The Circle is a sequel to both The Break and The Strangers. It is apparently the last of Vermette’s trilogy of novels that feature the same characters. SPOILER ALERT: Do not read any further it you plan on reading The Break and The Strangers.

My initial thought when I finished reading The Circle was, Fucking Phoenix Stranger. I am beginning to think that she is the worst character I have come across in all my reading. The Circle also left me feeling depressed at the tragedy and stupidity of the characters and their situations.

The circle is significant in Indigenous culture. Gather a group of people in a circle and give everyone the opportunity to share their truth, and then see how everyone is connected. Several different characters, most of whom have played only a small role in The Break and The Strangers, are given the opportunity to share their truth in The Circle, and they are all connected by one person: Phoenix Stranger. As the story progresses through each character, the central plot of The Circle is revealed: Phoenix has been released from jail. She is seen with another character from the story before she disappears. The police assume she has been murdered and arrest the character she was last seen with (even though there is no body, and the evidence is circumstantial, but that is systemic racism for you). Lives are destroyed in hasty revenge.

I found it somewhat frustrating to dive headfirst into these secondary characters’ lives, some of whom I would have been more interested to learn more about, some of whom I did not feel that they added much to the story, while the main characters we got to know more intimately from The Break and The Strangers are sidelined. The events of The Circle have such a major impact on the lives of the main characters, but as a reader, you are not left with much in the way of closure. Vermette wants you to see past the tragedy of her Indigenous characters’ lives and attempts to end the story on a more hopeful note, but it is hard to feel hopeful when faced with the harsh reality of the violent lives some of the characters lead, and the oppressive racism that continues to dictate Indigenous peoples place in our society. Some of the characters seem like they might be able to move past the trauma that has defined their lives, but other characters I would not trust to ever learn to make the right choices.

The Break, The Strangers and The Circle are all good novels that are worthy of being read, but I am not sure I would ever want to read them again. Even if I eventually forget the details of their plots, these novels evoke a feel of sadness that I know will linger with me.