Helpful Score: 16
I struggled with this book. I understand the premise of this book, but at the same time, I just couldn't see myself in the position that the main character found himself him. Yes, I was moved during reading parts of this book, but at the same time I felt vaguely unsatisfied with it. I just didn't buy into the main characters reasons for what he did. They didn't seem believable to me. So, I would hesitatingly recommend this book.
Helpful Score: 15
Haunting....Jodi Picoult is genius at writing about the deepest and darkest emotions. Don't be fooled by the title, this is not some fluffy love story.
Helpful Score: 14
The second of Picoult's books that I read, the first being the excellent My Sister's Keeper. She does a great job portraying families in crisis, and also making the court cases convincing, so you wonder whose side is really right. The characters were well-drawn, though there were some predictable elements, and I do wish there had been some more flashbacks to Emily and Chris' youth. Overall, though, a wonderful book.
Helpful Score: 12
I would suggest "The Pact: A Love Story" to anyone who enjoys a mystery & love story intertwined...Ms. Picoult really captured the love between two people and developed the characters in the book so that I felt as if I knew them personally.
This was the first of Jodi Picoult's book I read, and it won't be the last. From the beginning I was hooked on her writing style and ended up ordering and placing all of her books on my wish list.
The Pact is a beautifully haunting story about true love and what one will do for love. It kept me guessing till the very end, a real page turner. The ending isn't quite the way I would have wanted however, maybe she will have a sequel. I would highly recommend this book to everyone. I really, really loved it!
The Pact is a beautifully haunting story about true love and what one will do for love. It kept me guessing till the very end, a real page turner. The ending isn't quite the way I would have wanted however, maybe she will have a sequel. I would highly recommend this book to everyone. I really, really loved it!
Helpful Score: 9
How well do you know your child? How many parents knew their child was suicidal before they killed themselves? As parents, we like to believe we know our children, that we are close to them and that they tell us everything. Those of that remember being teenagers ourselves, know that isn't actually true ;)
I was up until 3am finishing this book. I could not put it down. In typical Picoult style, there's the "shocking twist", but the deeper levels of the book - how much you really know about your kids - is what kept me interested. I have a 4 and 6 year old. The fact that they will one day be teenagers scares the heck out of me.
I was up until 3am finishing this book. I could not put it down. In typical Picoult style, there's the "shocking twist", but the deeper levels of the book - how much you really know about your kids - is what kept me interested. I have a 4 and 6 year old. The fact that they will one day be teenagers scares the heck out of me.
Helpful Score: 6
What a tragic and thought provoking book. What does it mean to truly love someone? What is the truth? Who are your friends-do you really know them? All kinds of questions are addressed through this tragic, beautifully written story.
Helpful Score: 6
I'm glad I read this book. I almost didn't because of the teen suicide subject. But it was an excellent story. I did have a few issues with the things the character did but as usual Ms. Picoult made me love her characters and gave me a lot to think about. The story did not bore me at all and I couldn't wait to find out how it ended.
I tried to remember being 17 years old, but there are only bits and pieces buried in my memory. As I read this story, the feelings came back and I knew that being 17 is like being on another,scary planet. Picoult resurrects the intensity of feeling, the immaturity of judgement, and applies the "what if" as she knows how to do so well, to produce a gripping and frightening picture of adolescence. Parents, listen to your children, and then read between the lines!
Helpful Score: 5
Clear some time to read this book, you will NOT want to put it down. My poor house, husband, and children were neglected while I read this book. I COULDNT STOP!! Ah, my stomach turned, and my hands were white knuckled till the very end. I LOVED IT!!! Love it when a book can have that kind of effect.
Helpful Score: 5
This book was so hard to put down. I couldn't wait to see what happened next, and to find out what the truth really was...
Helpful Score: 5
This is probably my 2nd favorite Picoult. It's well written and gripping. I read the book a while back, but grabbed the audio when I saw it on sale. The audio is fabulous, the narration is perfectly executed.
