What do you think?
Rate this book
The Pact
For eighteen years the Hartes and the Golds have lived next door to each other, sharing everything from Chinese food to chicken pox to carpool duty—they've grown so close it seems they have always been a part of each other's lives. Parents and children alike have been best friends, so it's no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. They've been soul mates since they were born.
So when midnight calls from the hospital come in, no one is ready for the appalling truth: Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris took 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 has described.
So when midnight calls from the hospital come in, no one is ready for the appalling truth: Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris took 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 has described.
512 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 22, 1998
6,936 people are currently reading
105k people want to read
About the author
Jodi Picoult
104books90.7kfollowersJodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-eight novels, including Wish You Were Here, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, and My Sister’s Keeper, and, with daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page. Picoult lives in New Hampshire.
MAD HONEY, her new novel co-authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan, is available in hardcover, ebook, and audio on October 4, 2022.
Website:
Facebook:
Twitter:
MAD HONEY, her new novel co-authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan, is available in hardcover, ebook, and audio on October 4, 2022.
Website:
Facebook:
Twitter:
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,157 reviews
July 20, 2007
I am probably the only person in the world who HATED this book with such a white hot hate that you almost wonder if it was just the opposite. I'm reviewing it for the sake of Lorelle since it is the book that drew me into the lovely book club that I survived (or survived me) for several fun years.
To sum up, I wanted to tell the main character's girlfriend (I've forgotten all of their names, mercifully), to "get over yourself!!" I'm not giving anything away when I reveal that the "pact" of the title involves her asking her boyfriend to help her commit suicide. Of course, a dramatic trial ensues. What moron couldn't have predicted that--which is another reason why I loathe this person for placing her boyfriend in unnecessary legal trouble of the Shawshank Redemption kind.
It almost frightens me to realize how little sympathy I have for someone who (it is later revealed) has a somewhat plausible explanation for her dark thoughts. Yet, isn't this what therapy is for? Clearly, neither she, nor her doting parents or their enmeshed best friends' parents had an ounce of sense to recommend assistance that was not only available, but calling out from the core of their middle class existence!
Obviously this passion has more to do with me than with Piccoult. However, I was asked to read one other book of hers (If you must know, It was My Sister's Keeper, and it also enraged me. But somewhat to a lesser degree because I knew what I was in for, at that point, so I accepted some of the responsibility. I will say this, come ON!! Could the ending have been MORE implausible and precious (in a bad way)?!! However, I won't give any of it away.)
To sum up, I wanted to tell the main character's girlfriend (I've forgotten all of their names, mercifully), to "get over yourself!!" I'm not giving anything away when I reveal that the "pact" of the title involves her asking her boyfriend to help her commit suicide. Of course, a dramatic trial ensues. What moron couldn't have predicted that--which is another reason why I loathe this person for placing her boyfriend in unnecessary legal trouble of the Shawshank Redemption kind.
It almost frightens me to realize how little sympathy I have for someone who (it is later revealed) has a somewhat plausible explanation for her dark thoughts. Yet, isn't this what therapy is for? Clearly, neither she, nor her doting parents or their enmeshed best friends' parents had an ounce of sense to recommend assistance that was not only available, but calling out from the core of their middle class existence!
Obviously this passion has more to do with me than with Piccoult. However, I was asked to read one other book of hers (If you must know, It was My Sister's Keeper, and it also enraged me. But somewhat to a lesser degree because I knew what I was in for, at that point, so I accepted some of the responsibility. I will say this, come ON!! Could the ending have been MORE implausible and precious (in a bad way)?!! However, I won't give any of it away.)
May 12, 2016
Why do so many people seem to love/adore novels? I gave her a try with and admittedly, I didn't hate it, although I did take issue with the plot. However, The Pact has now completely and successfully put me off all/any Picoult novels.
There are so many reasons why I hated this book; I find it hard to pick one major thing that irritated me. The things I do hate about it are...integral parts of the story.
WARNING. SPOILERS AHEAD. (Not that I even recommend you read this novel. So just read the spoilers.)
I hated the entire premise of the novel. A suicide pact that turns out not to be a suicide pact, but rather a young man helping his girlfriend kill herself??? In some ways, Picoult sullied and insulted the truest nature of love. Chris (the boy involved with the suicide pact) considers it to be true love as he releases his girlfriend Emily from her worldly cares and pain. Is this really what true love is?
Number one -- what message does this send to people with suicidal ideation???
That sometimes our troubles and trials are too great for us to handle, so we must escape into death???
I was shocked by the romanticism of suicide that occurred in this novel. Fair enough, Picoult did *attempt* to show us the repercussions of suicide with friends and family, but the strongest point of the novel was Chris describing (on trial) the death of Emily, his lover.
Number two -- Emily, who had suffered a form of sexual assault at a very young age, never deals with the issue. Now this has been documented and researched, linked to people who are suicidal and it makes complete sense. Often there is some kind of abuse in one's childhood that inevitably leads to depression, self-blame, and sadly suicide.
Picoult didn't offer much about the abuse though, other than a quick reference to it as a glimpse into Emily's life. She manages to hide her depression from her parents and spirals downward, Chris being the only person she confides in.
Throughout the entire second half of the novel, when Emily's slow ascent downward is being explained, I wanted to shake Chris until his teeth rattled. If my boyfriend came to me and said, "I want to kill myself. I'm extremely unhappy because of something but I refuse to tell you why", I would immediately seek therapy for him in ANY WAY POSSIBLE. However, Chris being a naive teenager (what other reason could there be???), does nothing, convincing himself that he can stop Emily before she takes the final step.
Nothing about Emily's abuse becomes apparent to any of the parents. The biggest shocker of the story is that Chris wasn't suicidal at all, that he seemly went along with Emily's plan for some flimsy reason that doesn't hold up under examination.
There is literally nothing about this novel that I liked. What kind of story is this?? I've read many depressing novels, but this one was the worst. What was Picoult attempting to communicate to the reader? That suicide leaves families devastated and tears people apart, but is sometimes inevitable and is the answer to our woes?
Perhaps if she had explored the realm of sexual abuse and sought to show some type of healing...anything...perhaps then the book would have been more palatable to me. However, I very much doubt that, and as you can tell from my review...I give this novel one star because I did NOT like it...I hated it.
Give this book a pass.
There are so many reasons why I hated this book; I find it hard to pick one major thing that irritated me. The things I do hate about it are...integral parts of the story.
WARNING. SPOILERS AHEAD. (Not that I even recommend you read this novel. So just read the spoilers.)
I hated the entire premise of the novel. A suicide pact that turns out not to be a suicide pact, but rather a young man helping his girlfriend kill herself??? In some ways, Picoult sullied and insulted the truest nature of love. Chris (the boy involved with the suicide pact) considers it to be true love as he releases his girlfriend Emily from her worldly cares and pain. Is this really what true love is?
Number one -- what message does this send to people with suicidal ideation???
That sometimes our troubles and trials are too great for us to handle, so we must escape into death???
I was shocked by the romanticism of suicide that occurred in this novel. Fair enough, Picoult did *attempt* to show us the repercussions of suicide with friends and family, but the strongest point of the novel was Chris describing (on trial) the death of Emily, his lover.
Number two -- Emily, who had suffered a form of sexual assault at a very young age, never deals with the issue. Now this has been documented and researched, linked to people who are suicidal and it makes complete sense. Often there is some kind of abuse in one's childhood that inevitably leads to depression, self-blame, and sadly suicide.
Picoult didn't offer much about the abuse though, other than a quick reference to it as a glimpse into Emily's life. She manages to hide her depression from her parents and spirals downward, Chris being the only person she confides in.
Throughout the entire second half of the novel, when Emily's slow ascent downward is being explained, I wanted to shake Chris until his teeth rattled. If my boyfriend came to me and said, "I want to kill myself. I'm extremely unhappy because of something but I refuse to tell you why", I would immediately seek therapy for him in ANY WAY POSSIBLE. However, Chris being a naive teenager (what other reason could there be???), does nothing, convincing himself that he can stop Emily before she takes the final step.
Nothing about Emily's abuse becomes apparent to any of the parents. The biggest shocker of the story is that Chris wasn't suicidal at all, that he seemly went along with Emily's plan for some flimsy reason that doesn't hold up under examination.
There is literally nothing about this novel that I liked. What kind of story is this?? I've read many depressing novels, but this one was the worst. What was Picoult attempting to communicate to the reader? That suicide leaves families devastated and tears people apart, but is sometimes inevitable and is the answer to our woes?
Perhaps if she had explored the realm of sexual abuse and sought to show some type of healing...anything...perhaps then the book would have been more palatable to me. However, I very much doubt that, and as you can tell from my review...I give this novel one star because I did NOT like it...I hated it.
Give this book a pass.
