Circle Nine

by Anne Heltzel

Who was Abby then? Who is Abby now? An unsettling psychological thriller, seen through a lost girl's eyes.

She knows only Sam, a mysterious teenage boy. He is her sole companion; her whole life. She was born, already a teenager, lying outside a burning building in soot-stained clothes, remembering nothing, not even her name. He showed her the necklace she had on, the one that named Abby. Sam brought her to live in his cavepalace, where he gives her everything she needs. He loves her. He protects her from the world outside, from everyone who wants to hurt them, like the denizens of Circle Nine, Dante’s deepest circle of hell. But even in a charmed, brand-new life like Abby’s, change will come. Sam falls ill. A new girl comes to stay, and Abby begins to question Sam’s devotion. With doubt comes emotional turmoil, changes in perception, and glimpses of her past identity. In this courageous psychological thriller, Abby tells the story of living her new life and discovering her old one, while grappling with an ever-changing reality.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Contemporary, Dystopia

272 pages, Hardcover

First published September 13, 2011

About the author

Anne Heltzel is an author, ghostwriter, and editor. She spends her time in Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley, and likes dogs, food, wallpaper, and books.

Reviews

[Wendy Darling · Rating 1 out of 5]

NO. Just no.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I come across a book that deals with a subject matter that's so bleak, where the character has to walk a hard path towards redemption in an internally damaged mindset, it usually gets to me depending on how well its written. Many times, I may not like who a character is or the things they do, but if I can understand where they are physically, emotionally, and the surrounding aspects of their lives that contribute to the state of mind they're in, I can follow their story, sometimes even be moved by it. But being able to write well about a character so inherently damaged, especially through their direct perceptions, is a difficult thing. If done well, it can stay with a reader for days, leaving them to think about the trials and circumstances long after they've turned the final page, even consider the psychological underpinnings of their decisions, thoughts, and ideals. If done poorly, it can come across as offending, appalling, even offset the message the writer conveys.

Asking me whether I loved "Circle Nine" is probably akin to asking if I would like to have my wisdom teeth pulled willingly. For all intents and purposes, I probably should've hated this book. Heck, even considering the aftermath of it, there were things I did actively dislike about this book that I didn't agree with in portrayal, but I think it had something quite constructive to convey when considered as a whole.

I don't like reading about passive or submissive characters, I don't like reading about abuse and cognitive manipulation, and if I read about characters mentally and emotionally manipulating a psychologically damaged character, I rage quickly. This book features those elements and quite a bit more. Even thinking back over the scheme of events, readers will probably find the fact that the protagonist of this novel so willingly accepted the things around her (at first) that it seems unrealistic, but I'm going to play the devil's advocate with saying that it's horrifyingly accurate in portrayal. It's clear from the commencement of the work that Abby's a teenage girl who carries a lot of emotional baggage. She's young, though showing a lot of naiveté for one her age, but considering the trauma that's ultimately unveiled in this work, I thought it was convincing. The challenge of "Circle Nine" poses itself in trying to uncover Abby's identity through the lens of her damaged mind - not so much delving to answer the "what" as much as the "why". It doesn't shy away from shifting tones - from an active sense of deluded, whimsical contentment and jealousy, to guilt, horror, and numbness, in a kaleidoscope of various minds and perceptions Abby takes on as the pieces come together. Anne Heltzel writes the psychological undertones of this work spot on for the most part, but it takes a bit of wading through some frustrating turns to be able to see the fruit it has to bear. It's more or less what you're able to take from it.

The story commences when Abby wakes with no memory of who she is or any other facet of her identity, though she seems to recall basic knowledge (facts, figures and such) well. A boy her age, Sam, claims to know her, even after she's survived what seemed to have been a fire, judging from her sooty clothes and the burning building she's near. The two flee in the measure of creating a new life, living inside a cave, shielded from the outside world in what Sam describes as the dangerous "Circle Nine," an active allusion to Dante's Inferno. Abby accepts Sam's interpretation in almost a cult-like fashion, and the two have what could be the definition for a trainwreck relationship. Both are emotionally dependent on each other, and there are obvious cues that suggest that Sam is under the influence of drugs, infrequently tender towards Abby and mostly a raging, manipulative and needy jerk who keeps her around to exert power over her. But we only get a limited scope of what this relationship is really like through Abby's eyes in the beginning - she doesn't recognize it, but the reader does, and I think this disassociation is intentional. Abby does have the active perception that things are wrong in her world, but she seems unable to reach out and change them - whether by the limited scope of her being able to reach out of her dreamish mindset, or out of fear (or both) it can be challenging to say, but Heltzel makes it clear that there is something wrong with the perception Abby has - in Abby's own voice.

There's another added element to this relationship when a girl from Sam's past, Amanda, enters the picture. Ugh. This part of the book frustrated me because Abby takes on a mad jealous streak that doesn't make her endearing at all, but at the same time, Amanda really isn't much better, as she actively berates Abby - calling her stupid, crazy, any sorts of terms. But I think as time goes on, Amanda realizes the truth of the relationship between Abby and Sam, and it's noted to the reader how Amanda learns how horrifying the manipulation goes even when Abby is only partially aware of things. The events following in what happened to Amanda didn't surprise me, but it still made me consider a lot of things as to how far Sam would go to keep his relationship with Abby intact, as well as how far gone Sam was in his own mentality.

