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The Tenth Circle    by Jodi Picoult Amazon.com order for
Tenth Circle
by Jodi Picoult
Order:  USA  Can
Atria, 2006 (2006)
Hardcover, CD, e-Book

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* *   Reviewed by Hilary Daninhirsch

Picoult's latest, The Tenth Circle, is a departure for this prolific writer in that it is a graphic novel. Illustrations throughout the book represent the artwork of one of the main characters, and connect the central theme of the written pages. 

Trixie Stone is the fourteen year-old daughter of Daniel, a comic book artist with a secret, violent past, and Laura, a distracted university professor who teaches Dante's Inferno. The title of the book refers to the circles of hell in that piece of classic literature

Daniel grew up as the only white child in a small Alaskan village. He escapes his past and transforms into a model husband and stay-at-home father. He is having a difficult time with the realization that his daughter is growing up and away from him. When Trixie claims to have been raped by her ex-boyfriend, her life and the lives of her family spiral downward.

As usual, Picoult presents scenarios with no clear-cut answers, a reason why her books have become book club favorites. This is not my favorite Picoult book, though I still like her writing style and her ability to set up a plot. However, there were some events portrayed that stretched the limits of credibility.

The true message of The Tenth Circle is about the love between parent and child, and Picoult does a fine job creating believable characters and interesting plot twists.

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