My previous thoughts from early last year:
How well do you know your child? How many parents knew their child was suicidal before they killed themselves? As parents, we like to believe we know our children, that we are close to them and that they tell us everything. Those of that remember being teenagers ourselves, know that isn't actually true ;)
I was up until 3am finishing this book. I could not put it down. In typical Picoult style, there's the "shocking twist", but the deeper levels of the book - how much you really know about your kids - is what kept me interested. I have a 4 and 6 year old. The fact that they will one day be teenagers scares the heck out of me.
My previous thoughts from early last year:
How well do you know your child? How many parents knew their child was suicidal before they killed themselves? As parents, we like to believe we know our children, that we are close to them and that they tell us everything. Those of that remember being teenagers ourselves, know that isn't actually true ;)
I was up until 3am finishing this book. I could not put it down. In typical Picoult style, there's the "shocking twist", but the deeper levels of the book - how much you really know about your kids - is what kept me interested. I have a 4 and 6 year old. The fact that they will one day be teenagers scares the heck out of me.
Helpful Score: 5
I have read several of this authors work. This one seems to take her from "beach read" novelist to something more literary. It is a controversial topic about teen suicide where a couple make a Pact One lives one dies. The story weaves back and forth from the past to the present. It is a book to invoke thought. Not a read to be taken lightly. I found it wonderfully done and real for a topic so difficult.
Helpful Score: 4
I may be the only person here who did not like this book as much as I had hoped I would. I think it was the idea that the idea was actually more interesting than the delivery.
The subtitle "A love story" is grossly understated. It seems everyone from the kids' parents down to the PI working for the defense is trying to get a little action from somewhere. It gets kind of ridiculous after awhile.
The beginning is interesting enough to get you into the story, the middle flounders, and by the end the poor misrepresented teenager who is on trial for the murder of his lifelong friend/girlfriend seems like an annoying wretch you're just kind of hoping gets locked away. I also had little sympathy for Emily (the girl who committed suicide), being it just ended up feeling like two spoiled kids gone wrong.
In the discussion part of the book Ms. Picoult said that it was just as much of a love story about Gus and Chris (mother and son) than anyone else. Really? It was hard to even really see that between Emily's parents forsaking their own marriage with hopes of trying to woo their neighbors away from their respective spouse. Chris' father, James, was also portrayed as an unbelievably cold hearted jerk but he redeems himself at the end so you feel that he got the short end of the stick in all this which I didn't like. If James was a victim, give me more than the last 3 pages of the book to say "Oh hey, he's really not so bad" which was pretty much what ended up happening.
I gave this book a 3 out of 5 because there were some qualities of the book such I liked. The emotions the parents were feeling on both sides (except Melanie Gold, Emily's mother, she just went psychotic) feasible and at some parts you kind of forgot about the 2nd rate soap opera going on and really felt your heart strings tug for them.
If you don't go into this wanting a compelling read on the subject of suicide, but a book about everyone else's drama that just somehow revolved around a suicide you can get something out of it.
The subtitle "A love story" is grossly understated. It seems everyone from the kids' parents down to the PI working for the defense is trying to get a little action from somewhere. It gets kind of ridiculous after awhile.
The beginning is interesting enough to get you into the story, the middle flounders, and by the end the poor misrepresented teenager who is on trial for the murder of his lifelong friend/girlfriend seems like an annoying wretch you're just kind of hoping gets locked away. I also had little sympathy for Emily (the girl who committed suicide), being it just ended up feeling like two spoiled kids gone wrong.
In the discussion part of the book Ms. Picoult said that it was just as much of a love story about Gus and Chris (mother and son) than anyone else. Really? It was hard to even really see that between Emily's parents forsaking their own marriage with hopes of trying to woo their neighbors away from their respective spouse. Chris' father, James, was also portrayed as an unbelievably cold hearted jerk but he redeems himself at the end so you feel that he got the short end of the stick in all this which I didn't like. If James was a victim, give me more than the last 3 pages of the book to say "Oh hey, he's really not so bad" which was pretty much what ended up happening.
I gave this book a 3 out of 5 because there were some qualities of the book such I liked. The emotions the parents were feeling on both sides (except Melanie Gold, Emily's mother, she just went psychotic) feasible and at some parts you kind of forgot about the 2nd rate soap opera going on and really felt your heart strings tug for them.