The second part of the book was a much stronger, constructive add to the story, as it shows Abby realizing the truth of what happened to cause her amnesia, and making more of an effort to get out of her abusive situation. It involves a sequence of memories surrounding her true identity, her family, her actions, and Sam being a small part in it. In truth, Abby doesn't know Sam as well as she thought she knew him, and the way she's found and the way her condition comes to light in her recovery is plausible. I probably felt more for Abby in this part of the book than the former because it shows how she cognitively deconstructs at her role in the tragedy, and the negative affirmations in her head are brutal, yet realistic. I think Heltzel handles the underlying psychological issues Abby has with sensitivity, and concludes the novel in a way that's appropriate - Abby herself wants to try to reclaim her life on her own terms, but it portrays her as having a long way to go, with a flawed mentality that doesn't suddenly revert itself immediately. It's somber, yet somewhat optimistic.

This is neither a dystopian work, romance, nor a fantasy - it's realistic fiction portraying a relationship of abuse, cognitive dysfunction, and the road to recovery for an emotionally damaged young woman. I wouldn't say this was a mystery either, at least not a strongly constructed one, because the elements in the novel make it obvious as to how certain events are, but you're not sure of the why in only a few measures. I'm hesitant to recommend it only because I think there will be a fair amount of readers who will think Abby is insufferable, the style of the storytelling is convoluted in a way that might be confusing to the reader. In my view, at least from what I was able to take from Heltzel's writing, Sam was never meant to be a romanticized character, but rather an idolization/dependency in Abby's mind, as she notes in the latter part of the book, who still seems to grip her even when she's removed from him.

This was a difficult book for me to read - despite being a work that immersed me enough to read (listen) to it twice in a 48 hour period - Heltzel's prose was vivid and smooth and I would check into her other works, personally to see if she could write something stronger than this. I understood where "Circle Nine" was coming from and took from it some of the constructive insights it had to offer. However, I still think it could've come across more than what it did to create a better connection to Abby's trauma in the reader's mind, and playing up some of the tensions in a smoother format that still manages to show the break in Abby's psyche and the eventual road to recovery.

Wonderful audiobook narration by Julia Whelan.

Overall score: 3/5

[Danielle Ellison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a weird book. Seriously. It's effed up. Yet, I couldn't stop reading it.

I was so drawn in that I wanted to know what was happening. The whole time I'm reading I'm thinking this book is weird and I have no idea what's going on but I like it! Unfortunately it takes have the book to know and then you're so invested that you have to see how it plays out. It was really well written--and that kept me going.

There's a girl named Abby and she is 16, living with Sam in a cave-palace. To her everything's perfect. She loves Sam so completely even though she shouldn't. She doesn't remember her past and the whole outside world is called Circle Nine. (Dante's Inferno) Come to find out her perfect world isn't all that perfect--in fact, it's so bad that she can't even face it. But slowly Abby starts to remember who she is and why she's there and what happened to her.

I read a review that said the book was about sexual abuse and drug addiction. Ok. I can say those were definitely there. BUT the thing that really ruined this book for me was the ending. I mean, for 200 pages we're sifting through this world that may be reality and may be pretend--and then when we're shown the reality, when we're told what's really, really going on--it ends. I can't really talk about it without spoiling but I feel so robbed.

I wanted to like this weird, weird book. I DID like a lot of it. But that ending totally frustrates me on SO MANY LEVELS. I think there are people who would like it. It's dark and weird and twisty and beautifully written--and I liked that too. But that ending. Irksome.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abby can't remember anything. When she wakes, she doesn't know where she is, who she is, or what is happening, but there is a fire, and she has to escape. The only person around to help her is Sam. She doesn't know who he is, but he says he can help her, and she feels as though she can trust him, so she does. The pair begin a life together in what Sam calls a cave-palace - a world central to the two of them alone, with the world outside called Circle Nine. Abby can't remember anything though, and her dark, blank past is edging into her deliriously simple life. When the fragments of memories begin flooding back, the darkness begins to consume her life, and she realizes that Sam, her life and all her surroundings are false...but is she strong enough to escape them, or will her past consume her future, too?

I rarely read a book that leaves me so completely speechless that I'm unable to post a review on the day I'd planned, but Circle Nine has presented that to me. Anne Heltzel has spun an equal-parts mesmerizing and horrific psychological thriller with Circle Nine that grips the reader with talon-like prose from start to finish. Calling such a book simply "horror" or "contemporary" would be a crime because Circle Nine manages to merge the genres into one potent, powerful and hard-hitting book that is sure to affect every reader in a different way. With a voice that's achingly raw and ravaged, Circle Nine still has me in its grip long after I've finished it.

