The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult
The Tenth Circle was my second Jodi Picoult book, the first being Nineteen Minutes (which I liked better, read my review here). Although I liked this book, I have a feeling it’s not Picoults best work. It seemed really formulaic, editing could have been tighter, and I could see the twist ending coming from a mile away. So therefore, not shocked or surprised when it happened.
A short synopsis from Picoult’s website:
When Daniel Stone was a child, he was the only white boy in a native Eskimo village where his mother taught, and he was teased mercilessly because he was different. He fought back, the baddest of the bad kids: stealing, drinking, robbing and cheating his way out of the Alaskan bush – where he honed his artistic talent, fell in love with a girl and got her pregnant. To become part of a family, he reinvented himself – jettisoning all that anger to become a docile, devoted husband and father.
Fifteen years later, when we meet Daniel again, he is a comic book artist. His wife teaches Dante’s Inferno at a local college; his daughter, Trixie, is the light of his life – and a girl who only knows her father as the even-tempered, mild-mannered man he has been her whole life. Until, that is, she is date raped…and Daniel finds himself struggling, again, with a powerlessness and a rage that may not just swallow him whole, but destroy his family and his future.
I liked the parallels between Daniel, the father, and Trixie, the daughter. How they were so similiar to each other but yet didn’t know each other at all. In this book, Trixie goes to a wild party with drinking and all kinds of sex games. This was an eye opener for me. I was a good kid, never partied, and didn’t have friends that partied as well. I guess our idea of a good time was hanging out at the Barnes and Noble. Anyways, if high school parties are really like this, I’m glad I’m not in high school anymore. And I felt so sorry for Trixie when she went back to school after being raped. The kids were cruel! Why do kids have to do this? Was I just blind or was my high school really like this and I just didn’t notice?
I also thought it was interesting that the parents in this book are always turning a blind eye to their child’s activities when they suspect what’s really going on. I just can’t imagine ignoring something that I know my child is doing and I don’t approve of it. Seriously, teenagers need to be reigned in a bit more. Sure parents don’t know everything that’s going on, kids don’t tell their parents everything that’s happening (I certainly didn’t, sorry Mom), but in the book it’s almost as if the parents knew but chose to let the kids be responsible for themselves. And look where that got them? It got them one messed up family.
On a side note, this book is filled with comic book panels (Daniel, the father, is a comic book artist). Picoult tells us that there are 86 hidden letters in the background of the drawing, these letters spell out a quotation that sums up the theme of The Tenth Circle. Please, if you know it, tell me! I really want to know, but really don’t want to “play” this little game.
Visit Jodi Picoult’s website for a short video about the book, and a group discussion guide.
My next Picoult book will be My Sister’s Keeper. Looking forward to it.
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Category: Adult, Book Reviews, Fiction
Tags: female author, Fiction, M-P Author, Q-T Title, videos
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I want to know what the quotation is too! I read this book a long time ago but never felt like trying to figure it out. YOu’ll definitely enjoy My Sister’s Keepr.
on March 8th, 2008 at 9:39 amI read this book as part of the CafeMom book club. The answer was in the forum: Nothing is easier than self-deceipt. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true. Demosthenes.
on March 8th, 2008 at 10:41 amAs I was reading this one I noticed a letter here and there, but I never felt compelled to “figure” it out. I think if you go to Picoult’s website it is listed there–honestly I wasn’t all that interested.
This is my least favorite Picoult book (I’m working on #7? right now). Her books are a little formulaic, but with the right subject matter the books can be pretty consuming.
I was also shocked at the behavior of Trixie. I’m 26…so being her age was not all that long ago for me. I know my sisters got into a little more trouble than I did…but Trixie is 14!! I have a 16 yo step-sister and it makes me cringe that those things could be going on at the parties she goes to. Let’s hope not!!