If you don't go into this wanting a compelling read on the subject of suicide, but a book about everyone else's drama that just somehow revolved around a suicide you can get something out of it.
Helpful Score: 4
Hard to put down. I also had a hard time with the ending but I guess it goes along with the story line...it doesn't always turn out the way you plan. Enjoy!
Helpful Score: 4
Jodi Picoult does indeed write well. Her prose and character development make it easy to get drawn into her books, however I simply did not like these people, except for the defense attorney. I finished the book because of the talented writing technique of Ms. Picoult, however, I am not inspired to pick up another of her books. Ms. Picoult prides herself on her research prior to writing, but along the way her editors missed 3 glaring errors that had me stopping and searching back among the chapters to make sure that what I had read earlier was indeed the correct point Ms. Picoult was attempting to make. If the errors were just slight, it would not have been so irksome, however one of the errors constitutes a major point in the defense's case.
Helpful Score: 4
My first Picoult book, extremely powerful. I cannot want to read more of her. I work with adolescent psych patients this book offered incredibly insight into an all too common teen problem.
Helpful Score: 4
A wonderful book that delves into how little you can really know another person, even if that person is your best friend, husband, even child. Makes you question how much influence we really have over our children's lives, and how strong our relationships with our friends really are.
Helpful Score: 3
This was my first time reading a Jodi Picoult book, but it won't be my last. The book was written "movie style" with a lot of flash backs. In some books, flash backs slow the plot, but it really worked for this novel. The story was heartfelt and even disturbing on some levels. I wasn't surprised by the book's ending, but I wasn't sure what would happen either. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. On the down side, there were several editing mistakes that jerked me out of the story back to reality -- which wasn't much fun.
Helpful Score: 3
Simply stated it's a love story to the nth degree between two childhood sweethearts. This is the first Jodi Picoult book that i have read. It took me a little bit to get into it, but once i did i could not put it down. The ending is surprising. A great first novel by her. I have added all her other books to my wish list.
Helpful Score: 2
Another great book by Jodi Picoult. This book makes you wonder about your own life as a teenager. Now as an adult I look back and can see many area's where this book would hit home. I recommend this book.
Helpful Score: 2
I gave this 4 stars because it was well written and the ideas were imaginatively (sp?) thought out. It was sad, I had to use tissues occasionaly.
It really affected me, which is probably what the writer intended. I had to really think about some of my reasons (or rationalizations) about why I do certain things, and if they are counter productive to my well-being. And if they are, are they harmful to those I love?
Sometimes it is fun to read a book just to read it, but sometimes it is good to read a book that helps you to change your life, or at the very least, makes you WANT to change your life.
It really affected me, which is probably what the writer intended. I had to really think about some of my reasons (or rationalizations) about why I do certain things, and if they are counter productive to my well-being. And if they are, are they harmful to those I love?
Sometimes it is fun to read a book just to read it, but sometimes it is good to read a book that helps you to change your life, or at the very least, makes you WANT to change your life.
Helpful Score: 2
This was just "okay" for me. I found that it was easily predictable, however my heart was racing towards the end just wondering what would happen. Jodi Picoult books always have a great ending, but when I went to bed after just finishing the book I kept thinking about the vivid descriptions of the sucicide. Needless to say, I didn't sleep well and while this was a great read, it just didn't sit with me well afterwards.
Helpful Score: 2
This is one of my favorite books by her. I couldn't put it down until I found out what happened. This one will tug at your heart strings.
Helpful Score: 2
Another amazing book by Jodi Picoult. The ending is truly a surprise, I promise you won't be able to put this one down!!!
Helpful Score: 2
This book was okay, but not one of Jodi Piccoult's better ones. I found it predictable, although one of the things I do love about Jodi Piccoult's writing is how close you get to the characters. I find her books slow in the beginning and this one followed that path. There were things touched on in the book that never really developed, and I'm not sure why. True to form, however, Jodi Piccoult puts a twist on things at the end, which makes her one of my favorite writers. Even if it doesn't turn out to be one of your favorite Piccoult books, it's a good read.