I cannot say that I loved Circle Nine because to say I loved it would mean that I completely missed the story of Abby altogether. I loved the writing, I loved the power behind every word and I loved that every action and inaction in Circle Nine had a purpose. That said, there was so much about Circle Nine that made me angry, frightened and hollow, too. Abby's world was written in an almost dreamlike state from her first-person perspective, making it that much more tangible, so when it began to crumble around her in a world of sexual and emotional abuse, the reader is strung along as Abby endures and struggles to survive in a world that's ravaged and without a past. We don't watch her world crumble around her; we live it with her, and as it spirals into that ninth circle of hell, we long for relief, too. Sam was a character that I loathed (and for good reason), and yet from Abby's perspective, there was a part of me that wanted to find that child within him and set him free, too. That, and all the conflicting emotions I felt, is what made Circle Nine such a powerful and tumultuous read.

Circle Nine is not for the faint of heart, but if you want to read an incredibly powerful read, this is the book for you. The only thing that left me unsatisfied was the ending, but that's just my desire for a true sense of closure, and all I felt was an unsteady calm. I give this book a 4 out of 5, and I'd highly recommend it to fans of upper YA and adult books, especially those who enjoy dark contemporary fiction and psychological thrillers.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find it difficult to review and rate Circle Nine. But lets cover what the book is about first.

Abby lives with Sam in a cave, not knowing her past, not knowing what happened to her, not really knowing who Sam is. She knows she loves Sam, because he saved her and cares for her. But as times goes on Abby starts to remember and life with Sam doesn't seem as rosey as it used to.

Circle Nine was a depressing and difficult read for me. It's not light literature, something that can be read within a few hours. I had to put it down several times because it became too much.

I don't want to give away too much, because that will ruin parts of the book but I feel the need to warn that Circle Nine covers emotional and sexual abuse. It's not a fairytale and the end is not what you'd expect it to be.

The writing is precise and straight-forward which brought the right edge to the book. It felt a bit chaotic at times but since we're in Abby's head and read about her thoughts, it fit very well.
Anne Heltzel writes with enough urgency but the plot never feeling rushed.

Abby is a sympathetic character but there are times her thoughts can be confusing and not understandable. This can be attributed to her situation which at times confused me, because of Abby's thoughts. She slowly comes into her own and starts breaking free, to become a stronger person. Something very well shown and done.

Anne Heltzel makes you feel for everything Abby goes through and doesn't hold back on unveiling the truth. I have to applaud her for writing in such a way that I felt utterly depressed after finishing Circle Nine. I prefer books that have me smiling like a goof but she did it so well that I can't help but appreciate it.

Edit: Now that the cover has been officially put up - it fits the story very well!

An ARC has been provided by Netgalley and the publisher for reviewing purposes.

[Lucille · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those books where the blurb on the jacket is deceptive. A lot of this book is deceptive. If you're looking for dystopian or some sort of paranormal, go find something else.
Abby wakes up and doesn't know who she is. She is inside a cave palace with Sam, who tells her that they have always been together. He is her protector, her defender from the harshness of the outside world, her one and only true love. The only problem with her fantasy life- Sam is lying to her.
As Abby goes through her routine existence with the overbearing Sam, she begins to form memories of her past. She becomes curious. Her delusions start to shatter, and she starts to question the truth of what Sam has told her.
There were some parts of her awakening and search for identity that wetre interesting. There were some things that I thought would actually go somewhere that ended up being throw away plot points, just to fill in the short space of the book. But more than these glimpses of things that I liked were the parts that made me feel angry and disturbed. This book took sensitive material and never really dealt or engaged with it. In the end, I was left feeling unsatisfied and disgruntled. The things that I had hoped for never came to pass, and the redeeming actions and events that I was counting on just didn't happen.

[Chelsea · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this butI did not get past the first30 pages of this book. It was just so bizarre and confusing. Not to mention I could not get my head around the writing style and sheer ... I don't know sluggishness of the storyline? It was not a smooth read, it was rather lumpy and unpolished.

[Angel L.]

This book is really good

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just to quickly summarize: This book starts off with "The Night Of" and then switches to "14 Weeks Before" where the main character wakes up outside a bruning building with no memory of who she is or what her name is or anything. Except there is a boy with her who calls her Abby, so that's her name. And the boy, Sam, tells her that they know eachother and they have to get away from "them". So, Abby goes with Sam to this cave in the forest where they live. And some stuff happens that I don't want to say because spoiler. And eventually the book shifts to the "30 days after"; which is referring to Abby regaining her memory. So the first 14 weeks is Abby living without her memory and then there is "the night" where she remembers and then (you probably see where this is going) the 30 days after. So during the 14 weeks before, Abby keeps having these dreams/nightmares that actually turn out to be her memories and so she slowly learns the truth about herself and what not.

ok review time:
Because this is just a period of time in Abby's life, you don't really see too much character and plot development (other than Abby remembering who she is). Which makes this book unique. Some people will love it and some people will hate it. That's just the way it is.

For being what it is, I think it is a great book. I was a little disappointed because I was expecting an entirely different story all together but I'm going to give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I just want to inform everyone that the description for this book is extremely deceptive (that's why I added my own sort-of description/summary). It sounds like it might be a dystopian or fantasy kind of book, but it's not! Which is fine. I was just expecting it to be something else. Anyway, so this book deals with a lot of dense topics; like drug abuse, abusive realtionships, sexual abuse/trafficking/date rape, being orphaned, mental disorders, and the recovery process that a person goes through after all of that. And its really hard to judge that; because it is a really serious topic.