February 9, 2017
I liked this better than My Sister's Keeper as a whole, although I have some of the same complaints about it. This author is a master of making you believe in a story that makes exactly no sense and making you care about characters who behave like exceptional idiots*. If I thought about any of it for very long, it was all mind-numbingly stupid. But I have to admit that the story is engrossing and satisfying in the end.
PS--this is not a book for the bashful; there's a lot of sex in it, of the awkward teenage variety and also of the middle-aged parents variety. Also of the getting-molested-in-a- McDonalds-bathroom variety (hey, we've all been there). Perhaps this only stuck out to me because I was listening to the audiobook and the guy narrating it sounded like a gay Casey Kasem (redundant?), and this is not the type of person that you want to hear narrating a sex scene every 5 minutes and saying things like "Oh, yes, give it to me." You also have to wonder what's up with all the sex in a book about suicide. Call me a Puritan, but ew. So why am I giving this 4 stars? That's why Jodi Picoult is a gazillionaire and I am not. She has magical powers, like a Jedi.
PPS to English teachers--carefully note the blatant thievery of the foreshadowing scene in Of Mice and Men where Candy can't kill his dog. Steinbeck is rolling over in his grave.
*Edit from my original review, which said "behave like retards," and a couple of commenters took offense, perhaps rightfully so. I'm an English teacher and ought to know to be more careful with my word choices.
PS--this is not a book for the bashful; there's a lot of sex in it, of the awkward teenage variety and also of the middle-aged parents variety. Also of the getting-molested-in-a- McDonalds-bathroom variety (hey, we've all been there). Perhaps this only stuck out to me because I was listening to the audiobook and the guy narrating it sounded like a gay Casey Kasem (redundant?), and this is not the type of person that you want to hear narrating a sex scene every 5 minutes and saying things like "Oh, yes, give it to me." You also have to wonder what's up with all the sex in a book about suicide. Call me a Puritan, but ew. So why am I giving this 4 stars? That's why Jodi Picoult is a gazillionaire and I am not. She has magical powers, like a Jedi.
PPS to English teachers--carefully note the blatant thievery of the foreshadowing scene in Of Mice and Men where Candy can't kill his dog. Steinbeck is rolling over in his grave.
*Edit from my original review, which said "behave like retards," and a couple of commenters took offense, perhaps rightfully so. I'm an English teacher and ought to know to be more careful with my word choices.
November 22, 2023
I'm never quite sure how to classify Picoults 'dilemma dramas' but they always pack a punch, and her writing and storytelling enhance what she does. Today's dilemma of the day - two young people in love agree a suicide pact... but one survives and his liable to be charged with murder! Don't you just love it?
Just to bring it to anther level Picoult also alternates chapters between 'Then' and 'Now'! Another fine dilemma drama with all the trimmings by the creator of her own genre! 8 out of 12, Fur Stars
2006 read
Just to bring it to anther level Picoult also alternates chapters between 'Then' and 'Now'! Another fine dilemma drama with all the trimmings by the creator of her own genre! 8 out of 12, Fur Stars
2006 read
December 14, 2007
"He kissed her so gently she wondered if she had imagined it."
"To say there had been a loss was ludicrous; one lost a shoe or a set of keys. You did not suffer the death of a child and say there was a loss. There was a catastrophe. A devestation. A hell."
"[He] closed his eyes. How could he convey to someone who'd never even met her the way she always smelled liek rain, or how his stomach knotted up every time he saw he shake loose her hair from its braid? How could he describe how it felt when she finished his sentences, turned the mug they were sharing so that her mouth landed where his had been? How did he explain the way they could be in a locker room, or underwater, or in the piney woods..., but as long as [she] was with him, he was at home?"
"He tried to pretend that he did not feel the weight of her grief, lying between them like a fitfull child, so solid that he could not reach past it to touch her."
"She closed her eyes while he touched her with all the care in the world, and she started to heal."
"Being a mother gives you a singular sort of vision, a prism through which you can see your child with many different faces all at once. It is the reason you can watch him shatter a ceramic lamp, and still remember him as an angel. Or hold him as he cries, but imagine his smile. Or watch him walk toward you, the size of a man, and see the dimpled skin of an infant."
"When you love someone you let them take care of you."
"When you loved someone, you put their needs before your own."
"Do you know... what it's like to love someone so much, that you can't see yourself without picturing [them]? Or what it's like to touch someone, and feel like you've come home?"
"...and he suddenly knew that if she killed herself, he would die. Maybe not immediately, maybe not with the same blinding rush of pain, but it would happen. You couldn't live for very long without a heart."
"To say there had been a loss was ludicrous; one lost a shoe or a set of keys. You did not suffer the death of a child and say there was a loss. There was a catastrophe. A devestation. A hell."
"[He] closed his eyes. How could he convey to someone who'd never even met her the way she always smelled liek rain, or how his stomach knotted up every time he saw he shake loose her hair from its braid? How could he describe how it felt when she finished his sentences, turned the mug they were sharing so that her mouth landed where his had been? How did he explain the way they could be in a locker room, or underwater, or in the piney woods..., but as long as [she] was with him, he was at home?"
"He tried to pretend that he did not feel the weight of her grief, lying between them like a fitfull child, so solid that he could not reach past it to touch her."
"She closed her eyes while he touched her with all the care in the world, and she started to heal."
"Being a mother gives you a singular sort of vision, a prism through which you can see your child with many different faces all at once. It is the reason you can watch him shatter a ceramic lamp, and still remember him as an angel. Or hold him as he cries, but imagine his smile. Or watch him walk toward you, the size of a man, and see the dimpled skin of an infant."
"When you love someone you let them take care of you."
"When you loved someone, you put their needs before your own."
"Do you know... what it's like to love someone so much, that you can't see yourself without picturing [them]? Or what it's like to touch someone, and feel like you've come home?"
"...and he suddenly knew that if she killed herself, he would die. Maybe not immediately, maybe not with the same blinding rush of pain, but it would happen. You couldn't live for very long without a heart."
September 15, 2014
This is more of a rant than a review but this book is pure trash so I’d rather talk about its issues. While reading other reviews for The Pact I only found one person, before I gave up, that had the same problem as me. It got to the point that I wondered if I read the same book as everyone else because I don’t know how anyone could have read this book and not taken issue with a very glaring problem that happens many times throughout the story.
The Pact starts off with a boy and a girl, who are later identified as Chris and Emily, talking. The boy and girl tell each other “I Love You� and then there is a shot fired. After that the reader is taken to two sets of parents, Chris and Emily’s. They are sharing dinner at a Chinese restaurant like usual. We find out that they are neighbors and have been since before Chris and Emily were born. Of course, Chris and Emily, aged 18 in the present time, were attached at the hip since day 1 and are destined to be together and there is a big sense of attachment between these characters. But after they finish dinner and arrive home they receive phone calls that they need to go to the hospital. Emily is dead and Chris is injured. Chris says it was a suicide pact but police suspect otherwise because they think Chris pulled the trigger. After some tearful exchanges, the whirlwind ~adventure~ starts in The Pact. Did Chris kill her or was it really a suicide pact???
The Pact is split into three parts. The first part is called “The Boy Next Door� and focuses on the aftermath of the event with flashbacks throughout related to Chris and Emily with an emphasis on Chris. The rest of the story after the very beginning follows the aftermath of Emily’s death with Chris’s arrest for murder and the lives of those left behind, like Chris and Emily’s parents. While reading through the aftermath there are various points where Picoult takes the reader back in time starting when Chris and Emily were born, three months apart, and proceeds to tell their whole life story through flashbacks every 20 pages or so. A third of the way though the novel we get the second part called “The Girl Next Door� which still focuses on Chris but the flashbacks are more Emily oriented. And finally there is the ominous “The Truth� section to wrap the story up.
The Pact is a very typical Jodi Picoult story. I previously read Change of Heart and it pretty much follows the exact same storyline. The ~shocking~ event happens in the very beginning, jail scenes, flashbacks, ~surprise shocking information revealed~, courtroom drama, and then the ending that is very predictable and not surprising at all because everything leads up to it and there’s no way it could end any other way. It always makes me wonder why I read her books in the first place because there is absolutely no suspense despite the fact that the author spends 400 pages building up to the ending that has been hyped up since the first page.
I was rather disappointed with this novel because I had been told it was one of the better Jodi Picoult books but it was all very blah and meh throughout the whole thing and many parts left me in a fiery rage and wanting to cut this book up into a million little pieces and then throw it out the window in celebration.
