Jodi Picoult

From Jodi Picoult, one of the most powerful writers in contemporary fiction, comes a riveting, timely, heartbreaking, and terrifying novel of families in anguish—and friendships ripped apart by inconceivable violence. Until the phone calls came at 3:00 a.m. on a November morning, the Golds and their neighbors, the Hartes, had been inseparable. It was no surprise to anyone when their teenage children, Chris and Emily, began showing signs that their relationship was moving beyond that of lifelong friends. But now seventeen-year-old Emily has been shot to death by her beloved and devoted Chris as part of an apparent suicide pact—leaving two devastated families stranded in the dark and dense predawn, desperate for answers about an unthinkable act and the children they never really knew.

A Love Story

The Pact

Got me out of a huge reading slump!! Perfect amount of drama and tragedy!!

Jasmine Dykes

hanni

predictable, long, drawn out. Needs more drama. An important event occurs that the reader knows only about which was never revealed to the other characters which would have added to the plot

Robin Collura

Irene Alegre

This is my second Jodi Picoult book (first one was My Sister's Keeper) but I could draw some lines between the two: they are basically the same thing.

First of all, Picoult picks up a controversial topic. In this case, teenage suicide pact. In MSK it was 'conceiving a child for the only sake of helping another one with their cells and organs'.

Then, Picoult will place a set of characters:

- Histeric, overprotective mom that will eventually have trust issues with her husband and end up ruining their relationship because of her inability to cope with her child's decisions (Melanie / Sara).

- The laid back dad. Somehow, he can understand everything his wife can't, and is fair, and perfect, and very human -and easy to relate to for the reader (Michael / Brian)

- The neglected teenager. That's the third teenager no one pays attention to and therefore suffers in silence (Kate / Jesse)

- The victim that is actually guilty of causing all the trouble (Emily / Kate)

- The REAL victim, which is accused of being insensitive and selfish and that goes against the ethical rules (Chris / Anna). The REAL victim usually goes on trial and almost no one understands him/her, everyone judges them.

- The people who will help the family on the trial. There will be two opposite personalities. Might lead to a love relationship or might not. There's chemistry between them and it affects their personal lives. We get to know the lawyer and the prosecutor, what they are like and what they think.

- The trial

- Unexpected, a bit unbelievable yet necessary and logical wihin the story ending.


In The Pact you also get Gus and James, which would play the 'ever-loving mother and wife' and the 'strict and sensible father who can't accept reality but will, eventually, come to terms with it and side with his son, always in a sensible yet sensitive way'.

Don't get me wrong, I do like Jodi Picoult books because, even if they are not so-called literature, they still rise interesting issues to think about and discuss. And that's always something to thank an author for. 

I do wish we could have seen quite a lot more of Dead Emily though. I think I didn't fully grasp her motives to commit suicide. Somehow, it didn't seem such a huge deal to me.

All in all, I will read some other JP book, eventually, because I like her. Just no that, that, that much.

Sarah Ryan

Got this book for free. Quick read, nothing very taxing. Main lesson seems to be that you don't know people as well as you think you do.

Friendship, loyalty, lifelong love -- and teenage suicide. A riveting, timely, and terrifying novel from an acclaimed writer who skillfully intertwines the intimate perceptions of Anne Tyler with the dramatic tension of John Grisham The Golds and the Hartes, neighbors for eighteen years, have always been inseparable. So have their children-and it's no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. But the bonds of family, friendship, and passion-which had seemed so indestructible -- suddenly threaten to unravel in the wake of unexpected tragedy. When midnight calls from the hospital come in, no one is ready for the truth. Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris pilfered from his father's cabinet-a bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself. But a local detective has doubts about the suicide pact that Chris describes. This extraordinary, heart-rending novel asks questions that every parent faces: How much do we know about our children? Our friends? What if . . .? As its chapters unfold, alternating between an idyllic past and an unthinkable present, The Pact paints an indelible portrait of families in anguish . . . and creates an astonishingly suspenseful courtroom drama, as Chris finds himself on trial for murder. It's rare to find a writer who combines Alice Hoffman's gift for evoking everyday life in pellucid prose with a remarkable ability to create a legal page-turner that will keep you up all night reading, but this is such a book. The Pact rings true: wonderfully observed, truly moving, frightening, and utterly impossible to put down.

Jill Basilone

Incredible story. You really feel for both Chris and Emily. I felt that I needed to know what happened to Emily and how the events truly played out. I am a huge fan of Jodi Picoult and this book high up on my favorites.

Elise Harris

This will forever be one of my ton 10 all time favorite books! If you haven't read this, go get it now. 

Tanya Sutton

Picoult explores the topic of teen suicide in this novel, which opens with a gunshot in the first few minutes. While later courtroom scenes keep you on the edge of your seat, I found the parents responses to the actions of their children to be a little unbelieveable, especially considering their close relationship to one another. Overall, a good read.

A Love Story (P.S.)

This is the second of Picoult's books that I have read and I enjoyed this one just as much as the first (Nineteen Minutes). I admire Picoult's ability to tackle very difficult and controversial subjects with tact and make them interesting enough to hold the readers' attention. I really, really liked the main character, Chris, in this book. Great book.

Krystal Campbell 

You never forget your first.... This was my first Jodi Picoult, recommended to me by a friends mother who had every book written by her ever on display in her living room. I had to read something by her and she let me borrow her copy... from there I was hooked and now I have my own collection.

Maria talarico 

paperandfiction

Laura Tuttobene

LyRo

Whitley Gladwell

From Jodi Picoult, one of the most powerful writers in contemporary fiction, comes a riveting, timely, heartbreaking, and terrifying novel of families in anguish -- and friendships ripped apart by inconceivable violence. Until the phone calls came at 3:00 A.M. on a November morning, the Golds and their neighbors, the Hartes, had been inseparable. It was no surprise to anyone when their teenage children, Chris and Emily, began showing signs that their relationship was moving beyond that of lifelong friends. But now seventeen-year-old Emily has been shot to death by her beloved and devoted Chris as part of an apparent suicide pact -- leaving two devastated families stranded in the dark and dense predawn, desperate for answers about an unthinkable act and the children they never really knew.

The Pact A Love Story

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