Helpful Score: 2
This is the kind of book I love -- it makes you THINK. It is well written, with deeply developed characters. While the subject matter might be disturbing, that should not be a reason for anyone to reject it. I recommend it to all, but especially parents of teenagers.
Helpful Score: 2
This is my 3rd Jodi Picoult book and by far my favorite. I've enjoyed all of her books that I have read and plan on reading more. This one was so hard to put down and I stayed up until 4 am reading without realizing it. Towards the end I was so into it I couldn't trust myself to not skip down on the page to see what happens. I had to physically cover the bottom of the page so I wouldn't ruin it because I just couldn't wait.
Helpful Score: 2
The Pact was, once again a great novel by Jodi! She does a great job developing characters and courtroom settings. I would have to say that so far my fave is definately My Sisters Keeper, then Perfect Match...with this book being my 3rd fave between them. Focusing around life long friends, turned lovers, ending tragically in what looks like a suicide pact, the book develops well and all, but i guess i expected a more climactic ending that i fould typical of Jodi. Thats all i will say as to not discourage one to expect disappointment...NOT AT ALL.... i think any Picoult fan would agree that you become "conditioned" to almost sub-conciously anticipate a gut-wrenching twist!!! But nontheless, this book was EXCELLENT! Highly Recommended!
Helpful Score: 2
Another riveting can't-put-it-down story from Jodi Picoult. Grabbing your attention on the first page, this book doesn't let you go until you turn the final one. You'll laugh out loud sometimes, and you will probably cry too. Ms. Picoult has the amazing ability to get inside the head of young people, to really identify with how they think, and most of all, what they feel. The intensity of that feeling is what drives her novels to surprising and satisfying endings. If you like Jodi Picoult's books, you'll love this one too.
Helpful Score: 2
Amazing book. I wasn't sure if I would like it because I don't usually read drama love stories, but this was great. I didn't want to put it down.
Helpful Score: 2
I love Jodi Picoult, and this is one of her best! The story grabbed me from the very first page. I often found myself thinking, " I wish I didn't have to do X, so that I could just sit here and keep reading this book." This is a book you could easily get lost in, just as many of her books are.
Helpful Score: 2
Another good book by Jodi Picoult. As a Mom it really makes you think about how well you know your child. Very moving.
This is the first Jodi Picoult book I read and from then on I was hooked. Great story and as with all her books, a really thought provoking story line. I first read this about 8 years ago. I had lent my copy out and it never came back. I bought it recently and re-read it and loved it more.
Helpful Score: 1
This was the second book I have read by Picoult and again I found myself wrapped into the story after page one. This book challenges you to see a situation from many points of view. The author takes a subject such as suicide and allows you to see into the mind of everyone involved. Great book!
Helpful Score: 1
I read this book in two days. I simply couldn't put it down. It is difficult to say I enjoyed this book though because some parts were just plain hard to read (ie painful situations, awkwardness between families) but there was a raw honesty to it that drew you in, even if you seemed to know what was going to happen next. There were many underlying issues that would make this a great book for a book club where many topics could be discussed. I would recommend this book and I look forward to reading more from this author. Be prepared for an emotional ride.
Helpful Score: 1
It's an interesting read -- not the best Jodi Picoult book that I've read. There were some parts of the story the author held back on revealing and I don't know why -- the reader knew the information long before the details were revealed. I was also disappointed in the ending -- although I felt the fall-out from the ending was realistic.
Helpful Score: 1
This was a great book. I couldn't put it down. I bought this after having read My Sister's Keeper, and plan to keep reading books by this author.
Helpful Score: 1
Very good book. Towards the end, I could not put it down. Especially if you are into Court Room debates, you will enjoy this book. Pulls at the heartstrings and hold technicalities one would not expect.
Great Read.
Great Read.
Helpful Score: 1
OK I couldnt put this down. Very compelling. Truly another Picoult best!
Helpful Score: 1
Utterly sad. If I could go back, I wouldn't have read it.
Helpful Score: 1
Wonderfully written novel. Every high schooler should read it!
Helpful Score: 1
This is the first Jodi Picoult book I ever read and I've been hooked since!