Hope you continue to like her works. I agree with Heather–My Sister’s Keeper is one of my favorites (sorry for such the long comment!).
on March 11th, 2008 at 6:35 pmTrish – No need to apologize for a long comment. Keep them coming! I can’t believe how sexually active the kids were in this book. The “games” that they played were disgusting. Does nobody respect sex anymore? And I agree, at 14! I think Trixie needed some moral values thrown at her. But then again, where would the story be without this key element. It’s a book that does make you think about it. My two little boys are just two and 10 months and I’m already scared at the peer pressure they’ll have.
on March 11th, 2008 at 8:19 pmThis was my first Jodi Picoult book. Having nothing to compare it to, I thought it was pretty good. Lately I’ve been enjoying fiction that is a little more realistic. To me, this was it. I’m not happy to be thinking that this is what goes on in high schoo, but it doesn’t really surprise me. I just hope that as a mother I teach my daughters better respect for themselves.
on April 23rd, 2008 at 7:32 amI haven’t read a Jodi Picoult book yet. I own this one and several others but will read My Sister’s Keeper first for a book challenge. I hope that it lives up to the hype.
on April 27th, 2008 at 5:02 amI’m 14, and I though that all the games that Trixie and her friends were playing were pretty disgusting. Luckly, I haven’t been around anything that bad yet.
My friends and I have all gotten hooked on Jodi Piccoult books, and this is the third one that I’ve read. I’ve read My Sister’s Keeper, and Plain Truth. So far, I think that Plain Truth is my favorite. The ending was SUCH a supprise, unlike the one in The Tenth Circle. As I was reading, I was debating in my head whether or not it was Zephyr or Laura that killed Jason. I didn’t think that it was a very good supprise ending. The book was good though, and I would recomend it to just about anybody, unless of course they haven’t heard about the “games”.
on May 11th, 2008 at 2:34 pmI am 14 as well,
and I do know people that party pretty harcore(not me)..but holy man, that rainbow game was disgusting.
I can understand as a kid how some parents would just not know what their kids are doing, kids nowadays have gotten pretty sneaky.
I enjoyed this book, but agree it is not one of her best. it seemed sort of predictable and didn’t reel me in nearly as much as my sisters keeper or 19 minutes.
on May 11th, 2008 at 7:30 pmSarah – Jodi Picoult is very realistic. If you’d like this one I’m sure you’d like her others as well.
Tracee – I have My Sister’s Keeper and hope it lives up to the hype as well. I’ve been looking forward to reading it.
Ashley & Elizabeth – Thank you so much for your well thought out comments. I love hearing a perspective from a teenager. I too was grossed out by the games. If that’s what kids do to party nowadays, count me out. I admit I was pretty sneaky as a kid as well, but I got the feeling from the books that the parents knew more than they were willing to admit. It’s as if they were to scared to find out what their kids were really up to. As a parent myself, I understand the need to trust your kids, but when they’re getting into trouble it’s our responsibility to reign them in.
on May 11th, 2008 at 8:34 pmI thought this book was alright but there it left me somewhat confused and unsatisfied at the end. This is the third book I have read of Jodi’s and by far my favorite is the pact. i reccommend it to anyone and everyone its amazing!
on May 20th, 2008 at 9:36 pmQuincy – I’ve heard a lot of good things about The Pact. I hope to read it this year.
on May 21st, 2008 at 12:54 pmI love all her books. MY SISTER’S KEEPER IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!!!! Can’t wait until the movie is released in 2009. I believe Cameron Diaz is starring in it. All her books give you alot to think about.
on June 1st, 2008 at 5:09 pmTina – I didn’t realize they were making a movie of My Sister’s Keeper. I’ll be keeping my eye out for the trailer.
on June 4th, 2008 at 12:11 amLifetime made a movie of Jodi Picoult’s book The Tenth Circle. The movie stars Kelly Preston (Jerry Maguire, What A Girl Wants), Ron Eldard (House of Sand and Fog) and Brittany Robertson (Dan In Real Life). See it on Saturday, June 28th at 9PM ET/PT:
For more information about the movie (cast, photos, movie trailers, etc.), please click the link below:
on June 20th, 2008 at 9:30 amhttp://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/movies/tenth-circle
Carrie – Hmm . . . I don’t have cable. I guess I’m to busy reading. I’ll have to catch it some other way.