This next part may get a little spoiler-y so if you haven't read the book yet, proceed with caution!

I think that Anne did an excellent job showing the mental processing of a person who is in this abusive relationship and how Abby (the one being abused) mentally reasons with herself to justify her staying with Sam. And then you have Sam, who is a drug addict, which you don't find out until like the end of the 14 weeks before section. Until that point they refer to the drugs as his "medicine", which makes you think that he is just sick, but really he's an addict. And because of Sam being on drugs he is like really crazy; he tells Abby all these lies about who she is and what the world is like. And he is really obsessed with Dante's Inferno. He teaches Abby that the outside world is like circle nine (hence the name of the book) and that it is really dangerous and what not. Eventually he runs out of money to buy the drugs, so Sam takes Abby into "circle nine" and has her get all dressed up and he takes her to the drug dealer and they like sedate her and (because it is from Abby's perspective you assume/infer) she is raped by this dealer so that Sam could get his fix. Really dense stuff here guys.

Anyways, I kinda rambled on there for a bit... I really think that this book is something to read. It is a wonderful example of what it is like to live a life of drugs, and lies and what not. Although its now one of my favorite books in the world, it is definitely worth picking up!

[Precious · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story started out as sweet and confusing. Abby had no memory of what her life was, who she was and what her name was. She didn’t even know the mysterious boy who was with her. Everything was lost. But she woke up and her angel was in front of her, waiting for her, ready to save her from the chaos. She trusted him, even though she was wary and confused. She was lost and it would not be so hard for her to be anchored to the only person she knew: Sam. It was as if I walked into a fantasyland filled with love, hope and smiles. Sam and Abby were the sweetest couple I’ve ever encountered in YA. They even rivaled the sweetness of Sam and Grace from Shiver. I couldn’t stop smiling at their closeness. But like every relationship, this was not a perfect one. The shift from beautiful to ugly was jarring and saddening. I loved how Heltzel made me feel for the characters.

As Abby’s dreams and flickers of memory continue to invade her mind, she became more curious. Her unanswered questions only made her think more and probe more into her aching mind. Then things get more complicated when Sam came home with another girl, Amanda. She told and showed Abby things that Abby never considered. Jealous and even more baffled, Abby tried to come up with reasons behind Amanda’s actions.

Sam was a character with two sides. He was the sweet, smart and charming type who could easily make you like him. He was also the manipulative, short-tempered and cold type who could make readers hate him. I admired, hated and pitied him. Like Abby, he was also vulnerable, needing someone to hold onto, someone to stay with him. Whenever I think about this, I can’t help but feel sad for him.

The plot was smooth. Every chapter had me intrigued and hooked more than the last. I just read this in one sitting. I was that addicted to Circle Nine. The writing was amazing. Two thumbs up! It was so good that I was tempted to add around a hundred lines as quotes in Goodreads. Every line was mesmerizing, a painting of extracted beauty from Circle Nine’s world.

I was greatly intrigued with Abby’s vision and how it changed sometimes. Most of the time, she saw the world around her as completely beautiful but at other times, this ‘beauty screen’ slipped and Abby would see the world as it really was. I was convinced that something was wrong with her. Maybe she just saw what she wanted to see. It reminded me a bit of the movie Sucker Punch and how the character built a world she could escape in. It was fascinating to read about how her mind worked, no matter how silly and overly passionate her thoughts were. Her insights and observations of her world, of Circle Nine, of her relationship with Sam, and of her past had a childlike curiosity that burned so fierce it became one of the things that cracked her perfect little world. Her past and the truth were stronger than anything she had ever known before. Would the truth free her or would it bind her?

Circle Nine is an engaging, powerful and riveting psychological thriller. This extremely dark debut will shock, chill and terrify readers. I highly recommend this to readers of psychological thrillers, dark novels and twisted love stories. Don’t miss out on this one. It’s worth it.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't generally read teen fiction, but I'm glad I read this one.

Reading through some prior reviews, I read at least one that mentioned the recent novel Room and its similar vibe. While that is true in some ways (both narrators are vastly unaware of what is actually happening to them), I think the things I liked most about this story were the ways that it is different.

The elements of psychology that come into Circle 9 were my favorite aspects. I loved that things weren't overly simplified and explained in the end when she is diagnosed. The therapist makes it clear what was wrong with her, but there is no exhausting play-by-play of each thing she saw one way that was actually another. It's so much more interesting to let them slowly wash over you once you're done with the book - her beautiful tea cup that she drank everything out of, her birthday cake, the wine they drank with dinner, shouting across their huge oak dining room table to be heard, and asking Amanda to get something out of the fridge. It really brings home the sickness of the situation, the length at which Sam would allow 'Abby' to live in her pretend world, how disturbing it must have been even for the highly disturbed Amanda to be a part of it for a while.

