The Pact by Jodi Picoult

Title: The Pact
Author: Jodi Picoult
Series: Stand alone book
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Pages: 512
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Overall Rating:


Synopsis (from the book cover):
Until the phone calls came at three o’clock on a November morning, the Golds and their neighbours, 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 know.
I have to admit that it is difficult to write review for this book without giving anything away. Without doubt, The Pact had gripped my attention from cover to cover but the fact that there are things that were stated with no clear explanations make me not thoroughly satisfied. After the tragedy that happened on that night in November, the life of the Golds and the Hartes were completely torn apart. The Golds was devastated with the fact that they have to live life without the presence of their beautiful, smart and artistic Emily; while it certainly wasn't easy for the Hartes to see their son was yanked away from the house on his birthday night, being put in prison for months and being tried for murder for the crime that he might not commit.

This leaves the readers with quite a few questions to ponder: How could someone like Emily decides to end her own life when she actually had everything that everyone would like to have? What really happened that night - Was it really a double suicide gone awry or was it actually a murder? If it was a murder, how could Chris has a heart to put a bullet inside of his lover's head when he claimed that he loves her more than life itself?

Picoult certainly has a way to persuade readers to choose side when the trial began, only to cause them to re-think - re-choose sides - and redo it all over again. She was a complete genius in the way she captures the atmosphere in the courtroom and in the prison, in the way she describes Chris's feelings towards Emily and the way she makes several twists in her story. I just wish that she tied the loose ends in The Pact more tightly and give me, Chris, the Golds and the Hartes the consolations that we all need. But perhaps, this is how the end was meant to be - as in real life, most emotional dilemmas are rarely solved neatly, plus there will always be questions that needed answers. There is no such thing as "perfect ending" as in the end, there is no one that actually wins.

All in all, I could say that The Pact is not really a bad read. However, I won't recommend this book to person who looks for a solid ending, nor to those who think that there are enough dramas in real lives till it is unnecessary to let the same elements creep into their leisure time as well.

Favourite Quote:
"Do you know what it's like to love someone so much, that you can't see yourself without picturing her? Or what it's like to touch someone, and feel like you've come home? Some people spend their whole lives looking for that one person... I was lucky enough to have her all along" - Chris Harte

8 comments:

  1. wahh..!i just made a review on her handle with care..like you said, i can't expect a solid, or in my case, a happy ending..i will read this one too later.. =p

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  2. Hm, I like definitive endings and such, so I don't think I'll be checking this one out. But great review! It definitely sounds like it messes with your mind and has you constantly changing opinions. :)

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  3. @Darlyn: Do let me know once you decide to pick this up. Surely want to find out what others think of this one!

    @Jenn: It is really hard for me to actually decide whether I like this book or not. I like about 3/4 parts of the book but when it came to the final chapter, I feel like the crucial parts of it was completely left out.

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  4. i'm am sure to let you know shy..i'm planning to collect her other books too after this.. =p

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  5. Hey Shy, I've read all of Jodi Picoult's books and have loved most of them even though they are often difficult, emotionally draining, sometimes depressing, thought provoking reads. I really love her writing style. Hope you'll try another one

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  6. I've heard that there are of few of hers that are very good. Which one do you think is your favourite so far?

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  7. I am not a giant Picoult fan but I have read this one and I like it a lot. Good review.

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  8. I really like Jodi Picoult, so I wanted to take a look at this review. I really like your blog. My favorite "Jodis" are "Handle With Care" and "My Sister's Keeper."

    -Laura at http://hawthornescarlet.blogspot.com

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