Picoult does it again (The Tenth Circle - Jodi Picoult)

Name: mum2boys82

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Product:	The Tenth Circle - Jodi Picoult
Date:	28/05/08 (117 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gets you thinking, great story

Disadvantages: Comic books are not really my thing

I first read a Jodi Picoult book a few years ago, it was My Sister's Keeper and it was really good. So why has it taken me so long to get round to reading another of her books? I can only guess that I felt that there was no way she could keep producing books of the same level, but I was very wrong.

During a recent trip to my local library (actually it wasn't my local library but one fairly close I just happened to be passing) and I couldn't decide what sort of book I wanted to read. Scanning the shelves my eyes fell across The Tenth Circle, I read the blurb on the back of the book about how there was more than 1 way to lose your daughter and thought I would give it a go.

This book is laid out in a different way to the previous book that I had read. The story starts with a prologue, and at the end of that is a cartoon of 5 pages, I thought this was a little odd at first and that maybe my first thoughts about not having any more good books was right. Anyway chapter 1 starts and you learn about the main characters. There is a main family, the Stone's; Mum Laura, Dad Daniel and daughter Trixie. You learn that Daniel Stone is a comic book creator and that the comic that runs through the whole book after each few chapters is a comic book that he is creating, partly from his imagination and partly from the life of his family.

Trixie is raped by her ex-boyfriend at the start of the book, the book then goes on to tell you what happened the night of the rape as seen through a few different perspectives and what happens after.

I won't say anymore about the plot as I don't want to ruin the story for anyone who wants to read it but I can tell you that the book will keep you guessing until the end as to what really happened, and you realise that not every thing is quite as it seems.

The comic runs through the whole book and is quite interesting as you feel like you are feeling what the dad really feels about his daughter and himself, as it is only a few pages after every couple of chapters it doesn't take you away from the main story, and if you're really not a fan of comic books you could skip over these pages and not lose sense of what the book is about.

The chapters are quite short so you can read just a chapter or two per sitting without too much hassle, although to be honest if you manage that I would be surprised as it gets quite hard to put down in places because you think at any moment it will be revealed what happened, but you really don't get the whole story until the end of the book.

The ending of the story is quite sudden, as I turned the last page I was expecting a new chapter, but it just ended. I guess that is the sign of a good book, tie up all the loose ends but leave them wanting more.

I really enjoyed this book and felt quite a connection with all of the family, the way Picoult writes really makes you feel like you are almost sat in the corner watching rather than just reading a book, I was wrong to think that nothing could be as good as My Sister's Keeper, she certainly knows how to look at a difficult topic and get you thinking about it!

I will certainly be looking for more of her books the next time I am at the library!

ISBN 978-0-340-83552-5
£6.99
373 pages

Summary: Great story, would have liked more of an ending