On the recommendation of a friend, I decided to pick up Picoult’s latest novel. This is the story of the Stone family, all of whom have deeper problems that are brought into the open when the daughter, Trixie, is dumped by her boyfriend and begins to self-mutilate. At a party, she is raped, and this is the crux of the story. Daniel (the father) ignores his daughter’s emotional problems until the rape, as if it will all go away, and her mother feels guilty because she believes her affair has led to the unravelling of her family. A horrific event (not the rape) then changes the shape of the rest of their lives. I thought it was really well written, and includes Daniel’s cartoon works, as part of the story line, which is really inventive and ties together the basic themes of the plot. This a really intense story, and there really is no happy ending (I don’t think I’m giving away too much, as what I have said is, I believe, on the book’s summary). But nonetheless, if you’re looking for a deep read, this is it.