I’m sure you’re all probably sick of my Jodi Picoult reviews by now, but I must admit that I’m not sick of her books. Every book is very similar but a little different at the same time, and I can’t get enough of her writing. She really has a way of making you feel like you’re really living the lives of the characters. 10th Circle is no different. Here’s a quick synopsis from a Jodi Picoult 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.
This novel explores numerous types of relationships: father-daughter, husband-wife, boyfriend-girlfriend, friends, and is able to make you feel the power behind all of the different kinds. It also focuses on the power to change and move towards the future rather than being stuck in the past, all while making you wonder what really happened on the night of the rape. I would probably rate this book PG-13/R based on themes of violence, sex, and language so if you’re shy about any of those things, I would probably stay away from this one. Overall, I enjoyed this book and again, it was a Jodi Picoult I just couldn’t put down.
Hmmm, I've only read one Jodi Picoult book, and it was one of the worst books I've ever had the misfortune to read (My Sister's Keeper). Did I just pick her one dud? Because this sounds kind of interesting!
ReplyDeleteHmm if you didn't like My Sister's Keeper, I wouldn't go near any of Picoult's other books because My Sister's Keeper was by far my favorite and most of other people's favorite as well. I'm not sure I've ever heard My Sister's Keeper called the worst book. What did you find so appalling about it?
ReplyDeleteI just got My Sister's Keeper. If I don't like it, I definitely not be trying anything else by her.
ReplyDeleteI found My Sister's Keeper to be very predictable, poorly written with weak characterization, and kind of a cheat. I blogged about it when I read it, when I was still pretty angry about it: http://whatacard.blogspot.com/2008/01/even-my-trapper-keeper-was-more.html
ReplyDeleteLooking back now, I think the fact that I was so angry says something about the book. I mean, most bad books I read, I just dismiss and don't need to rant at length about. I think I just had such high expectations for this one, and was so intrigued by the idea of the book, that I was sorely disappointed when it didn't live up to my expectations.
Good to know, though, that her books are all similar. Because your description of this one does sound really good.
I enjoyed this one. I usually enjoy Picoult's books. The movie adaptation on the Lifetime channel was another story, though. :(
ReplyDelete--Anna
http://diaryofaneccentric.blogspot.com