped. Daniel calls Laura, who is not at home at 2:30 AM but with her lover, a student poet from her class. This doesn't seem like a promising start to pique my interests, but I ended up reading the entire book in one night and admiring many aspects of it.

Firstly, the plot is extremely well-crafted. I must admit that serious novelists nowadays are often not as proficient in plotting as popular ones. The novelist who attempts "serious literature" is likely to subordinate the plot to other elements of the fiction and may even do it poorly. So poorly that it has almost become an axiom that if you read a serious novel, you cannot expect a good or even a coherent plot. A "serious novel" almost by definition focuses on other aspects such as language, point of view, ideas, atmosphere, structure, and perhaps character. However, like many others who read a lot, I love a good story and have never given up on reading popular literature. Usually, though, I turn to thrillers or mysteries rather than romance or other genres aimed at women. The ending of this novel, in terms of the plot, left something to be desired - it ended rather weakly.

Secondly, Picoult can write. Her style is fast-paced and concise, with vivid images and metaphors that suit both the characters and the intended audience. She describes Trixie trying to concentrate in class, knowing that the whole school is talking about her: "In English, she focused on the printed text in her book until the letters jumped like popcorn in a skillet." Later that day, "the mass of students split like amoebas into socially polarized groups." Her writing is fresh and original, but not overly literary or startling. This is the opposite of "poetic writing," and I don't mean that as a criticism. The combination of a well-structured plot and a sharp, concise style that always推动 the action forward - without pausing for unnecessary bits of atmosphere that might tempt the reader to skip ahead - seems to me a major attraction of Picoult's fiction.

The third major element is that the characters and the plot are not only psychologically engaging - which they are - but also elemental. I'm tempted to wonder if Picoult consults screenwriter/writing coach Christopher Vogler (author of "The Writer's Journey"), who emphasizes the power of mythic elements in stories. The overt topics that Picoult handles - as I've seen in this book and heard about in others - address contemporary issues such as date rape, teen suicide, marital infidelity, and even, in this one, but she does so in very fundamental terms. So, Trixie's rape quickly becomes both literally and figuratively a matter of life, death, love, soul mates, the hidden self, and revenge. Publishers claim that Picoult's novels make readers think. This is true to some extent, but what it makes readers think about is the role of basic instincts and emotions that surface from behind social facades at critical moments. Picoult doesn't make it all overly intellectual or philosophical either; the concepts are simple and clear: "There is a fine line between love and hate, you heard that cliché all the time. But no one told you that the moment you crossed it would be the one you least expected. You'd fall in love and crack open a secret door to let your soul mate in. You just never expected such closeness, one day, to feel like an intrusion."

Even the names in this novel are elemental: Laura is the name of the woman to whom Petrarch wrote sonnets, and Beatrice, of course, is Dante's muse. Daniel, the father, recalls Daniel the prophet from the Old Testament. One remembers Daniel in the Lion's Den. Jason, the teen athlete and rapist, suggests Jason of Golden Fleece fame.... And Trixie is a trickster, as in Joseph Campbell's "Hero with a Thousand Faces" - in this novel, a catalyst for action by others, especially her parents.

Daniel's graphic story is included in the text. It's an interesting concept. Even the graphic novel - complete with a superhero and a quest - is not beyond Picoult's up-to-date subject matter. I'm not sure it works entirely well as a story, but the illustrations do have their place in the text.

I am not the target audience for a novel like this and will probably not read any more, but I'm glad I read this one so that I can understand why people like it and recognize the appeal of this writer's fictional success. Posted by Picasa.

This isn't my favorite among Picoult's books. However, I do admire her for attempting to do something different by including the comic in it. To be honest, I skipped over that part. Sorry about that. But as a writer myself, I'm fully aware that not every single book can be of five-star quality. It's a fact of life. And this particular book not being my favorite definitely won't prevent me from reading more of Picoult's wonderful works. I'm still eager to explore the other stories she has to offer and see how she continues to develop as a writer. I believe there are many more great reads waiting for me in her bibliography.

3.5 stars rounded up.

As a parent, reading the first half of this book is truly horrifying. It toys with your emotions, making you acutely aware of all the terrible things that kids can get into when you're not there to safeguard them. Every little decision made by everyone can lead, either directly or indirectly, to harm. This is the earliest book of Picoult's that I've read so far, and I don't think she had yet honed her skill and the trademark weaving of a story with some sciencey/lessony thing together. However, you can tell she made an effort. I believe she stuffed way too much into this story. It would have been better if she had focused solely on Trixie's situation and the Dante stuff. The drama involving her parents didn't really contribute anything to the story for me.

Trixie is raped by her ex-boyfriend at a party. I already knew this wouldn't end well. I appreciate how Picoult told this part of the story. Both Trixie and Jason have different perspectives on what happened that night. Trixie didn't give consent. She was either completely out of it or fought him for a few minutes before realizing it was futile (the details are hazy as she's inconsistent even at the end). Either way, the reader knows this wasn't consensual sex. However, Jason has no clue how she feels. Blame it on teenage idiocy, drugs, alcohol, whatever. But I like that Picoult didn't portray him as an evil villain who knew for a fact she didn't want it and did it anyway. Let me be clear: I'm not excusing his actions at all. He should never have taken advantage of her in the state she was in. The entire situation between them, and then the school and town taking sides, was just extremely unpleasant and horrible.