My biggest problem with the book was the main character Chris. The way he was written it was obvious that I was supposed to find him charming, lovable, loyal, and I’m supposed to long for a boyfriend just like him. But all I took away from this book and his character is that I hope and pray that I never meet anyone like him in my entire life. I do not understand how anyone could find him charming or sympathetic. And from reading other reviews I see that most people adored Chris while despising Emily. I feel the opposite. Emily was written in a pretty whiny tone and at first I thought she was definition of White Girl Problems, but as everything unraveled my heart ached for her and her struggles. I would have much preferred a novel that delved into her character before the suicide pact and talked about her feelings more because the constant feelings centered on Chris drove me crazy.
My main problem with Chris is
I have no idea how Jodi Picoult expected me to read these scenes and then throw me other scenes where Chris is all hurt and misunderstand in prison waiting for his trial and expect me to care. There was no need to have him respond this way to Emily if he’s supposed to this Perfect Boy that loved no one more than Emily. It still makes no sense to me. These scenes ruined him for me and I just really didn’t give a crap about whether or not he got a guilty or non-guilty verdict. I don’t know how I could ever feel sorry for him after reading those three scenes. All it did was make me feel more sorry for Emily that she had to deal with that on top of all her other problems in life. I began to understand her withdrawal more and her whines stopped bothering me because, hell, I’d probably be whiny too if Chris was my boyfriend.
And I realize these scenes were
My issues with Chris completely alienated me from the story and characters.
There were a million other problems I had with this book. The sex scenes were always awkward and many of them came out of nowhere. Also Picoult’s over use of metaphors and similes during sex scenes and kissing scenes made me laugh my ass off because they were so over the top. The whole courtroom saga dragged on way too long and went into way too much detail. She should have taken some notes from a Law and Order episode or something because half the stuff that went on in the court room scenes weren’t exactly that important or something that I was desperate to know.
This book was a complete and utter mess. After this review I’m going to push this story from my mind and pretend that I never read it at all. I don’t think there is a single good thing I said about this book. I guess I semi-liked Chris’s sister Kate but she wasn’t in it enough for me feel attached to her. Everything else besides Kate was a pile of crap.
Save yourself the trouble and please never read this book.
The Pact starts off with a boy and a girl, who are later identified as Chris and Emily, talking. The boy and girl tell each other “I Love You� and then there is a shot fired. After that the reader is taken to two sets of parents, Chris and Emily’s. They are sharing dinner at a Chinese restaurant like usual. We find out that they are neighbors and have been since before Chris and Emily were born. Of course, Chris and Emily, aged 18 in the present time, were attached at the hip since day 1 and are destined to be together and there is a big sense of attachment between these characters. But after they finish dinner and arrive home they receive phone calls that they need to go to the hospital. Emily is dead and Chris is injured. Chris says it was a suicide pact but police suspect otherwise because they think Chris pulled the trigger. After some tearful exchanges, the whirlwind ~adventure~ starts in The Pact. Did Chris kill her or was it really a suicide pact???
The Pact is split into three parts. The first part is called “The Boy Next Door� and focuses on the aftermath of the event with flashbacks throughout related to Chris and Emily with an emphasis on Chris. The rest of the story after the very beginning follows the aftermath of Emily’s death with Chris’s arrest for murder and the lives of those left behind, like Chris and Emily’s parents. While reading through the aftermath there are various points where Picoult takes the reader back in time starting when Chris and Emily were born, three months apart, and proceeds to tell their whole life story through flashbacks every 20 pages or so. A third of the way though the novel we get the second part called “The Girl Next Door� which still focuses on Chris but the flashbacks are more Emily oriented. And finally there is the ominous “The Truth� section to wrap the story up.
The Pact is a very typical Jodi Picoult story. I previously read Change of Heart and it pretty much follows the exact same storyline. The ~shocking~ event happens in the very beginning, jail scenes, flashbacks, ~surprise shocking information revealed~, courtroom drama, and then the ending that is very predictable and not surprising at all because everything leads up to it and there’s no way it could end any other way. It always makes me wonder why I read her books in the first place because there is absolutely no suspense despite the fact that the author spends 400 pages building up to the ending that has been hyped up since the first page.
I was rather disappointed with this novel because I had been told it was one of the better Jodi Picoult books but it was all very blah and meh throughout the whole thing and many parts left me in a fiery rage and wanting to cut this book up into a million little pieces and then throw it out the window in celebration.
My biggest problem with the book was the main character Chris. The way he was written it was obvious that I was supposed to find him charming, lovable, loyal, and I’m supposed to long for a boyfriend just like him. But all I took away from this book and his character is that I hope and pray that I never meet anyone like him in my entire life. I do not understand how anyone could find him charming or sympathetic. And from reading other reviews I see that most people adored Chris while despising Emily. I feel the opposite. Emily was written in a pretty whiny tone and at first I thought she was definition of White Girl Problems, but as everything unraveled my heart ached for her and her struggles. I would have much preferred a novel that delved into her character before the suicide pact and talked about her feelings more because the constant feelings centered on Chris drove me crazy.
My main problem with Chris is
I have no idea how Jodi Picoult expected me to read these scenes and then throw me other scenes where Chris is all hurt and misunderstand in prison waiting for his trial and expect me to care. There was no need to have him respond this way to Emily if he’s supposed to this Perfect Boy that loved no one more than Emily. It still makes no sense to me. These scenes ruined him for me and I just really didn’t give a crap about whether or not he got a guilty or non-guilty verdict. I don’t know how I could ever feel sorry for him after reading those three scenes. All it did was make me feel more sorry for Emily that she had to deal with that on top of all her other problems in life. I began to understand her withdrawal more and her whines stopped bothering me because, hell, I’d probably be whiny too if Chris was my boyfriend.
And I realize these scenes were
My issues with Chris completely alienated me from the story and characters.
There were a million other problems I had with this book. The sex scenes were always awkward and many of them came out of nowhere. Also Picoult’s over use of metaphors and similes during sex scenes and kissing scenes made me laugh my ass off because they were so over the top. The whole courtroom saga dragged on way too long and went into way too much detail. She should have taken some notes from a Law and Order episode or something because half the stuff that went on in the court room scenes weren’t exactly that important or something that I was desperate to know.
This book was a complete and utter mess. After this review I’m going to push this story from my mind and pretend that I never read it at all. I don’t think there is a single good thing I said about this book. I guess I semi-liked Chris’s sister Kate but she wasn’t in it enough for me feel attached to her. Everything else besides Kate was a pile of crap.
Save yourself the trouble and please never read this book.
April 30, 2022
The Pact: A Love Story, Jodi Picoult
In the fall of 1979, the Golds, consisting of a recently pregnant Melanie Gold, and her husband Michael Gold, moved into the small town of Bainbridge, New Hampshire. They moved in next door to the Hartes, another coincidentally pregnant couple, and through their shared interests, the women, Gus Harte and Melanie Gold, began to forge a lasting friendship. Their husbands, James Harte and Michael Gold would follow suit and the families would soon raise their firstborns together.
Until the phone calls came at three o'clock 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 is dead, shot with a gun her beloved and devoted Chris pilfered from his father's cabinet 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.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز بیست و نهم ماه آوریل سال2016میلادی
عنوان: پیمان: داستانی عاشقانی؛ نویسنده: جودی پیکولت؛ نیویورک، نشر هارپرکالینز، سال2006میلادی؛ در18ص، و389ص؛ شابک9780060858803؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده
پیمان داستانی عاشقانه، اثری از «جودی پیکولت»، نویسنده ی «ایالات متحده آمریکا»، درباره ی یک پیمان خودکشی بین دو عاشق نوجوان، و سفری است که باید انجام دهند؛ داستان که آغاز میشود، «امیلی» و «کریس» در یک چرخ و فلک محلی هستند؛ یک گلوله شلیک میشود؛ «امیلی»، از ناحیه سر هدف گلوله قرار گرفته، و از این دنیا رفته است؛ «کریس» با بخیه های بسیار به دلیل پارگی پوست سر، سردرگم شده است
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 09/02/1401هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
In the fall of 1979, the Golds, consisting of a recently pregnant Melanie Gold, and her husband Michael Gold, moved into the small town of Bainbridge, New Hampshire. They moved in next door to the Hartes, another coincidentally pregnant couple, and through their shared interests, the women, Gus Harte and Melanie Gold, began to forge a lasting friendship. Their husbands, James Harte and Michael Gold would follow suit and the families would soon raise their firstborns together.