on June 21st, 2008 at 9:05 ami just finished reading the tenth circle, and it seemedto consume me the last three days…the ending was kinda expected, yet the book wasn’t a let down. i was so excited to see that they have made the book into a film…yet slightly disappointed with the fact that many of the characters used in the film aren’t as they were depicted in the book. firstly being that trixie’s hair is RED and the actress in the film has strawberry blonde hair…not to mention that the whole image of jason was killed by using a boy with blonde hair…i’m slightly saddened by this…i wish for oncepeople would make a film that truly captures the author’s scope of the story, and not a person who didn’t create the idea in the first place…it’s kind of like watching ella enchanted and realising the film producers totally killed the entire story making it the same as any other fairytale, or being bored to death by the film version of girl with a pearl earring, knowing deep in your heart that the story has so much more potential…i wish for once, somebody would show the true story for once, and not make it the same as every other “deep” film out there!
on June 27th, 2008 at 9:13 amI am watching the Tenth Circle now on ifetime. I am not impressed. This why I read instead of watching TV. The book was 100% better and there were no commercials!
on June 30th, 2008 at 8:11 pmMy favorite Picoult book is 19 Minutes. But, I also loved Change of Heart. I read it in one afternoon! Couldn’t put it down.
I just finished the Tenth Circle for a report on banned books. I'm fourteen, and was sort of disturbed by the fact that Trixie is, too. That "rainbow" game was… perverted, to say the least. I really liked the book, though, and I thought the characters were very realistic. It was especially interesting how you couldn't really tell who was telling the truth — Jason or Trixie.
on October 8th, 2008 at 8:57 amim 15 years old and love the Jodi Picoult books. Although this was a good book, I think that Nineteen minutes was by far the best. I’ve only read four of her books, but I can’t wait to read more of them.
on December 15th, 2008 at 7:13 pmI really like Jodi Picoults novels and I have read The tenth circle, My sisters Keeper, Nineteen Minutes, The Pact, and I think one or two novels that I cant catch their names right now. I’m not American nor British and English is my second language but I guess I’m pretty good at it. I am 16 years old and was shocked to see what Trixie did in the novel. To be frank I thought she got what she wanted when she got raped I mean come on she was asking for it. I really like the theme in the end and I found the secret message which was quite fun. The story did have some flaw’s and it wasnt as good as the others I read but I would really recommend it to anyone (over 16). I also like the way Trixie was close to her dad, the way I am close to my father.
I cant say more than that, sorry if I have any grammar errors I was typing fast and u know what I mean.
Cant wait to get another book (I think im getting one for Xmas
)
on December 21st, 2008 at 10:15 amAngela – Funny you should mention Ella Enchanted. I loved the book and loved the movie but they were two completely different stories.
Kathy – So far, Nineteen Minutes is my favorite Picoult books as well.
Charlotte – Has this book been challenged or banned? I, too thought the game was disturbing as well.
Trisha – I’m glad that you have enjoyed reading them.
Meme – I hope you get a book for Christmas as well!
on December 23rd, 2008 at 9:32 pmHi
I started reading the book last Friday, I must say that I was hooked.
on December 29th, 2008 at 5:30 amAnd you’ll be shocked what young kids do this days. I’m not suprised most the kids fall pregnant at young ages.
I haven’t finished reading the book.
But it’s one of those books that a parent has to read, an eye opener
I’m 20 years old and I’m thankful to say that, as I was home schooled for most of my life, I didn’t have to put up with most of the teenage cruelty.
Also, I was never involved in any rainbow parties. Can I just say how thankful I am for that? It makes me scared to have kids, knowing smoe of the things that teens do…
on February 16th, 2009 at 12:28 pmHey,
I’m around Trixie’s age and am proud to say that none of that is happening to anybody my age. I’ve never heard of the Rainbow game before in our grade, and only a few friends of mine have heard of strip poker. None of us have done it, any of it – lost our virginity, played those games, done drugs, drank, smoked, or cut. Sure, there may be a few out there who do – but trust me, it’s very obvious. For all the parents out there, you would probably know if it was happening to your children.
