Circle Nine

Abby has no clear memory of her life before Sam, with whom she lives in a cave that usually seems like a "palace." There, he reads Dante's Inferno to her and warns her that the outside world is Circle Nine, the worst part of hell. He assures Abby that she is safe, but she sees momentary flashes of their luxurious lair "strewn with garbage and threadbare blankets and stained sheets." There are other mysteries, too: Abby sketches a girl repeatedly, dreams of her, and gains new memories; eventually she ventures out into Circle Nine to discover her painful past. Readers will race through the first part of this imaginative psychological drama, trying to determine what is real and why Abby's memory is so damaged, though the story's intrigue lessens after the mystery is revealed. Still, debut author Heltzel layers her story with questions about guilt, identity, and survival, leading to Abby's insight that "you can never just have good or bad, one or the other. They're both there, all the time, in Circle Nine or in my head." Despite the story's darkness, the conclusion points to a hopeful path forward for Abby. Ages 14%E2%80%93up. (Sept.)