Until the phone calls came at three o'clock 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 is dead, shot with a gun her beloved and devoted Chris pilfered from his father's cabinet 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.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز بیست و نهم ماه آوریل سال2016میلادی
عنوان: پیمان: داستانی عاشقانی؛ نویسنده: جودی پیکولت؛ نیویورک، نشر هارپرکالینز، سال2006میلادی؛ در18ص، و389ص؛ شابک9780060858803؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده
پیمان داستانی عاشقانه، اثری از «جودی پیکولت»، نویسنده ی «ایالات متحده آمریکا»، درباره ی یک پیمان خودکشی بین دو عاشق نوجوان، و سفری است که باید انجام دهند؛ داستان که آغاز میشود، «امیلی» و «کریس» در یک چرخ و فلک محلی هستند؛ یک گلوله شلیک میشود؛ «امیلی»، از ناحیه سر هدف گلوله قرار گرفته، و از این دنیا رفته است؛ «کریس» با بخیه های بسیار به دلیل پارگی پوست سر، سردرگم شده است
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 09/02/1401هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
June 12, 2024
Jodi Picoult does an incredible job of hooking me in the first chapter. The Pact is about a boy and girl whose families are neighbors. Chris and Emily have known each other since they were three months old. They are inseparable and begin dating.
They are both rushed to the hospital. Was it a suicide pact or was it murder?
I read this book in one sitting while on an international flight. Could. Not. Put. It. Down.
Highly recommend!
They are both rushed to the hospital. Was it a suicide pact or was it murder?
I read this book in one sitting while on an international flight. Could. Not. Put. It. Down.
Highly recommend!
April 28, 2008
This is the first Jodi Picoult book that I have read. I admit that she is a good writer and I found myself unable to put the book down; however, I felt that there was a lot lacking to make this a solid GOOD book. In my opinion, though this book was supposed to be a drama/love story, it severely lacked drama. I felt it was worthy of three stars rather than two solely because I completely fell in love with the main character, Chris Harte. He was the only character that I felt was well-developed and the least bit interesting. If every man could be like this 18-year-old boy, the world would be a much better place. On the opposite side of the spectrum I found myself abhorring his girlfriend, Emily Gold, with her mother, Melanie, taking a close second.
The basic plot of this book was two children, Chris Harte and Emily Gold, growing up together as neighbors and best friends. They were inseparable and starting dating around the age of 15 and 14, respectively. By the age of 17, Emily was dead and Chris was on trial for her murder due to an apparent suicide pact gone awry. The trial that takes up at least half the book and then there's a predictable ending. The only true thing that kept me interested in this book was the fact that every other chapter told an account of the past, explaining the circumstances that lead us to this suicide pact (I was curious!).
There were a few glaring problems with this book, at least for me. There were several issues that were touched upon, but then never resolved or explained. At times, I felt that the maturity of Chris and Emily's relationship was extremely unbelievable. Most importantly, I felt that Chris and Emily were not a good couple. Chris is obviously a very caring, devoted and sensitive boy. He was completely in love with Emily. Emily, on the other hand, turns out to be weak and completely self-centered. She doesn't even consider how ending her life will affect other people. Though her issues were legitimate, I don't think that she was deeply scarred enough, nor was her situation grave enough to feel that suicide is her only way out. I feel that she needed a good thrashing to snap out of her funk and realize that the world does not revolve around her. Heck, I probably would have shot her as well.
Overall, it's not a bad read, as Jodi Picoult is an excellent writer. It is entertaining, though somewhat under-developed. It's not a book that upon finishing I find myself wishing that I had those two days of my life back; however, if her other books following the same vein of this one, I will quickly retire from reading her work.
The basic plot of this book was two children, Chris Harte and Emily Gold, growing up together as neighbors and best friends. They were inseparable and starting dating around the age of 15 and 14, respectively. By the age of 17, Emily was dead and Chris was on trial for her murder due to an apparent suicide pact gone awry. The trial that takes up at least half the book and then there's a predictable ending. The only true thing that kept me interested in this book was the fact that every other chapter told an account of the past, explaining the circumstances that lead us to this suicide pact (I was curious!).
There were a few glaring problems with this book, at least for me. There were several issues that were touched upon, but then never resolved or explained. At times, I felt that the maturity of Chris and Emily's relationship was extremely unbelievable. Most importantly, I felt that Chris and Emily were not a good couple. Chris is obviously a very caring, devoted and sensitive boy. He was completely in love with Emily. Emily, on the other hand, turns out to be weak and completely self-centered. She doesn't even consider how ending her life will affect other people. Though her issues were legitimate, I don't think that she was deeply scarred enough, nor was her situation grave enough to feel that suicide is her only way out. I feel that she needed a good thrashing to snap out of her funk and realize that the world does not revolve around her. Heck, I probably would have shot her as well.
Overall, it's not a bad read, as Jodi Picoult is an excellent writer. It is entertaining, though somewhat under-developed. It's not a book that upon finishing I find myself wishing that I had those two days of my life back; however, if her other books following the same vein of this one, I will quickly retire from reading her work.
September 28, 2020
Melanie and Michael Gold,
and Gus and James Harte.....
.....have been neighbors and friends from the time Melanie and Gus were pregnant with their first children. The kids, Emily Gold and Chris Harte, grew up together, became a couple, and are now high school seniors preparing for college.
As the story opens Emily and Chris are on a date at a local carousel when a shot is fired. Cut to the hospital: Emily, shot in the head, is dead; Chris is disoriented with 70 stitches for a scalp laceration. When the police arrive Chris says that he and Emily had a suicide pact but that he fainted and fell before he could shoot himself. Before long Chris is arrested for murdering Emily.
The book moves back and forth between the past and present, going all the way back to the time the Golds and Hartes first met as two young married couples. They soon became close friends, dining out together, vacationing together, confiding in each other, and so on. The two sets of parents were prosperous, happy, and well-adjusted and - before the tragedy - thrilled that Chris and Emily were sweethearts. We also come to know a great deal about both Emily and Chris, and see how their bond developed.
In the present, the Golds are devastated by Emily's death, bewildered by the notion that she was suicidal and they had no inkling.
Their daughter was a talented artist with applications on her desk to the finest art schools, including the Sorbonne.
What would make her want to kill herself? When Chris is arrested the Golds at least have someone to blame.
During the course of the story we see how each person in the Gold and Harte family deals with the tragedy, separately and together. We observe Chris as he waits in jail for his trial, a difficult and harrowing experience.
The last part of the book is a well-wrought courtroom drama, including a fierce rivalry between the zealous prosecutor and Chris's capable defense attorney.
I know many readers gave this book rave reviews but for me it was just average. For one thing I didn't buy the book's basic premise. Thus, though the book addresses an important issue - teen angst that's invisible to the parents - it didn't ring true to me.
I also thought the book was about twice as long as it needed to be. It seemed to go on and on and I got impatient reading it.
You can follow my reviews at
February 1, 2022
TRIGGER WARNING: SA, suicide
UPDATING MY REVIEW. In full disclosure, I've never been able to read this book in "one sitting." It's just too hard. So brace yourself.
THE PLOT
Emily and Chris are childhood sweethearts... A dream for neighbours who are coincidently best friends. But then everything changes; Emily dies at 17, and Chris is on trial for her murder. Chris denies he killed her, and said it was a suicide pact gone wrong. What's the truth?
MY OPINION
Just writing this review makes me sad. Like I said, I can't read this book straight through in a normal timeframe. It is just that f-word sad. I started it when I was a very angsty 16-year-old, and picked it back up over the next couple of years before I made it through. It is such a difficult, heartbreaking, devastating read. I definitely shouldn't have read it as a teen... Just saying.
Tbh I shouldn't have been reading ANY of Jodi Picoult's books at that age, but I was eating them all up. Jodi's writing is poignant and beautiful as ever. She has a way of making you feel how her characters feel, even if you don't want to. Her novels are always well-researched, and she is one of few authors who can eloquently navigate difficult topics.
There's nothing funny nor sassy about this review, unfortunately. It is just plain sad. If you can muster the courage, you should give it a read. I'm not a parent, but I wouldn't recommend this to teens, or if you did let them read it, I would suggest checking in along the way.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: Beautiful writing, masterfully handled difficult subjects
Cons: Sad AF. You really have be in the "right" mindset to handle this.
UPDATING MY REVIEW. In full disclosure, I've never been able to read this book in "one sitting." It's just too hard. So brace yourself.
THE PLOT
Emily and Chris are childhood sweethearts... A dream for neighbours who are coincidently best friends. But then everything changes; Emily dies at 17, and Chris is on trial for her murder. Chris denies he killed her, and said it was a suicide pact gone wrong. What's the truth?
MY OPINION
Just writing this review makes me sad. Like I said, I can't read this book straight through in a normal timeframe. It is just that f-word sad. I started it when I was a very angsty 16-year-old, and picked it back up over the next couple of years before I made it through. It is such a difficult, heartbreaking, devastating read. I definitely shouldn't have read it as a teen... Just saying.
Tbh I shouldn't have been reading ANY of Jodi Picoult's books at that age, but I was eating them all up. Jodi's writing is poignant and beautiful as ever. She has a way of making you feel how her characters feel, even if you don't want to. Her novels are always well-researched, and she is one of few authors who can eloquently navigate difficult topics.