Helpful Score: 1
Good book- my second Jodi Picoult. Parts were a little predictable, but I enjoyed the book overall.
Helpful Score: 1
The first time I read this book, it was in one sitting. And even though I remembered more-or-less how it would end, it still made for an exciting re-read.
It follows the time-skipping format, concluding in the same court room drama as _Mercy_ and _Nineteen Minutes_. It is a very realistic novel and more true-to-heart and it's no coincidence that the cover of my copy advertises that it's going to be made into a Lifetime movie. I wonder if it ever did...
It also introduces the recurring character, defense attorney Jordan McAfee who is quite likable in each of his sporadic appearances, especially his close relationship with his son.
It follows the time-skipping format, concluding in the same court room drama as _Mercy_ and _Nineteen Minutes_. It is a very realistic novel and more true-to-heart and it's no coincidence that the cover of my copy advertises that it's going to be made into a Lifetime movie. I wonder if it ever did...
It also introduces the recurring character, defense attorney Jordan McAfee who is quite likable in each of his sporadic appearances, especially his close relationship with his son.
Helpful Score: 1
Not that hard to put down. Pretty predictable but still a decent book. Not JP's best.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a very contemporary story...you have a sense that the characters could exist and the action in this book could be unfolding, just as it's written, somewhere right now, while you read. The relationships between the characters are outlined in realistic terms, as if you are eavesdropping on their lives instead of floating above them, knowing more than they do. Just as in life, the resolution isn't neat and pretty...many things go unsaid or unknown. This is what I love about Jodi Picoult's writing.
I had a bit of trouble keeping track of which parent belonged to which child in the beginning, but that happens to me sometimes when more than three characters are introduced at a time. Other than that, it was a fairly engrossing story and I finished it quickly. Hopefully "Second Glance" is just as good....anyone have a copy? =)
I had a bit of trouble keeping track of which parent belonged to which child in the beginning, but that happens to me sometimes when more than three characters are introduced at a time. Other than that, it was a fairly engrossing story and I finished it quickly. Hopefully "Second Glance" is just as good....anyone have a copy? =)
Helpful Score: 1
Excellent Story.
It can be hard to read at times (in terms of subject matter) but most good novels are when well written.
You will truly feel the joy & pain each character feels throughout.
Awesome writer!
It can be hard to read at times (in terms of subject matter) but most good novels are when well written.
You will truly feel the joy & pain each character feels throughout.
Awesome writer!
Helpful Score: 1
This is a book that I really couldn't put down.
Helpful Score: 1
A beautifully written tale of loss, not only death but the kind of paradigm shift that sends you spinning loose from all you thought your life was about. Picoult describes emotions with subtle, honest complexity. I look forward to reading more from this brave author. Don't miss this book.
Helpful Score: 1
The only problem with reading books by this author is after the first 50 pages I can't put it down. For anyone parenting a teenager this is must reading. For anyone who has loved someone who committed suicide this is must reading. This author makes the point poignantly that the most self act is suicide. But then who among us hasn't acted selfishly at some time in our lives.
Helpful Score: 1
My first Jodi Picoult book and I have to say that I can't wait to read more. Excellent.
Helpful Score: 1
another powerful unforgettable Picoult novel...a must read.
Helpful Score: 1
This was a beautiful story. I had to put it down a few times, as my daughter is named Emily, but this book was so good. I highly recommend for anyone, especially parents of adolescents. My girls are only 3 & 4 years old, but I will make sure to bring this book into our home as they get older; perfect discussion book. Great read. This was my first Picoult novel, and I'm looking forward to reading more from her.
Helpful Score: 1
This story had a pretty good premise in its format, a then and now structure,deconstructing assumptions all along. However, in the second half this structure becomes a bit predictaable and did not hold my attention very well. Characters are about 2 layers deep and I don't know if I am as compelled to finish it as I thought I would be. It's not exactly one of those books where you have to come up for air. It's ok, but I would have liked to be more engrossed.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed the dynamics between all of the characters. This is one of the Picoult's better books.
