Circle Nine by Anne Heltzel

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

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 her: Abby. Sam brought her to live in his cave-palace, 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.

My Thoughts:

I really wanted to read this book because the summary intrigued me. I thought that it was going to be a supernatural story set in a dystopian future, but that was not the case at all. This is a story about a boy named Sam, who after saving Abby from a burning building, has her live with him and takes care of her. Abby has no idea who she is, or how she knows Sam, but in the beginning is content with her situation. The more we read, the more we learn that Sam is actually a very controlling person and isn’t helping Abby, but hurting her. Abby decides to take matters into her own hands to find out who she really is, and why she can’t remember anything.

I really enjoyed this story and I had to keep reading to find out what happens. I had so many questions that I couldn't wait to find out the answers too. Who is Sam? Who is Abby? How do the two of them know each other? The two of them really intrigued me, and I was dying to know more!

Circle Nine is not a cookie cutter kind of story. It will leave you questioning until the very end, and then you will question even more! In some aspects, I really liked the ending, but at the same time, I was expecting a little more closure. I would have liked to know what happened to Sam. We never get to learn who Sam actually is beyond this situation, and I would have liked to see more of him. I think if the story was told in duel POV, I would have been a lot more satisfied.

Overall, Circle Nine is an interesting story and not at all what I was expecting, but I still enjoyed it and I am looking forward to reading more from Anne Heltzel!