There's nothing funny nor sassy about this review, unfortunately. It is just plain sad. If you can muster the courage, you should give it a read. I'm not a parent, but I wouldn't recommend this to teens, or if you did let them read it, I would suggest checking in along the way.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: Beautiful writing, masterfully handled difficult subjects
Cons: Sad AF. You really have be in the "right" mindset to handle this.
December 22, 2012
Gosh, I want to hate her for writing books like this...
Throughout the whole book, I was thinking about what rating to give it, because there were parts that blew my mind and others that were just very slow, yet significant for the storyline. I even caught myself thinking: "Ha, she forgot to mention that" but then it happens on the last page. ;)
The end of "The Pact" convinced me again though that I can't give this book less than 5 stars. There aren't many books where I really sympathise or feel with the characters. For the time I'm reading the book, they are really part of my life and this is kind of frightening.
The ending was really unexpected for me. Well, not the actual revelation, but how it turned out in the end. Jodi Picoult never ceases to amaze me. Wow.
Throughout the whole book, I was thinking about what rating to give it, because there were parts that blew my mind and others that were just very slow, yet significant for the storyline. I even caught myself thinking: "Ha, she forgot to mention that" but then it happens on the last page. ;)
The end of "The Pact" convinced me again though that I can't give this book less than 5 stars. There aren't many books where I really sympathise or feel with the characters. For the time I'm reading the book, they are really part of my life and this is kind of frightening.
The ending was really unexpected for me. Well, not the actual revelation, but how it turned out in the end. Jodi Picoult never ceases to amaze me. Wow.
February 23, 2024
No parent should ever have to deal with teen suicide!
The Hartes and the Golds had been neighbours and best friends for 18 years. So it was no surprise that their children, Emily Gold, a talented young artist, and Chris Harte, a bright, motivated athlete and the star of his high school swimming team, would also grow up as inseparable best friends. Emily and Chris, born only scant weeks apart, bonded even as infants and grew up as close together as two non-siblings possibly could be. What Emily knew, Chris also knew and understood. When Chris was hurting, Emily also suffered and shared his pain. What Emily experienced, Chris also felt with a powerful bond of empathy that approached the strength of the almost surreal attachment that fraternal twins feel for one another. It came as no surprise to their parents, their teachers and their friends that their attachment, in the fullness of time, blossomed into a more mature romantic love that everyone around them fully expected would end in their eventual marriage to one another.
Emily told nobody, however, of the difficulties that she was encountering in dealing with the newer sexual side of her relationship with Chris. Perhaps it was the simple stress of living up to everybody's expectations of the future of their relationship. Perhaps it was the residual psychological stress of a close experience with sexual assault and rape when she was a much younger girl. Perhaps it was her disturbing sensation that sex with Chris was rather too akin to an incestuous relationship with a brother. Stress, confusion and mental turmoil lead to profound depression and despair with the conviction that the only escape was suicide. Of course, because Chris was the only person she felt she truly loved and could completely trust, she asked him to help her complete the act of suicide.
Any potential readers that are tempted to give vent to a storm of righteous indignation at my summary should sit back down, relax and be assured that I haven't given the game away here. The suicide itself takes place in the opening chapter and the underlying causes as I've summarized them likewise come as no surprise and are detailed very early in the story.
Fans of Jodi Picoult's novels will understand immediately that the mere details of this story are NOT the raison d'être for the novel. The story serves only as a backdrop for the exploration of the complexity of the surrounding issues - teen suicide; the responsibility of parents, teachers and peers to recognize the signs of depression and to act upon the near occasion of suicide; the moral difficulties of assisted suicide; the nature of friendship; the stress exerted by parental, teacher and peer pressure; and the difficulties encountered by the survivors of a suicide.
Having said that the story itself was not really top billing in the novel, I have to give Picoult full credit for her marvelous portrayal of some absolutely electric courtroom scenes and Chris Harte's trial for capital murder. The description of his time spent in prison and the relationship that he develops with his cell-mate is absolutely heartbreaking and certainly qualifies as first-rate storytelling. On the other hand, my impression of THE PACT overall is that it is considerably weaker than some of Picoult's other efforts such as MY SISTER'S KEEPER or NINETEEN MINUTES. Some rather lame dialogue, an overly lengthy exposition in the central part of the novel and my personal difficulty in believing that Chris Harte would have chosen to deal with the issue entirely on his own detract from the overall effect of the novel.
But, make no mistake, a poor day with a Jodi Picoult novel is still a very sunny day in a literary world clouded with sub-standard choices. I'm a confirmed fan. Now that I've found her work, I'm looking for another one to read post haste.
Paul Weiss
The Hartes and the Golds had been neighbours and best friends for 18 years. So it was no surprise that their children, Emily Gold, a talented young artist, and Chris Harte, a bright, motivated athlete and the star of his high school swimming team, would also grow up as inseparable best friends. Emily and Chris, born only scant weeks apart, bonded even as infants and grew up as close together as two non-siblings possibly could be. What Emily knew, Chris also knew and understood. When Chris was hurting, Emily also suffered and shared his pain. What Emily experienced, Chris also felt with a powerful bond of empathy that approached the strength of the almost surreal attachment that fraternal twins feel for one another. It came as no surprise to their parents, their teachers and their friends that their attachment, in the fullness of time, blossomed into a more mature romantic love that everyone around them fully expected would end in their eventual marriage to one another.
Emily told nobody, however, of the difficulties that she was encountering in dealing with the newer sexual side of her relationship with Chris. Perhaps it was the simple stress of living up to everybody's expectations of the future of their relationship. Perhaps it was the residual psychological stress of a close experience with sexual assault and rape when she was a much younger girl. Perhaps it was her disturbing sensation that sex with Chris was rather too akin to an incestuous relationship with a brother. Stress, confusion and mental turmoil lead to profound depression and despair with the conviction that the only escape was suicide. Of course, because Chris was the only person she felt she truly loved and could completely trust, she asked him to help her complete the act of suicide.
Any potential readers that are tempted to give vent to a storm of righteous indignation at my summary should sit back down, relax and be assured that I haven't given the game away here. The suicide itself takes place in the opening chapter and the underlying causes as I've summarized them likewise come as no surprise and are detailed very early in the story.
Fans of Jodi Picoult's novels will understand immediately that the mere details of this story are NOT the raison d'être for the novel. The story serves only as a backdrop for the exploration of the complexity of the surrounding issues - teen suicide; the responsibility of parents, teachers and peers to recognize the signs of depression and to act upon the near occasion of suicide; the moral difficulties of assisted suicide; the nature of friendship; the stress exerted by parental, teacher and peer pressure; and the difficulties encountered by the survivors of a suicide.
Having said that the story itself was not really top billing in the novel, I have to give Picoult full credit for her marvelous portrayal of some absolutely electric courtroom scenes and Chris Harte's trial for capital murder. The description of his time spent in prison and the relationship that he develops with his cell-mate is absolutely heartbreaking and certainly qualifies as first-rate storytelling. On the other hand, my impression of THE PACT overall is that it is considerably weaker than some of Picoult's other efforts such as MY SISTER'S KEEPER or NINETEEN MINUTES. Some rather lame dialogue, an overly lengthy exposition in the central part of the novel and my personal difficulty in believing that Chris Harte would have chosen to deal with the issue entirely on his own detract from the overall effect of the novel.
But, make no mistake, a poor day with a Jodi Picoult novel is still a very sunny day in a literary world clouded with sub-standard choices. I'm a confirmed fan. Now that I've found her work, I'm looking for another one to read post haste.
Paul Weiss
May 29, 2008
How did three of my friends end up reviewing this book on the same day, especially when at least two of them didn't read it that recently? Did I miss a review contest or something?
Anyway, I couldn't resist adding my opinion to the pile. This was my first Jodi Picoult book, and as I read it, I was captivated. She chooses good topics, and her writing really pulls you in. At the time, reading her can feel intellectually stimulating as her books raise interesting psychological questions.
However, there's something about Jodi Picoult's books that makes them fall short of actual literature, no matter how stimulating and readable they are in the moment. I've thought a lot about what that might be, and discussed the topic at length with my sibs. In "The Pact" in particular, reading other reviews (especially the one in "The New York Times") helped me formulate my thoughts.
Although "The Pact" touches on a variety of psychological issues, Jodi deals with them more superficially and appears to be concentrating her energy on the trial scenes, so that this reads more like a legal thriller than like a psychological study. For example, the enmeshment of the two families, and its effect on Chris and Emily's relationship, was an interesting topic which had the potential to be dealt with more deeply. What's it like to be in a relationship that almost feels forced by the other person's constant proximity? What does it do to you when you're feeling ambivalent about the relationship but feel like you can't get out without hurting two whole families, much less your boyfriend himself? I felt that Jodi paid lip service to this dilemma but could have addressed it in more depth.