I think the other great strength of the book is the ending, as sad and even frustrating as it is. I so wanted her to embrace the offered help of the therapist. I wanted her to tell her story if only for the relief it would surely bring her to stop bottling it all up inside. But I think it's more sadly realistic that she does not. She's a 17 year old girl, heartbroken and terrified and destroyed by her past, and I think it's realistic that she decides to run for it instead. Probably the most heartbreaking part to me was when she said something like even the thought of getting help and eventually getting better seemed like more than she deserved after what she had done to her family.

Just vaguely imagining what happened that firey night was enough for me to understand why her brain would go into self-preservation mode for a while. She was in hell, in Dante's Inferno, for quite a while without knowing it. I think I understood her carrying around Purgatorio, not able to read it yet. She was finally facing her hell with a clear head, and while she was still in it, she could not start to think about rising out of it yet. I believe she'll get there eventually, and she'll open that book. But not yet.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

When she wakes up, Abby can’t remember anything. She doesn’t know where she is, why there’s a fire, or even what her name is. She doesn’t know who Sam is, but she thinks she can trust him. After all, he was the only other person around when she woke, and he says he’ll take care of her. Abby starts a new life with Sam, one filled with only nice and happy things—but one that is devoid of a past. Abby can’t live in ignorance forever. She can’t overlook the holes in her memory where she must have had a life before Sam. And when she begins to remember, her entire new world starts to unravel. Now Abby knows that there is something seriously wrong, with herself, with Sam, and with the entire situation she’s been living in. The question becomes not whether Abby will able to break free—but whether she’ll have the strength to live on her own.

Circle 9 is one of the more unusual psychological thrillers that I have read, and I mean this in a complimentary way. Heltzel writes from the perspective of protagonist Abby primarily in first person stream of consciousness with sporadic flashbacks. This gives incredible insight into Abby’s fragile mind and allows the reader to plainly see all her thoughts, wants, and, most of all, confusion. I just loved how I was just as much in the dark as to the realities of Abby’s situation as she was; this made the revelation of each new truth so savory to read about. What made Circle 9 really stand out to me from the other psychological thrillers that I’ve read is that the tone was slightly more contemplative rather than edge-of-your-seat suspenseful. There was much less urgency and action in the plot because the focus was more on Abby’s inner struggles. As a result, Heltzel’s crafting of Abby’s character really shined in this novel, leading to a thoughtful and subtly thrilling read.

Circle 9 will be enjoyed by fans of Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma. I greatly look forward to what debut author Heltzel will produce next.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Circle Nine.. Well, I will certainly be reading more of Anne Heltzel. Her writing is LOVELY! I really, really enjoyed this read.

In the beginning of the book there is a large house fire. A girl, our main character, wakes up with absolutely no memory of her past. She doesn't even know her name. There is a boy next to her, pleading for her to run with him away from the fire. The girl, Abby, sees only this boy's face. She feels that she has been re-born, detached from all previous memories. She runs with this strange boy, Sam, to a hidden cave that is Sam's home. In this cave, Sam keeps Abby hidden. He tells her that the outside world is dangerous, an equivalent to the ninth circle in Dante's Inferno. He refers to the outside world as Circle Nine, and convinces Abby to do the same.


It is in this cave where Abby dwells, so consumed by happiness with her life with Sam. But quickly things turn very dark, and Abby starts to remember things from her past. Heltzel writes about a topic that is hard for a reader to even read about, never mind write. And she does it in such a lovely way, it is impossible to turn away from this story.

[KWinks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was kind of mesmorized by this novel. I just could not put it down. But, I am left kind of empty. Is this the story of Abby and Sam (an unhealthy relationship)? Or is this the story of Addison, and the effects of trauma on us? I am a bit confused. Heltzel has this talent for making the pages turn fast, fast, fast. I was glued to the story, especially when Abby sees her world one way, then blinks and catches a glimpse of "reality". I finished the story more than a little confused, was this a re-telling of a fairy tale? Which one? And how did Abby's mind trick her for so long? I need to find a shrink and get more information. And Amanda (all of these "A" names!)-what was the point? To cause a rift?
It was a good pool read, and I was glad to spend time with this story. I will remember Heltzel's name, because this woman can write. I can't wait to see what she does next.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy crap!! I could NOT put this down!! This was sad, very sad; once you figure what's going on along with the main character...I was like...whoa. it was disturbing, I wanted to scream at my kindle at times, but the hooks were in me, and I couldn't let go. The ending could have used a little something more..but I still really loved this story! I'm still like...whoa.

EDIT 11/14/11...just wanted to show you how I am still feeling

[Misty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say that I couldn't finish this book fast enough. This book was nothing of what I thought it would be. I thought it was a dystopian or apocalypse kind of book. Was I way wrong. After figuring that out, I still tried to get into the story, but I just couldn't. I thought the main character Abby/Addy was so naive and daft and stupid and an idiot... I could go on and on....both before and after she has her memories back. She totally frustrated me and I just wanted to shake some sense into her. Don't let me get into how Sam is. What a Grade A Douchebag!!! His departure was just that; a departure. Don't get me wrong, he totally deserved it, but it was so abrupt and final and you never read about him again. The ending...really???...that's it????