Helpful Score: 1
Until the phone calls came at three on a November morning, the Golds and their neighbors the Hartes, had been inseparabl. It was no surprise 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 as part of an apparent suicide pact - leaving two devastated families desperate for answers about an unthinkable act and the children they never relly knew. This book was truly awesome -
Helpful Score: 1
An engrossing book with an illuminating look into teen suicide. Couldn't put it down!
WOW! I'm almost speechless. This was a great read! Well written, suspenseful. I could hardly put it down.
Helpful Score: 1
WOW!! Really great book...Jodi Piccoult is now one of those authors whose books I can't wait to get my hands on. You won't want to put this one down!!
Helpful Score: 1
Sad, but good story. Well written. If you've read any other Jodi Picoult books-you'll love this one as well.
Helpful Score: 1
amazing story, I couldn't put it down! I loved how the author gave glimpes of the characters' childhood, you really got to know them. The story took so many twists and turns, my feelings about the characters had completely changed by the end of the book. Such a heartbreaking story of love and pain, makes you feel like you're really there!
Helpful Score: 1
awesomely good book!!!!
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book. A sad tragedy but a book that you can not put down.A fantastic read.
Helpful Score: 1
Right now, Jodi Picoult is my favorite author and this book is another reason why. Wonderful book that, once again, explores a touchy subject and has the twists and turns to surprise. Even my teenage daughter, who does not read for pleasure, loved this book.
Helpful Score: 1
Great book!! Sweet and heart-breaking story that keeps you captivated until the end. You will love this book.
Helpful Score: 1
I did like this book, but I didn't LOVE it that way that I had hoped I would. I ended up not liking the characters Emily and Chris and really didn't understand why they did what they did (seemed very extreme). I like Jodi Picoult's novels quite a bit, this is not one of her best.
Helpful Score: 1
This book was written in th same gendre of Jodi Picoult other stories
it was a great read and every page you turned you were forced to
read on..
it was a great read and every page you turned you were forced to
read on..
Helpful Score: 1
Characters are fully developed and Picoult once again gets into the mind and spirit of not only the teens but their parents. Wonderful book by a great author.
Helpful Score: 1
One of Jodi Picoults best boooks!! I love them all, and this one was no exception!!
Great book!!!
Helpful Score: 1
A wonderful love story between two teenages who have loved each other from birth. An apparent suicide pact between them tears their families apart. A book that makes you question yourself, just like Picoult's books always seem to do.
Helpful Score: 1
Great story! Will keep you guessing till the end.
Helpful Score: 1
Wow! This book was awesome. The characters became a part of my life. I thought about them in the morning. I thought about them at night. I couldn't put the book down. This book is so captivating. Read it!
Helpful Score: 1
Great Book Club book - questions in back generate lots of discussion. Very moving book about 2 teenagers who make a pact to commit suicide - one lives, one dies. Jodi Picoult always writes with moving story lines.
Helpful Score: 1
This was my second Picoult book. I think she does an excellent job dealing with the feelings and emotions of all characters involved. I can't imagine having to go through something like this from any perspective, and I hope I never do. This book was hard to put down, and I found myself getting wrapped up in the whirlwind of emotions throughout. I was very near tears a few times. And like the Picoult book I read right before this one, you never know quite how it's going to end up until the very end.
On the other hand, I did find some of it somewhat unrealistic, but I won't go into detail at the risk of being a spoiler.
That being said, I highly recommend the book. Definitely a tear jerker.
On the other hand, I did find some of it somewhat unrealistic, but I won't go into detail at the risk of being a spoiler.
That being said, I highly recommend the book. Definitely a tear jerker.
Helpful Score: 1
The first one I read by this author. Loved it so much I went out and bought most of the rest of hers!
Helpful Score: 1
If you like Picoult, you will enjoy this book. It's very within character of other books she writes. Not one of my favorites, but it was a nice read. Didn't leave me really pondering anything like I have with some of her other books. If you've never read books by Jodi Picoult, I suggest starting with another title - Nineteen Minutes is better and still has teenagers as the subject.
Helpful Score: 1
Wow - what a story!! Two young lovers who had a suicide pact?? Fascinating story with some unexpected twists and turns, but very realistic portrayals of families, spouses, teens, and others. The reader is privy to the inner feelings and motivations of the characters. I could hardly put this book down until I finished.