Additionally, as many people have pointed out, Emily's suicidality seemed a bit unfounded. It's true that the molestation incident was traumatic, but many people survive years of repeated molestation, sometimes by family members who are meant to keep them safe, and are less profoundly scarred. I wish Jodi had delved more deeply into Emily's character and made the road to suicidality more complex and therefore, believable. And does it make sense that her attentive parents never suspected her suicidality, or tried to address it in any way? Did she never give them any signs? I'm reviewing this in retrospect about 10 years after I read it, so it's possible I'm not remembering certain details; however, I think my general sense of superficiality in this area is more or less accurate.
Lots of goodreads reviewers complain that Emily was weak and unlikeable, which to me attests to how undeveloped her character was. This would have been a better book had Jodi developed her more and made her stronger, even if the basic premise had been the same.
I gave it four stars, and I still feel it was a better book than most three-star books, if for no other reason than its high level of readability and unputdownableness (great word, huh?). I thought "My Sister's Keeper" was a little better, though still not great literature. I'd still read Jodi over a Harlequin any day, but unfortunately that's not saying a whole lot.
Anyway, I couldn't resist adding my opinion to the pile. This was my first Jodi Picoult book, and as I read it, I was captivated. She chooses good topics, and her writing really pulls you in. At the time, reading her can feel intellectually stimulating as her books raise interesting psychological questions.
However, there's something about Jodi Picoult's books that makes them fall short of actual literature, no matter how stimulating and readable they are in the moment. I've thought a lot about what that might be, and discussed the topic at length with my sibs. In "The Pact" in particular, reading other reviews (especially the one in "The New York Times") helped me formulate my thoughts.
Although "The Pact" touches on a variety of psychological issues, Jodi deals with them more superficially and appears to be concentrating her energy on the trial scenes, so that this reads more like a legal thriller than like a psychological study. For example, the enmeshment of the two families, and its effect on Chris and Emily's relationship, was an interesting topic which had the potential to be dealt with more deeply. What's it like to be in a relationship that almost feels forced by the other person's constant proximity? What does it do to you when you're feeling ambivalent about the relationship but feel like you can't get out without hurting two whole families, much less your boyfriend himself? I felt that Jodi paid lip service to this dilemma but could have addressed it in more depth.
Additionally, as many people have pointed out, Emily's suicidality seemed a bit unfounded. It's true that the molestation incident was traumatic, but many people survive years of repeated molestation, sometimes by family members who are meant to keep them safe, and are less profoundly scarred. I wish Jodi had delved more deeply into Emily's character and made the road to suicidality more complex and therefore, believable. And does it make sense that her attentive parents never suspected her suicidality, or tried to address it in any way? Did she never give them any signs? I'm reviewing this in retrospect about 10 years after I read it, so it's possible I'm not remembering certain details; however, I think my general sense of superficiality in this area is more or less accurate.
Lots of goodreads reviewers complain that Emily was weak and unlikeable, which to me attests to how undeveloped her character was. This would have been a better book had Jodi developed her more and made her stronger, even if the basic premise had been the same.
I gave it four stars, and I still feel it was a better book than most three-star books, if for no other reason than its high level of readability and unputdownableness (great word, huh?). I thought "My Sister's Keeper" was a little better, though still not great literature. I'd still read Jodi over a Harlequin any day, but unfortunately that's not saying a whole lot.
April 11, 2008
I knew the premise of this book was teenage suicide but I still found it very disturbing. As a mother I could not imagine anything more devasting then the loss of your child, by whatever means.
Picoult's sequence of events was intersting - the timeline moved back and forth so that the reader was able to get a sense of how close both families were. I was not able to relate to Emily's pain at all. Yes, she was sexually abused as a child in a fast food restaurant, but if she was as smart we are led to believe, she should have sought some sort of therapy. She carried this pain for years and never told her parents, friends, teachers or even Chris, her soul mate. I just wanted to shake her and tell her to get some help - look at all the good things you have in your life!! Emily was a talented artist, loved by her parents, Chris, her friends and teachers. She had so much to live for and accomplish in her life. I found her character weak and was not sympathic to her struggles.
I felt sorry for Emily and Chris' parents. They both lost a person they love and Chris' family was struggling through their son's imprisonment and trial. The teenagers families were once so close and now Emily's mother becomes bitter and vindictive and her father looks for comfort from Chris' mother.
Chris is left to deal with Emily's death. I don't agree with his actions at all - he should have informed her parents that their daughter was hurting and needed help. No matter how much he loved Emily he could have said NO to her - he would not help her kill herself. Chris must change in order to survive in prison and to live with his decision to help with the suicide.
He struggles to go on with his life and to find some belief to cling to.
Picoult's sequence of events was intersting - the timeline moved back and forth so that the reader was able to get a sense of how close both families were. I was not able to relate to Emily's pain at all. Yes, she was sexually abused as a child in a fast food restaurant, but if she was as smart we are led to believe, she should have sought some sort of therapy. She carried this pain for years and never told her parents, friends, teachers or even Chris, her soul mate. I just wanted to shake her and tell her to get some help - look at all the good things you have in your life!! Emily was a talented artist, loved by her parents, Chris, her friends and teachers. She had so much to live for and accomplish in her life. I found her character weak and was not sympathic to her struggles.
I felt sorry for Emily and Chris' parents. They both lost a person they love and Chris' family was struggling through their son's imprisonment and trial. The teenagers families were once so close and now Emily's mother becomes bitter and vindictive and her father looks for comfort from Chris' mother.
Chris is left to deal with Emily's death. I don't agree with his actions at all - he should have informed her parents that their daughter was hurting and needed help. No matter how much he loved Emily he could have said NO to her - he would not help her kill herself. Chris must change in order to survive in prison and to live with his decision to help with the suicide.
He struggles to go on with his life and to find some belief to cling to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2017
This was a devastatingly beautiful story. Very hard book to put down and will leave you experiencing a wide arrange of emotions. I did not have the whole it is like Romeo and Juliet as many readers/reviewers mention, as I am not a huge fan of that story (love Shakespeare, but not that plot). Instead it was like a love story with no true happily ever after. There is no way for a happily ever after in this book but trust me, it is acceptable to the reader.
Overall, a powerful read that will leave you asking yourself questions about life, death, love, and suffering afterwards. Not a book for the faint of heart.
Overall, a powerful read that will leave you asking yourself questions about life, death, love, and suffering afterwards. Not a book for the faint of heart.
December 1, 2007
After you've read a few Jodi Picoult books, you come to expect certain things. A compelling, flashpoint topic (teen suicide, stigmata, school shootings, sexual abuse, etc.) that rips a small New England community apart. Courtroom drama. Finely wrought family dynamics. A maverick lawyer, a quirky judge, and a lot of angst. Tons of plot twists and turns.
All of the above were present in "The Pact," a story of the death of a teenage golden girl, with her longtime boyfriend accused of the murder -- which he claims was a double suicide gone awry. The defendant bobs and weaves as news of Emily's pregnancy comes to light, and plenty of red herrings are thrown into the mix. But still something was missing.
I felt like there just wasn't quite ENOUGH drama in this book... I expected one more horrifying secret to be revealed at the end. I did not believe that Emily's reasons for killing herself were sufficiently grave. And I couldn't believe that NO ONE -- not the police, not his parents, not the lawyer, no one -- asked Chris what really happened that night.
Stilll, with Picoult's wonderful writing, this book is still worth reading.
All of the above were present in "The Pact," a story of the death of a teenage golden girl, with her longtime boyfriend accused of the murder -- which he claims was a double suicide gone awry. The defendant bobs and weaves as news of Emily's pregnancy comes to light, and plenty of red herrings are thrown into the mix. But still something was missing.
I felt like there just wasn't quite ENOUGH drama in this book... I expected one more horrifying secret to be revealed at the end. I did not believe that Emily's reasons for killing herself were sufficiently grave. And I couldn't believe that NO ONE -- not the police, not his parents, not the lawyer, no one -- asked Chris what really happened that night.
Stilll, with Picoult's wonderful writing, this book is still worth reading.
September 6, 2022
The Pact by Jodi Picoult was an amazing book. It has literally left me with cold chills. I love reading Jodi Picoult They are always books that were in the headlines. This one was no different. The Pact: Chris and Emily. Best Friends since birth. Friendship involves into a relationship that held no bounds. An incredible relationship that even married couples wish they had. Until the very very end and beyond....
September 11, 2009
***Not sure about spoilers here. I think I danced around things pretty well, but you may want reconsider your decision to read further in case I messed up.***
I am a bit disappointed. I was so close to loving this novel and its author, and I really did want to love them, but the denouement really let me down.