I didn't care one bit about Laura's infidelity. She was hardly a fully developed character to me, and I suspected she killed Jason as soon as it happened. I also liked the twist that Seth actually sold Trixie the drugs that were in her system. It never明确 says how she consumed them, but I wonder if Zephyr drugged her? I didn't care about Daniel's past either. It had little to no relevance to the story at hand. Other than the fact that Trixie decides to go to Alaska at the end, which also felt very out of place.

Picoult tried to cram too much into this book. As difficult and horrible as it was to read, I would have preferred if she had stuck to Trixie and Jason's rape/trial/murder/aftermath. With either more Dante (teach me something!) or less Dante (why bring it up if it's just going to be an obvious pointer to the theme of the book?).

See my review and others here: http://onceuponatime-bookblog.blogspo...

Over the years, I've read a dozen of Jodi Picoult's novels. This one, however, was rather different from her usual works. Generally, I enjoyed it, but I guess I was anticipating a bit more, especially from the ending.

The book revolves around Trixie Stone, a fourteen-year-old teenager, and her parents, Daniel and Laura. Trixie, a typical teen, has just been dumped by Jason, the "love of her life" and the most popular boy in school. Heartbroken and at a loss, she devises a plan with her best friend at a high school party when her friend's mom is out of town. But the party gets out of control, and the next morning, Trixie reveals to her dad that Jason raped her.

Throughout the rest of the book, readers grapple with the question of whether Trixie was raped and what she is telling the truth about. As details unfold, things become increasingly complicated. Jason is charged with rape, and the whole town gets involved. Daniel and Laura also have their own problems, and the family struggles to deal with the incident and its aftermath.

I liked many aspects of this book. Daniel, a stay-at-home dad, has a unique relationship with Trixie, which I really enjoyed seeing. The novel raises many questions about what a father or parent would do to protect their children. I also related to Trixie as a young teenager and the emotions she went through during and after her breakup with Jason. Additionally, the strong presence of "the tenth circle" throughout the novel was interesting. Laura is a professor teaching Dante's Inferno, and Daniel, a comic book artist, has a new story featuring a father journeying through the circles of hell to rescue his daughter. The comics at the end of each chapter added a unique aspect to the novel.

However, I kept expecting something more to happen, and the ending didn't quite add up for me. Also, the supernatural aspects didn't work for me at all. Even so, this was a relatively good book that evoked a lot of emotions on a sensitive subject. As the saying goes, "You couldn't have strength without weakness, you couldn't have light without dark, you couldn't have love without loss."

When I first delved into this book, I recall not having a great deal of enthusiasm for it. However, upon this second reading, I truly developed a liking for it. In the characteristic style of Picoult, I found myself completely at a loss as to whom to believe.

This captivating story revolves around the rape of a girl named Trixie. It vividly portrays how this traumatic event impacts not only her but also everyone in her immediate circle. It showcases how easily things can become distorted, how lies are fabricated, and how the truth gradually slips away. Additionally, it explores the themes of suicide and self-harm, dealing with a plethora of significant topics within its pages.

I remain somewhat conflicted about what actually transpired. I ultimately ended up feeling a sense of sympathy for Jason and his family, despite the fact that he was rather unlikable. At the same time, I did have a certain understanding of Trixie's perspective.

Nevertheless, the absolute core of this story lies in Daniel's (Trixie's dad) profound love for his daughter. He would go to any lengths for her. It is truly touching, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for him whenever something went awry.

The book did experience a slight dip in interest when they reached the part set in Alaska. However, up until that point, it was an absolute page-turner. It is definitely a book worth reading!

Definitely, I felt better reading this one than Salen Falls, which is based on a similar premise (questionable accusation of assault).

Nonetheless, the grays this time were only marginally better. The story was truly terrible. It lacked depth and coherence, and the plot seemed to be going nowhere.

The characters were also awful people. They were one-dimensional and unlikable, making it difficult to care about their fates.

The only character I thought was decent was the detective. He was the only one who seemed to have any moral compass or sense of justice.

Overall, I was disappointed with this book. It had the potential to be a good mystery, but it failed to deliver on almost every front. I would not recommend it to anyone.

First, what I like about The Tenth Circle:

Just like the only other Jodi Picoult book I've read (My Sister's Keeper), I believe the author does an extremely good job of choosing interesting subject matter and presenting it in a captivating way.

As the mother of both a son and two daughters, I found the subject of this particular book to be highly thought-provoking. Was the 14-year-old protagonist raped, or not?

Picoult does an outstanding job of revealing the flaws of her characters. I think it's the highest compliment to her to say that you won't always like her main characters.

I also like the unique way she presents her book, with the story interspersed with the graphic novel. It was a fun way to link everything together.

Now what I don't like:

I thought there were a number of threads that were dropped. For example, the outcome of the situation with Laura and Seth, the introduction of the Willie Moses character, and also the circumstances regarding Cane's death.

And I felt that the situation at the end was presented as a "well, that's that" kind of ending, when it was actually much more complicated than that.

Overall, it's a good but not GREAT book.

This is an excellently interesting read that incorporates unusual graphic novel features. At first, I was concerned that these features might put me off, but in fact, they only served to enhance the characters and the storyline.

The mix of classic and modern literature devices employed in this book is truly very clever, especially considering that it is essentially an easy read 'women's' novel. It manages to blend the best of both worlds, creating a unique and engaging reading experience.

Unlike many of Jodi Picoult's books, I found that the ending of this one was well paced and satisfying. It tied up all the loose ends in a way that felt natural and fulfilling, leaving me with a sense of closure.

The storyline itself is a difficult one, dealing with complex themes and emotions. However, the author does an excellent job of presenting these issues in a way that is both thought-provoking and accessible. Overall, this is a very interesting read that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a unique and engaging novel.

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