When you have to make a choice and don't make it, that is in itself a choice. ~William James

     Jodi Picoult, I must say, is an amazing story teller. Jodi is capable of using such descripitive detail in her writing that you are able to paint pictures in your head throughout the book. "The Tenth Circle," I have to admit, was not one of my favorites. I found that the storyline just kind of dragged along. By no means am I saying that I found it boring, because "The Tenth Circle" is anything but boring, it was just hard at some points during the book to not skip ahead because the same topic was discussed for a long period of time.
     The "Tenth Circle" is about a fourteen year old girl named Trixie Stone. As Trixie falls in love with her junior boyfriend, Jason Underhill, her relationship with everyone changes. Trixie found herself only making time for Jason and when he broke up with her, she was lost. Of course she still had her best friend, Zephyr, but because Jason was the one to give her her popularity, had that been taken away? Now, Trixie must try to make him jealous and win him back, even if it means she must lie and decieve the people that love her the most.
     I think that this happens all the time, people make their relationships with their girlfriend or boyfriend so exclusive that no one else is allowed in. But, when that relationship takes a fall and plunges into the debts of despair, who will you turn to to help you crawl out of the hole that you dug. That would be like digging your own grave, why would you want to do that to yourself?
 Zephyr throws a party at her house, where obviously Jason, the star hockey player, will be at. So, now Trixie must do whatever is required of her at this party to win him back. Drinking and questionable games are involved until finally, everything comes down to a game of strip poker. Trixie finds herself involved in several things that she never thought she would do. Trixie had gotten what she wanted that night, she had gotten Jason, but not the way she had hoped.
      As Trixie is sobbing on the bathroom floor, her father finds her, and she claims that she was raped. Daniel, furious with anger that seems to rage within him, he will do anything to protect her. But, can Daniel protect her not only from the rath of others, but from herself as well?
     Trixie thought that the one who hurt her was Jason, but, could it be that the one responsible could be her own self hurting her? After reading this book, I began to wonder, are we harmful to ourselves? Think about it, we purposely put ourselved in situations where we will get our hearts broken and our feelings hurt. So, why do we torment ourselves? Maybe we are capable of hurting ourselves just as easily as someone else is capable of hurting us. .