In the two books I've read now, sets out to deliver a big twist that will knock us on our asses. But she telegraphs the big twist in a way that removes any possibility of surprise. This could be seen as a bad thing, a failure on her part, but she does such a magnificent job of building our suspense in anticipation of that moment, that guessing the moment ahead of time is almost part of the fun. We know the shark's going to take the girl's leg off, the fun is in the expectation of when and how.
sets up a suicide pact between a pair of young lovers, but only one of them takes a bullet and the other ends up on trial for murder. From the outset we know that Emily's suicide is far more complex than Chris lets on, and the "truth" that we are destined to hear is fairly easy to guess, but the telling is compelling. Picoult prepares us for the big reveal by taking us through a decade of her main characters' lives, making us care for them, forcing us to empathize with them regardless of their actions. Picoult trusts that we will recognize their complex moral lives, the good and the bad in all of them, as something we all share whether we choose to believe it or not.
All of this makes the revelation at the heart of highly satisfying. By the time we discover what really happened on the night of the suicide, it has become impossible to judge those involved because we know too well what brought them to their actions. But therein lies the problem.
We are close to these people because we have read their thoughts. We know things about each of them that they choose to hide from the people in their lives, truths that are never revealed to anyone in the story. We have seen their lives through their eyes, so we understand their pain, their motivations, their choices as though we are them. But then Picoult allows her jury to make a decision that can only be made by someone reading her book -- not by a juror witnessing the most bizarre of all trials.
What Picoult asks us to believe is one ask too far. The result of the trial simply cannot be, and I felt sucker punched by the ending. I wanted something more akin to reality, I guess, and I would have loved Picoult for delivering. Instead, she gave me a Hollywood ending tacked on to a fine little piece of thought provocation, and I find myself continuing to withhold the love my mother so badly wanted me to feel for Picoult.
I like her, but somewhere along the line she's going to have to give me what I need for me to love her.
I am a bit disappointed. I was so close to loving this novel and its author, and I really did want to love them, but the denouement really let me down.
In the two books I've read now, sets out to deliver a big twist that will knock us on our asses. But she telegraphs the big twist in a way that removes any possibility of surprise. This could be seen as a bad thing, a failure on her part, but she does such a magnificent job of building our suspense in anticipation of that moment, that guessing the moment ahead of time is almost part of the fun. We know the shark's going to take the girl's leg off, the fun is in the expectation of when and how.
sets up a suicide pact between a pair of young lovers, but only one of them takes a bullet and the other ends up on trial for murder. From the outset we know that Emily's suicide is far more complex than Chris lets on, and the "truth" that we are destined to hear is fairly easy to guess, but the telling is compelling. Picoult prepares us for the big reveal by taking us through a decade of her main characters' lives, making us care for them, forcing us to empathize with them regardless of their actions. Picoult trusts that we will recognize their complex moral lives, the good and the bad in all of them, as something we all share whether we choose to believe it or not.
All of this makes the revelation at the heart of highly satisfying. By the time we discover what really happened on the night of the suicide, it has become impossible to judge those involved because we know too well what brought them to their actions. But therein lies the problem.
We are close to these people because we have read their thoughts. We know things about each of them that they choose to hide from the people in their lives, truths that are never revealed to anyone in the story. We have seen their lives through their eyes, so we understand their pain, their motivations, their choices as though we are them. But then Picoult allows her jury to make a decision that can only be made by someone reading her book -- not by a juror witnessing the most bizarre of all trials.
What Picoult asks us to believe is one ask too far. The result of the trial simply cannot be, and I felt sucker punched by the ending. I wanted something more akin to reality, I guess, and I would have loved Picoult for delivering. Instead, she gave me a Hollywood ending tacked on to a fine little piece of thought provocation, and I find myself continuing to withhold the love my mother so badly wanted me to feel for Picoult.
I like her, but somewhere along the line she's going to have to give me what I need for me to love her.
November 13, 2020
Wow. This is some court room drama that dragged me in so far I could hear my own heartbeat. Picoult the Queen of the morale dilemma had me on the edge of my seat as she always does.
This is the story of a suicide pact, or was it? Check content warnings if you need them as there's some heavy topics in this one.
This is the story of a suicide pact, or was it? Check content warnings if you need them as there's some heavy topics in this one.
June 2, 2024
I thought I had read and reviewed every one of Jodi Picoult’s books, and, then this one was donated to my Little Free Library Shed. What? I missed one?
I could tell with what I read on the back cover about it, I needed to be prepared, so with my Kleenex already beside me, I was ready.
Chris and Emily are best friends. Their families have been best friends since Chris and Emily were children. They have lived next door to each other since they were kids. So, it is no surprise that they should be considered soul pals. But when Emily is dead of a single gunshot wound to the head at age 18, how are the police to believe that Chris did not intentionally murder her?
But Chris insists that it was part of a suicide pact that he made with Emily � it is just he could not follow-through and kill himself.
The problem is that the police don’t have the full story. Only Chris and Emily do, and Emily is dead.
So, will the police believe Chris?
What really happened to Emily to cause her to want to end her life? Will we as readers, truly know Emily’s story?
And, if we don’t believe Chris, should he be charged with murder?
Readers will be taken through the courtroom, Chris� incarceration, and the families grief. But mostly, inside the minds of what really was going on for Emily and Chris.
And, that is what makes this page-turning story, heart-breaking and heart-wrenching, as Picoult challenges readers with ethical and emotional issues that feel much too real not to feel believable. Yes, please have Kleenex available.
Trigger warning: Teenage suicide
I could tell with what I read on the back cover about it, I needed to be prepared, so with my Kleenex already beside me, I was ready.
Chris and Emily are best friends. Their families have been best friends since Chris and Emily were children. They have lived next door to each other since they were kids. So, it is no surprise that they should be considered soul pals. But when Emily is dead of a single gunshot wound to the head at age 18, how are the police to believe that Chris did not intentionally murder her?
But Chris insists that it was part of a suicide pact that he made with Emily � it is just he could not follow-through and kill himself.
The problem is that the police don’t have the full story. Only Chris and Emily do, and Emily is dead.
So, will the police believe Chris?
What really happened to Emily to cause her to want to end her life? Will we as readers, truly know Emily’s story?
And, if we don’t believe Chris, should he be charged with murder?
Readers will be taken through the courtroom, Chris� incarceration, and the families grief. But mostly, inside the minds of what really was going on for Emily and Chris.
And, that is what makes this page-turning story, heart-breaking and heart-wrenching, as Picoult challenges readers with ethical and emotional issues that feel much too real not to feel believable. Yes, please have Kleenex available.
Trigger warning: Teenage suicide
December 22, 2017
The Pact
Jodi Picoult
Every time I read a Jodi Picoult story, she just shreds my heart and leaves me sobbing. That is exactly what happened while reading THE PACT. Emily and Chris have been best friends since they were born. Their parents are next door neighbors too and best friends as well. That is until that fateful night when everyone's lives change, one even ends. Trust me, hang on tight! The emotions roller coaster Jodi Picoult puts her readers on with THE PACT is one crazy ride.
THE PACT is filled with family drama, love, a difficult courtroom trial, and a teenage suicide. Be prepared not to do anything else until you finish reading this heart breaking story! Once you start you will not be able to put it down. If you have never read Jodi Picoult, THE PACT is a great introduction to her heart tugging writing. The whole time I was reading I was screaming "Tell someone already!" I get the fact that they love each other but if you love someone and they start saying they want to kill themselves, tell someone! Do not keep it a secret!
Jodi Picoult
Every time I read a Jodi Picoult story, she just shreds my heart and leaves me sobbing. That is exactly what happened while reading THE PACT. Emily and Chris have been best friends since they were born. Their parents are next door neighbors too and best friends as well. That is until that fateful night when everyone's lives change, one even ends. Trust me, hang on tight! The emotions roller coaster Jodi Picoult puts her readers on with THE PACT is one crazy ride.
THE PACT is filled with family drama, love, a difficult courtroom trial, and a teenage suicide. Be prepared not to do anything else until you finish reading this heart breaking story! Once you start you will not be able to put it down. If you have never read Jodi Picoult, THE PACT is a great introduction to her heart tugging writing. The whole time I was reading I was screaming "Tell someone already!" I get the fact that they love each other but if you love someone and they start saying they want to kill themselves, tell someone! Do not keep it a secret!
May 19, 2009
I bought this book merely because a girl in a bookstore approach me and asked me if I would like to buy her copy off her. She said she loved the book and she wanted money to buy another one of Jodi Picoult's books. I hadn't ever read anything of Picoult's before, I'd only heard that if you read My Sisters Keeper you should keep a box of tissues handy. I said yes, because hey its not every day that someone approaches me in a bookstore and I like a bit of spontaneity.
