“The Tenth Circle” is a book full of symbolism and depth, and in true Jodie Picoult style, there is an intriguing mystery to keep the book exciting. The book has a lot of hidden meaning, and there is definitely an important lesson to learn from it. Picoult's writing is so intense, with every word the reader feels the impact of the characters torn up world. Laura and Daniel Stone try to help their daughter Trixie get over being raped, and during this find out a lot about themselves and their relationship. The Unique incorporation of a graphic comic book, the intense characters, and the reference to “Dante's Inferno”, make this book unique and impacting.

One of the most interesting aspects of “The Tenth Circle” is the comic book drawings throughout the novel. Daniel Stone is a comic book writer and is drawing an original comic book that starts to represent his life and his hidden emotions. The connection between his comic book and the novel at hand is interesting because she doesn't come right out and make the connection. The reader has to read into everything she writes and discover the connection themselves. This makes the reader dig deep into the true meaning of the book, and this is what makes “The Tenth Circle” an impacting, intense, novel.

In the book the three main characters are Daniel, Laura, and Trixie Stone. At first they seem like an average family with nothing to hide. However as the story progresses the reader will find secrets about each of these characters that proves they are not as perfect as they look. Most readers will find they can relate to at least one character in the book. Ultimately Picoult gets the point across that no one is perfect, and our actions affect more than just us. The characters in this book will not soon be forgotten. They are so frighteningly relatable, the reader will find themselves addressing them in everyday life.

There are many themes in this novel, but the one that is most important is to never try to be someone you are not and never lose your true self. In The Tenth Circle, Daniel is a man who comes from a troubled past full of violence and heart wrenching memories. When he gets married and has a daughter, he tries to turn over a new leaf and become a perfect, loving, husband and father. After many years of putting on this front, he has lost himself, and thus his wife loses the love she once had for him. Picoult expresses this theme beautifully by alluding to other pieces of literature. She alludes numerous times to Dante's Inferno in order to show how the characters have lost their selves in the levels of hell. This theme is unique and very impacting, and the way Jodie Picoult weaves it through the novel, truly makes this story one to remember.

This book was intense, deep, and meaningful. What sets it apart from the other books Picoult has written is she incorporates a graphic comic book, and the connection between it and the actual novel is creative and compelling the characters in the novel are deep and the reader keeps learning more secrets about them as the book goes on. The reference to “Dante's Inferno” helps develop on of an important theme in the book. The Tenth Circle keeps the reader thinking about this book long after they have glazed their eyes upon the last sentence and flipped closed the binding.