[Andye.Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure about this one. It is seriously eccentric.....peculiar, preternatural, odd, bizarre, curious, weird....but kind of beautiful, totally frustrating, psychedelic. It sucked me in on the very first page, and wouldn't let me go. The writing was beautiful, very poetic. The ending was so frustrating, though. Actually much of the book was frustrating.

I think fans of Stolen by Lucy Christopher will like this one too.

[Zara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this because a friend of mine gave it one star, and I was curious. I thought about giving it two stars, because I usually reserve the one-star rating for books I can barely get through or don't finish. But I actually skimmed most of it just so I could find out what happened, so I think it qualifies.

[Matt]

Sounds creepy. I like creepy.

EDIT: Never mind, reviews suck

[Jamison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trippy and disturbing. Can I coin the term "horrifical realism"?

[Kelly Maust · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a weird one in that I couldn't put it down when I was reading it and then afterwards I was like -- that literally made no sense, and what a bleak downer of an ending! You know that scene in the Joel Schumacher Phantom of the Opera movie where the Phantom leads Christine down to his lair through a glamorous hallway of arm sconces and then when Meg follows behind later it's dark, cobwebby, and rat-infested? And as far as you can tell from the story, the Phantom doesn't actually have magic powers, just a lot of stage tricks. So...how the heck was Christine actually seeing the arm sconces hallway? That's basically this book: the amnesiac protagonist is kidnapped by a guy known only as "Sam" and coerced into living with him in what turns out to be a nasty cockroachy cave in the woods but somehow she actually perceives it as a palatial getaway. It's even more whacky than Christine though, because she's literally there for weeks with lots of time alone to think. Maybe Sam went to the same Omnipotent Hypnosis Academy as Levi in A History of Wild Places, but there's not even that flimsy excuse in the book because he's having a constant withdrawal-induced meltdown for most of the story. So somehow, the protagonist was hypnotizing herself? How? Why? I'm so confused.

[Owen Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw this book on the shelf and read the description of Circle 9 I became very intrigued and interested. The mind is a very interesting thing and it was very interesting to see how the mind was acting in this book. The main characters in this book were pretty well thought using love and relationships is a great drama maker and really had me sucked into the book. I really did have some downsides to the book tho, especially with the character Sam. He was led down the wrong path and I kinda wished we could have seen more into him and maybe more of a resolution for him. But I thought overall this was a very great book that was based on a very dramatic subject between Sam and Abby and I think that Anne Heltzel did a great job at writing this book.

[Michele Eaches · Rating 1 out of 5]

There aren’t many books that I would give 1 star to, but this is the one. First off, the writing in this book is just not my favorite. There were many times when different figures of speech were used, and they were blatantly obvious to the point where it was distracting. The main character Abby, although she can’t remember anything, did not have much depth to her character. I’m not sure if this was on purpose, but I struggled to connect with her. This made it hard to understand her.

This book contains hard topics such as drug abuse, sexual assault, memory loss, identity crisis, and manipulation. Although Abby is given the opportunity, she never talks at therapy. The ending of the book is even more shocking when she decides to leave the state and run away from her issues. Nothing is resolved and so much is left out in the open.

The use of memory loss in writing is also frustrating as a reader. Throughout the book, we are given glimpses of Abby’s life before she was taken. It almost seems supernatural with the way that she sees the world. Even with so much proof and memories coming up, Abby stays static pretty much throughout the whole book. Even when she escapes and is given another chance at life, she remains to be just as scared and confused.

[Mia Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book I've searched for again some years after reading it because the suspense of putting the puzzle pieces of Abby's life together was intriguing.

[Endhitya Maritza · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is weird. Upsetting. Unsettling. Disturbing. The ending is one of the worst I’ve ever read.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 1 out of 5]

can I go lower than one star

[Miss Bookiverse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lang und breit
Aus irgendwelchen Gründen (ich tippe auf das Cover und ein paar irreführende GoodReads tags) dachte ich, Circle Nine wäre ein Dystopie. Im ersten Drittel des Buches hätte das auch der Fall sein können, aber umso mehr ich las, desto klarer wurde mir, dass es gar nicht um eine kaputte Welt der Zukunft geht. Also nicht irre führen lassen. Es handelt sich hier um einen Mysteryroman der Gegenwart.

Circle Nine ist eine ganz besondere Art von Buch, mit der nicht jeder etwas anfangen werden kann. Die Geschichte wird aus Abbys Sicht erzählt und Abby kann sich zu Beginn des ersten Kapitels an nichts erinnern. Sie wacht auf der Straße auf, um sie herum scheint überall Feuer zu sein und ein Junge, der sich Sam nennt, ist bei ihr. Sam erklärt ihr, dass sie ihn kennt, ihm vertrauen kann und so geht Abby mit ihm. Die ersten Kapitel haben sich wie ein einziger Traum gelesen. Der Leser hat keine Chance sich ein Bild von seiner Umgebung zu machen, er ist in Abbys Kopf gefangen und da dreht sich in den ersten Wochen erst mal alles um Sam und sie. Gemeinsam bewohnen sie einen kleinen Höhlenpalast und verbringen ein romantisches Leben. Sie kochen, sie essen, sie schlafen, sie lieben einander und lesen sich gegenseitig aus Sams Büchern vor. Ich war mit Abby gefangen in dieser kleinen Welt der Zweisamkeit, habe mich benebeln lassen von der schläfrigen Traumatmosphäre. In diesen Szenen hat es mir der Schreibstil sehr angetan, alles hat sich echt angefühlt, vor allem die Beschreibungen von Rauch und Hitze. Immer wieder musste ich an Francesca Lia Blocks Schreibstil denken und den hat in meinen Augen bisher niemand übertroffen.
Zugegeben, Sam und Abby verlieben sich Knall auf Fall, aber durch diese verschleierte Erzählart hat das funktioniert und ich habe es Abby abgenommen, sogar mit ihr gefühlt.