It took me a while to bother starting this book (you know how it is, exams, study, tv shows...) but once I did, I was amazed. I fell in love with the book at the first page, and promptly fell in love with chris probably less than ten pages later. I hated Emily throughout most of the book, mainly for everything she put Chris through. Although she wasn't as horrible as her Mother, who just generally makes everyone's lives more difficult.
This book had a strong impact on me. I loved the ending, I loved the trial and I felt it had a lot of passion in general. This is the best of Picoult's that I have read.*
*Soon after finishing The Pact, I wanted to get my hands on as many Picoult books as I could. This didn't turn out so well as I soon learnt that Jodi has a formula and boy does she stick to it. To me, she has found something that works and she drives it home with each and every book. Who could blame her? A little creativity would be nice now and then though.
It took me a while to bother starting this book (you know how it is, exams, study, tv shows...) but once I did, I was amazed. I fell in love with the book at the first page, and promptly fell in love with chris probably less than ten pages later. I hated Emily throughout most of the book, mainly for everything she put Chris through. Although she wasn't as horrible as her Mother, who just generally makes everyone's lives more difficult.
This book had a strong impact on me. I loved the ending, I loved the trial and I felt it had a lot of passion in general. This is the best of Picoult's that I have read.*
*Soon after finishing The Pact, I wanted to get my hands on as many Picoult books as I could. This didn't turn out so well as I soon learnt that Jodi has a formula and boy does she stick to it. To me, she has found something that works and she drives it home with each and every book. Who could blame her? A little creativity would be nice now and then though.
September 13, 2022
i had a jodi picoult phase when i was 11 & i literally read every single book of hers that was published until 2013 on my first edition kindle. eleven year old me had no business reading this, but i was obsessed with the courtroom drama and thought her writing was god’s gift on earth. this was my favorite book of hers.
HUH? rereading this at 22 has been a rude awakening. long story short, this is a book that would have been canceled and slandered if it was published in this day and age. was her writing always this…mediocre? and dry? and her characters literally so unsympathetic?
HUH? rereading this at 22 has been a rude awakening. long story short, this is a book that would have been canceled and slandered if it was published in this day and age. was her writing always this…mediocre? and dry? and her characters literally so unsympathetic?
October 9, 2007
I picked up this book based on recommendations from friends. I already loved Jodi Picoult from My Sister's Keeper, The Tenth Circle, and Nineteen Minutes. Yet again, she did not disappoint.
I don't know what to say about the book without sounding hokey...it is a great story about teen love and commitment.
I am always amazed at how deeply I feel I know Jodi's characters. Right now Chris is sticking in my mind and how often I just wanted to shake him and say "Tell someone! Don't be a hero!" But, isn't that exactly what being a teenager was like? Thinking you could handle anything that came your way on your own? The adults would just screw things up if they knew what was going on, right? And the same for Emily "Just talk to someone, you'll feel better". I felt just as helpless reading the book as I did being a teenager. I want to scream to all the teenagers - "WE REALLY DO GET IT!! WE'RE NOT AS STUPID AS WE LOOK!!"
I don't know what to say about the book without sounding hokey...it is a great story about teen love and commitment.
I am always amazed at how deeply I feel I know Jodi's characters. Right now Chris is sticking in my mind and how often I just wanted to shake him and say "Tell someone! Don't be a hero!" But, isn't that exactly what being a teenager was like? Thinking you could handle anything that came your way on your own? The adults would just screw things up if they knew what was going on, right? And the same for Emily "Just talk to someone, you'll feel better". I felt just as helpless reading the book as I did being a teenager. I want to scream to all the teenagers - "WE REALLY DO GET IT!! WE'RE NOT AS STUPID AS WE LOOK!!"
May 2, 2012
This is a well-written, gripping and thought-provoking novel. The Pact is an extremely emotional tale and it is impossible not to be moved by it. Jodi Picoult writes so well and so beautifully.
The book alternates between the past, tracing the history of the two main characters, Chris and Emma's relationship, and the present, as Chris faces an uncertain future. Due to the novel having multiple narrators, the reader gets to see all sides of the story and this adds to the intrigue of the plot. There are so many twists and turns through-out the novel, that you are unable to predict the outcome until the end.
All in all, The Pact is everything you want a novel to be.
Five stars!
The book alternates between the past, tracing the history of the two main characters, Chris and Emma's relationship, and the present, as Chris faces an uncertain future. Due to the novel having multiple narrators, the reader gets to see all sides of the story and this adds to the intrigue of the plot. There are so many twists and turns through-out the novel, that you are unable to predict the outcome until the end.
All in all, The Pact is everything you want a novel to be.
Five stars!
January 11, 2010
OMG this book drove me CRAZY!!! But I loved it...lol
Let's see...where do I start?
I was frustrated with all the characters for different things...
Melanie...for burning Emily's diary, which may have helped with the trial, and also maybe she should have told the police about the watch. Also her lack of communication with her husband Michael, and also burning Emily's photos.
Michael...for turning to Gus....did not like where I thought that was going to go....thank God it didnt.
Gus....for turning to Michael...see above. Also, you didnt hear much about her daughter Kate...she pretty much alienated her.
James...upset he wasnt visiting Chris or sharing his emotions.
Emily...I felt she was very selfish. I feel like she was teasing Chris, and leading him to think she loved him the same way he loved her. She loved him like a brother, but kept going along with doing more with him. She pretty much ruined his life, and was very selfish for wanting him to help her commit suicide, and not telling him she was pregnant.!!!???? (DID NOT LIKE EMILY)
Chris...about two thirds thru the book is when I started feeling bad for him....his emotions, life, everything, was being played and toyed with by Emily.
I dont fully understand how he could have gone through with helping her commit suicide, and not tell someone...either her parents or his? I wonder if he did, if things would have ended up okay, or if she would have went ahead and done it alone?
When I first started I thought it was about a suicide PACT...but really, it was a different PACT alltogether.
I think Emily pressed Chris' finger and shot herself. She got the strength to do it because he was there with her. I don't think he would have done it otherwise. Neither one could do it by themselves.
Another Picoult book that has me whirling, and will need a couple of days before picking up another book. Definately a page turner.
Let's see...where do I start?
I was frustrated with all the characters for different things...
Melanie...for burning Emily's diary, which may have helped with the trial, and also maybe she should have told the police about the watch. Also her lack of communication with her husband Michael, and also burning Emily's photos.
Michael...for turning to Gus....did not like where I thought that was going to go....thank God it didnt.
Gus....for turning to Michael...see above. Also, you didnt hear much about her daughter Kate...she pretty much alienated her.
James...upset he wasnt visiting Chris or sharing his emotions.
Emily...I felt she was very selfish. I feel like she was teasing Chris, and leading him to think she loved him the same way he loved her. She loved him like a brother, but kept going along with doing more with him. She pretty much ruined his life, and was very selfish for wanting him to help her commit suicide, and not telling him she was pregnant.!!!???? (DID NOT LIKE EMILY)
Chris...about two thirds thru the book is when I started feeling bad for him....his emotions, life, everything, was being played and toyed with by Emily.
I dont fully understand how he could have gone through with helping her commit suicide, and not tell someone...either her parents or his? I wonder if he did, if things would have ended up okay, or if she would have went ahead and done it alone?
When I first started I thought it was about a suicide PACT...but really, it was a different PACT alltogether.
I think Emily pressed Chris' finger and shot herself. She got the strength to do it because he was there with her. I don't think he would have done it otherwise. Neither one could do it by themselves.
Another Picoult book that has me whirling, and will need a couple of days before picking up another book. Definately a page turner.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2016
Jodi Picoult delivers another excellent novel about family relationships, friendships, courtroom drama, a love story, suicide and so much more. This certainly is a page turner and one that could lead to a great bookclub selection. Picoult's novels are emotionally draining because she skillfully writes about problems that exist in society. 4 stars
February 1, 2018
By far my favorite book of Jodi Picoult's. I thought Plain Truth was my number one, but after reading The Pact, I've found a new number one! At first I wasn't sure that I would like the way the book was laid out with the "Now" & "Then", switching back and forth. But I came to realize after I was continuing to read and finished the book, that's what made the book so great. I loved going back "Then" because it gave you the truth and a walk through their life and how they became to where they are "Now". I really enjoyed this book. I was so engrossed in it everytime I read it. I couldn't put it down and got very amped when I could read it! It was a happy/tragic journey reading this book, and it is something that could happen. It was amazing how you could actually feel how the characters felt and understand their pain just through words. I can't get into everything I'd like in this review without spoiling anything for other people. This is a must read book!
February 12, 2024
For me her best book. Loved the way she split the story between the girl's side of view and the boy's and how even if she shows you in the end what really happened you still walk away unsure of who was right.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,157 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.