Though, I love how Jodi takes a look at things that people are overlooking these days and digs deeper into the problem then most people are willing to see. Kudos to her!
on March 1st, 2009 at 3:39 pmI love every thing Jodi Picoult has written and I think I have read them all. What is coming next? I can hardly wait. Her books are think makers. You never know for sure what the outcome will be. I cannot imagine the hours she devotes in order to know all the terminology she uses.She is a genius.
on April 3rd, 2009 at 9:48 amokay so im 14.
on April 14th, 2009 at 7:02 amwe have parties.
we drink…alot
and i have smoked quite a bit
we play games like rainbow and we have one where you go in the closet with a random and do it
but who cares your only a teenager once
god and losing your virginity at 14 isnt that bad
okay the book was good but i totally like keeping faith and vanishing acts better
oh i forgot i did figure out the letters
on April 14th, 2009 at 7:05 am“Nothing is easier than self-deceit for what each man wishes that he also believes to be true-Demonsthenes”
Go me =]
i thought jodi picoults books were amazing! i’m 16 and ive read all of them except for her newest one. i definetly think the characters in her book especilly the young ones shouldn’t be having sex like that. but i love how in her book Nineteen Minutes, she showed that sex isn’t just fun and games. That you can get hurt by messing around like that.i am also a person that has never really been “popular” and i’ve been bullied before (don’t worry i’m not gunna shoot up my school!) but i liked how she gave bullied victims a voice and told my story and the story of sooooo many other people!!!!!!!
on April 24th, 2009 at 7:20 amI don’t understand why the sex games are such a big deal. Jodi Picoult writes about the truth. Just because you don’t write about something doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. It’s better to see what the world really is like rather than pretend everything is perfect. In today’s society the ‘appropriate’ barrier has been broken. The novel is not just some porno, it goes with the emotions of what it’s like to be a hard core teenager. Cutting, sex, and drinking happen EVERYDAY. It’s brave for her to explore such a hushed up topic. It didn’t matter if the ending in your mind was predictable, the point of the novel was the EMOTION. The bonds of family, the pain life can cause you, and the mistakes that lead you there. Jodi Picoult will always be my favorite author.
on June 3rd, 2009 at 9:05 pmI am fourteen, and the “games” also disturbed me greatly. I have heard of teenagers doing that type of thing before in other books, and it makes me sick. I have gone to a private school all my life, and am firm in my faith of God. I have heard some pretty crazy stories about some kids at other shcools, so the games didn’t really shock me. I think that parents need to take the time to talk to their kids about sex to try and prevent these terrible things from happening to them. It’s very easy for us to believe that it is no big deal when everyone around us is doing it and no one has ever told us otherwise. Parents need to be active in their children’s lives and have an open relationship with them. So, Natasha, you don’t need to freak out about your kids going through this kind of stuff. Parents who are completely clueless about this type of stuff happening to their children obviously aren’t very good parents.
on August 29th, 2009 at 6:56 pmI found the book to be very annoying, mainly Trixie.
First off, I thought she was way too dramatic over the breakup. They were together 3 months and she was acting like she just divorced her husband of 30 years. Yes, I know that first love can be intense, but nobody I know has acted like Trixie after a breakup.
However, what really ruined it for me was the party. While I’m only 18 myself, I strongly disagree with drinking, drugs and disgusting sex games, especially done by 14 year olds. While no one deserves to be raped, people like Trixie that do those games and play strip poker definitely are asking for it. Then she has the nerve to call her MOTHER a slut for having an affair.
The parents were kinda stupid too. I mean, come on, a 14 year old going to an all night slumber party? Not very likely. They should have called her friend’s parents to make sure, and if they weren’t home, use your head, parents not home + friends=wild drunken/drug party.
However, despite all that, I still did hate how Trixie was treated by the rest of the town. After all, unlike the reader, they didn’t know the circumstances, all they knew is that she got raped.
on January 31st, 2010 at 2:16 pm