Needless to say, I adore Jodi Picoult’s writing, but as much as I tried, enjoying this novel was more difficult than her other works. It might just be due the fact that the subject was too difficult and opened a can of worms in the subconscious of her readers. What I enjoyed most was listening to the narrator Carol Monda’s voice, which made the novel come alive.

In the story, as uncomfortable as it is, Picoult plays with the theme of betrayal in very many ways, in her typically unique style. In that, what she has written is awesome.

The secondary theme of people lying to each other and to their own selves is also quite strong. Dante’s Inferno is the metaphor to the story, and the deepest level of hell in it, Alaska, is what makes the fallen to rise from it and come to terms with their lives again.

In the setup of the story, the innocent but now emotionally scarred teen Trixie Stone, rejected by boyfriend Jason Underhill, tries to win him back. Through this effort, she is raped by Jason, who is the hockey star in Bethel High and the small community of Bethel, and because of Jason’s star status, few people believe Trixie’s claim. His father Daniel, the most likable character in the story, tears himself apart to help his daughter, but Daniel, a recognized artist who draws superhero-cartoons and has a troubled past, is also betrayed by his wife Laura; Laura is a college professor who teaches Dante’s Inferno. She, too, unhappy with herself, is distant to her husband and daughter, finding comfort in the arms of a student twenty years younger than her. The plot through its highs and lows--though a lot more lows than highs--weaves through revelations and its characters’ pain with several sharp twists and turns until its end.

As to character portrayal, I felt incredulity with the characters’ developmental arcs from time to time. The best part of that came when characters finally faced themselves.

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Note: I listened to the novel from its audio CDs, but WdC's system accepted only the book form. If you wish to purchase the CDs, they are available in Amazon.

the writer's plot construction

too much negativity and tragic soapy drama

surprised and ask myself why such a noted, capable author would write such a dark, convoluted story.

is Jodi Picoult, an American Author, a graduate of Harvard and Princeton. Several of her novels have been made into movies.
Some of her books are: Songs of the Humpback Whale, Harvesting the Heart, Picture Perfect, Mercy, The Pact, Keeping Faith, Plain Truth, Salem Falls, Perfect Match, Second Glance, My Sister's Keeper, Vanishing Acts, The Tenth Circle, Nineteen Minutes, Change of Heart, Handle with Care, House Rules, Sing You Home, Between The Lines, The Story Teller, Lone Wolf, and Leaving Time.

Do I recommend this novel? I am not so sure. I can only say it has a strong but disturbing plot and dark, wounded characters. If anyone loves such drama, they should read it because the writing style, as usual, is impeccable.

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Created Nov 14, 2014 at 4:48pm • Submit your own review...