Helpful Score: 1
Other Jodi Picoult books left me shocked in the end, this one didn't. But I still found myself wanted to hurry to get to the end to find out what would happen. Story of teen suicide. Which is hard to read, especially if it's something you've dealt with in your life. As always Jodi Picoult has written another emotional book.
Helpful Score: 1
I love Jodi Picoult and have read several of her books. This is the first one I've been disappointed in. It just wasn't the page turner that her other books are. Plus, I kept having this feeling I've read the same scenario before.
Helpful Score: 1
Popular high-school swimming star Chris Harte and talented artist Em Gold bonded as infants; their parents have been next-door neighbors and best friends for 18 years. When they fall in love, everyone is ecstatic. Everyone, it turns out, except for Em, who finds that sex with Chris feels almost incestuous. Her emotional turmoil, compounded by pregnancy, which she keeps secret, leads to depression, despair and a desire for suicide, and she insists that Chris prove his love by pulling the trigger.
Helpful Score: 1
Once I got through the first 2 chapters, I could not put this book down. A great read.
This was a very heart wrenching story. Once again Picoult makes you see the shades of gray between right and wrong. The story about 2 teenage lovers that grew up closely as nieghbors and friends, ends with one dead and the other accused of the crime. Does loving enough to let go include killing? I recomend this book to anyone who is a fan of Picoult. It is my favorite so far.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a great book. A terribly sad plot but great story none the less. Another home run for Jodi Picoult.
Helpful Score: 1
Another powerful, engrossing book from one of my newfound favorite authors. Hard to put down--I love how she tackles big, sometimes dark, issues and allows you to see into the heart of the people affected by them. Definitely a must read!
Helpful Score: 1
This is the first Jodi Picoult book I have read. I am amazed at the depth of her writing. You feel the characters' emotions, their grief, pain, joy, you feel everything. This was truly a love story. I had to read this over several days as it is intense in some parts and sometimes I just needed time to ponder. The Pact goes from the present to the past and Jodi Picoult does an amazing job marrying the past and the present and presenting it in a way that you aren't confused and haveing to go back and re-read to find out where you were or what was going on. Read with a lot of tissues!
Helpful Score: 1
As usual, Jodi Picoult takes us on an emotional rollercoaster with her writing. Very touchy content, as this book deals with teen suicide, but well worth it if you can get past the subject matter. This author simply cannot disappoint me with her books. Loved it.
Helpful Score: 1
This is the first Jodi Picoult book I have read and it has inspired me to read her others. She is an amazing author. This book truly gets you involved with the characters, their emotions, and their ongoing troubles. I could not put this book down once I started and when I did put it down, I always looked forward to when I could pick it up again. DEFINITELY RECOMMEND!!!
Helpful Score: 1
This was a very good book, although I don't think the problems with Emily were delved into deep enough. I had a hard time understanding exactly WHY she did what she did, and the ending of the book almost spoiled it for me because it just would have never happened that way in real life. But, having said that, I did like the book.
Helpful Score: 1
The book is good but after you read one or two book's by Jodi Picoult you can predict what will happen next.
Helpful Score: 1
I have read two of Picoult's book- this being the second. The writing is decent, somewhat entertaining but I always am left with the feeling that the characters are really missing depth. I understand that the emotion is 'supposed' to be there but her writing just doesn't bring it out for me.
I am going to give one more of her books a try & if the characters aren't a little deeper then I will be listing all the rest of her books I own.
I am going to give one more of her books a try & if the characters aren't a little deeper then I will be listing all the rest of her books I own.
Helpful Score: 1
So this was my first Jodi Picoult book. It hopefully wont be my last. I loved it! Its a beautifully, tragic story about love and loss. Loss in all aspects, losing a lover, a child, a best friend. Its amazing how Picoult told the stories of the past and present simultaneously, and without missing a beat.
The courtroom part of it was awesome! It was a lot of back and forth, and I felt like I was right there in the room listening. A really amazing read!
The courtroom part of it was awesome! It was a lot of back and forth, and I felt like I was right there in the room listening. A really amazing read!
