|
Jodi Picoult
(Atria; $26)
Beware of The Tenth Circle because it will tie you to your reading chair and won't let you up until you turn the last page. This is a gripping novel; one you are afraid to put down for fear that you will miss what is going to take place. Just when you think you might be ready to take a break -- you turn the page and enter the mini-graphic novel interlaced throughout and once again you are trapped.
Picoult is very smart in handling a teen-rape; teen-depression; teen-suicide story. Most definitely an oft-written about subject, Picoult is able to keep the story fresh, veer far away from the trite and cliche, and keep the reader engaged. In The Tenth Circle, the Stone family is in the midst of change; Daniel Stone is finally being recognized for his artistic talent; his wife, Laura, is in the throes of a devastating affair and their daughter, Trixie, is for the first time a little lost and forgotten. And this is the single crack that Picoult exploits with an emotionally charged situation that grips small-town Bethel, Maine in controversy, scandal and death.
The best part about The Tenth Circle is Laura Stone's -- a Dante scholar -- ability to compare all aspects of life to Dante's verse and the graphic novel woven through the "real novel." Both of these aspects bring a texture to this novel that you don't ordinarily find. I wouldn't be surprised to see a surge in sales of The Inferno and expect the exposure of the intensity of graphic novels to spark people to branch out.
If you've found Picoult too "soft" in the past -- try again with this engaging and uniquely rich story.
To order this book online click here.
|