Natürlich kann dieser Traumrausch nicht ewig anhalten. Es tritt eine neue Person aufs Spielfeld und Abby und Sam entwickeln sich in verschiedene Richtungen. Sam wird einerseits kränker, benötigt seine Medizin und scheint sich immer mehr von Abby abzuwenden. Was Abby am Anfang schwer zu schaffen macht, bewegt sie letztendlich dazu selbstständiger zu werden, mehr zu hinterfragen und ihr Leben selbst in die Hand zu nehmen.

Die zweite Hälfte des Romans liest sich ganz anders. Der Leser erhält endlich Antworten und nach und nach ergibt die erste Hälfte der Geschichte mehr Sinn. Von da an fehlt es dem ganzen logischerweise an Magie. Ich fand es zwar interessant meine Theorie bestätigt und zusätzliche Antworten zu bekommen, aber das fluffige Lesegefühl vom Anfang ist natürlich entschwunden.
Mehr will ich vom Inhalt auf keinen Fall verraten und wenn ihr das Buch noch lesen wollt, haltet euch von Rezensionen und Inhaltsangaben fern. Die Gefahr sich die Auflösung des Buches kaputt zu machen, ist groß.

Ein bisschen überflüssig fand ich den Prolog, der der Geschichte vorgreift und chronologisch etwa in die Mitte des Buches gehört. Klar, so was soll die Spannung erhöhen, aber ich hätte auch problemlos mit Kapitel 1 in die Handlung einsteigen können.

Kurz und knapp
Eine mysteriöse Geschichte, die mit einem interessanten Aufbau punktet. Der Leser ist lange Zeit genauso ratlos wie die Protagonistin, die ihr Gedächtnis verloren hat, und erst Stück für Stück herausfindet, was um sie herum geschieht und warum sie ihre Vergangenheit vergessen hat.

[Jayjay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on http://wefancybooks.blogspot.com soon :)

One Sentence Reaction
A world that is created with questions and doubt, it will keep your page turning and turning.

Blurb
She doesn’t know anybody, all she knows is Sam. The mysterious boy who she knows is her only hope in finding the truth. Who she really is, and why doesn’t she remember anything from the past, not even her name. With only a necklace named her Abby, the only thing she can do is trust Sam. With Sam bringing in a new girl she started to question if Sam really loves her. With the glimpse of the past constantly reminding her that she knows her for a reason, Abby decided to look for the truth.

My Thoughts

Circle Nine is a very enjoyable read; I find the book really intriguing that’s why I kept turning the pages until I finished it. It follows the story of a girl who doesn’t know who she is, not even her name. All she knows is that her name is Abby basing on the necklace that she has. She met Sam on one and only person that she knows and only trust. Even if she doesn’t know Sam very well she trusted him with her life because it’s the only thing that she can do. Without knowing anyone who else can she trust? Sam has been a very kind person to Abby, everything she needs; Sam provides it for her. But then she started regaining memories of what has happened, she started asking questions which Sam doesn’t approve of. Whilst Sam is keeping secrets from her she decided to look for the truth on what really happened, why she doesn’t have the memory, who she really is. I like how the story revolves on how Abby tries to remember things; it gives the reader a point of view of someone who happens to have lost a memory, in a way I somehow imagine myself being like it. I may not say that it conveyed the proper emotions of but by just reading Abby’s point of view I think justice has been served right to the emotions that I’ve felt for Abby. The world building is really good, though I really wish that there is more emphasis on Circle Nine which is the title.

That characters as well as the book is very much confusing. I like the character of Abby. With saying I think she’s one of the book characters that I really admire. If I was in her place figuratively speaking I would die, or maybe yet go nuts forever. Abby showed how strong she really is which I really admire, despite Sam being protective of her she didn’t just stopped there. She tried to ask questions and by asking she wants the truth. Even if it hurts Sam and herself in the process she decided to look for answers. I like Sam for just being Sam himself, but of course minus the complications. I love how he looks out for Abby; I genuinely feel for Sam because I think he really loves Abby and just wanted her to be safe.

The cover is really good, I really like it. It shows how the book is really dark and with only a glimpse of the outside world is which is really good job on that but I really suggest a better cover art than this one.

Overall I like this book; I really enjoyed the story and the characters while reading it. One thing I suggest is that I would really like to hear the point of view of Sam. What’s his purpose not saying the truth to Abby, what’s his reason on protecting Abby, does she really loves Abby. So many questions to be asked but I think this book is a standalone so I guess I just have to ask the author. I suggest this to you if you like a dark, thrilling and shocking read. This is a very dark and exciting debut that I suggest you should not miss out. I believe it’s worth the read.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

"Having no history, I decide, is a blessing. I wouldn't want to be cursed with the memory of a lifetime of mistakes." -pg. 16


MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

I found the story to be... interesting, especially when we finally find out what happened That Night, but I loathed the characters. I'm sad to say there wasn't one tiny little thing I liked about them.


Abby wakes up on the street with her head throbbing and a strange boy looking down on her. He holds out his hand to her and leads her away from the sad scene around them.
Abby and Sam live in a cave in the woods, but in Abby's mind it is a palace. She's content living there as long as Sam is by her side.
But eventually he can't get his medicine anymore and as she remembers her past, everything comes crumbling down around her.


This book contains drugs, sex, date rape, murder, and two-dimensional characters.


I don't think I have ever read a book whose characters I couldn't connect with in the slightest bit. This is the first one.
Abby and Sam were completely unlikeable and so full of themselves.
Their dialogue felt 100% forced. What teenagers really talk like that?

Abby: "Tell me how beautiful I am..." She constantly needed Sam to tell her how pretty she was and how much he loved her. I almost gagged a few times.
Her mind is seriously fucked up. She believes months have passed when it's only been a couple days, she thinks she's making chicken soup then looks down at the bowl and sees nothing but water and dead roaches.
Her lowest point is when she begs Sam for forgiveness for 2 whole pages. & what for? For trying to FIND OUT WHO SHE IS! Literally BEGS. She was on her knees and everything. Then when he finally says he forgives her she THANKS HIM. Un-fucking-believable! May god have mercy on your soul, Abby.


Sam: Sam uses Abby from the moment he meets her. He never lets her out of the cave, makes her believe she's crazy, hides things from her, and hits her. He takes her to his drug dealers house so she can "meet" him. Then, when he can't afford his habit anymore, he wants her to go back there AGAIN. Yet he claims to love her. If that's how you treat people you love I'd hate to see how you treat people you hate, Sam.
And I swear to god, if he uttered the word "mija" one more time I would've set him on fire. I despise hearing teenagers calling each other that. It makes me see red! I came from a neighborhood where every other kid thought he was the biggest baddest person on the block (including me at one point. HA!) and they constantly called each other "mijo" or "mija".

The characters were so intolerable I had to rate this 2 stars. I think this book would make a disturbingly good movie, though. I'd watch it on the big screen.

I'm proud of myself for finishing this. This solidifies the fact that I'm a masochist.



"I feel my soul deteriorating in her presence most of the time, then other times her sweet loviness betrays me and restores my heart just enough that I can breathe, survive, feel." -pg. 59

"We are hanging on to each other by a slim, weak tendril, not the spiderweb kind that can hold anything but the spun-glass kind that snaps. Sammy calls this love, but it's uglier than that." -pg. 67

"He is looking into my eyes as he runs, and they are full of everything that's ever happened to us, and I see how much he loves me and how sad he is." -pg. 183

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reason for Reading: The plot intrigued me.

Generally, I think this is going to be one of those books that you either love or hate. I loved it! Upon closing the book, I spoke quietly to the empty room, "Wow...that was something." and gave the book a gentle reassuring pat. This is the story of an episode in Abby's life and then is divided into the following 14 weeks and then the next 30 days. Therefore normal plot and character development is not followed which may annoy some readers. However because of the intense focus on this period in time the book's unusual development provokes deep thought in the reader and great suspense in plot.

Sixteen year old Abby wakes up. She is in pain, can smell smoke and a handsome young man is telling her to hurry up "they" will be here soon. So together they run fast and far to his glorious cave home. Here Abby realises she has no memory. She knows her name is Abby. Sam is calling her that, it sounds right and she is wearing a necklace with the name on it. She knows random bits of information, but she has no idea who she really is, where she came from, how she knows Sam, just that they love each other, or why she has nowhere else to be. Sam continuously reads to her from Dante's Inferno and calls the world outside their cave "Circle 9". It is a place that she should avoid and never go; it is a bad place and he will protect her. Abby is happy, safe and sound ... until memories start to come back. Short and small at first and with very painful headaches. Then she begins to realise that her world with Sam is distorted, not what it seems. Something is wrong, perhaps even sinister, and her reality begins to crack at the seams.

A brilliantly written novel. Incredibly suspenseful. The reader is as much in the dark as Abby and it is only through careful attention to the details that one notices that what Abby is relating is not necessarily what is real. That what Abby talks about happening to her is not so innocent as she takes it to be. The book starts with the incident, though we only see it from Abby's broken mind. Then the book is divided into two parts, written from Abbie's perspective. First, the fourteen weeks before she gets her memory back and then the thirty days after she regains her memory. A fascinating story, highly suspenseful as the truth is slowly revealed and one which creates a lot of pathos for the only two main characters in the book. I highly enjoyed this read!