Helpful Score: 1
Couldnt stop reading it.
Helpful Score: 1
Jodi Picoult is a favorite of mine. I think this is one of her better books. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. Even when I'd finished reading it, I carried it with me for days, it's a compelling story.
Helpful Score: 1
I did not care for this book very much. I found the plot very implausible and the development of the story did not grip me. Maybe it hit close to home as while I was reading the book, a senior at my son's school committed suicide. I am probably not totally objective in my review.
Helpful Score: 1
I found this book very disturbing. It was one of the worst books I have ever read, I was very disappointed.
Helpful Score: 1
Another great novel by Picoult, who isn't afraid to tackle the tough "let's not talk about it" issues. I did not find even one paragraph of this book to be superfluous. Here are two contemporary families we learn to care about from the very first chapters.
She develops her characters so well...relationships between the spouses, adult friends, siblings, and teen "soulmates" evolve through her mastery of storytelling. This book is so much more than I can tell without giving away too much. Know that these people will touch you and stay with you long after you finish the last page. In this, as in life, all answers are not given, but there is joy and pain; love and heartbreak to share along the way.
She develops her characters so well...relationships between the spouses, adult friends, siblings, and teen "soulmates" evolve through her mastery of storytelling. This book is so much more than I can tell without giving away too much. Know that these people will touch you and stay with you long after you finish the last page. In this, as in life, all answers are not given, but there is joy and pain; love and heartbreak to share along the way.
Helpful Score: 1
Picoult is a new author to me- in fact i stumbled upon her on this site, looking for new summer reads. & what a compelling author!
this book is about a suicide/homicide involving two teens and their families. it shows very realistic reactions and tells a very thorough story. you don't read about these characters- you very vividly get to walk in their shoes and get to experience something most of us probably haven't. this book broke my heart a few times, and i kept wanting to jump in the book and just fix things.
initially upon completion of this book, i kept trying to figure out whose 'love story' this was, and i think i realized it's not a 'love story' but rather a 'story of love'. and not in the classical boy & girl way but rather the love in families- from the children to spouse and the friends that blur the line of kinship and platonic.
this book is about a suicide/homicide involving two teens and their families. it shows very realistic reactions and tells a very thorough story. you don't read about these characters- you very vividly get to walk in their shoes and get to experience something most of us probably haven't. this book broke my heart a few times, and i kept wanting to jump in the book and just fix things.
initially upon completion of this book, i kept trying to figure out whose 'love story' this was, and i think i realized it's not a 'love story' but rather a 'story of love'. and not in the classical boy & girl way but rather the love in families- from the children to spouse and the friends that blur the line of kinship and platonic.
Helpful Score: 1
I couldnt ever get into this book... Picoult jumps from THEN to NOW every several pages. It is hard to follow with all the characters and their LONG back stories... but the story line was good. I think if I had just read the THEN portion, then I could have finished it. haha
Helpful Score: 1
Not as riveting as my sister's keeper. I actually couldn't finish the book. It didn't seem to be written as seamlessly and didn't have the flow that grabs my attention and hooks me into the story.
Helpful Score: 1
I hated the book. I thought the ending was a complete copout. Come on there is no way in real life the story would have ended the way it did. The writer wrote herself into a corner and couldn't get out. Total crap.
Helpful Score: 1
What a great read. Very thought provoking. She is an amazing author.
Helpful Score: 1
After I got past the first few chapters I was HOOKED. The story jumps between "Then" and "Now" and tells the story of Chris and Emily and their families. Chris and Emily and their parents were almost like on family. They lived next door to each other and took vacations together. Chris and Emily grew up together and were just about as close as two people can be. They started dating as teenagers. The book opens with the death of Emily.
They find Emily shot in the head and Chris holding her dead body. Chris tells them it was supposed to be a double suicide, but he apparently passed out before he could take his life.
As the police investigate the situation and you get flashes of before all this happened and different story starts to take shape. Did thes two love-struck teenagers really plan a double suicide? And why?
These two families, who were like one, are torn apart by the tragedy.
Throughout the book, the plot thickens with almost every page turn. You get more pieces to the puzzle, see things from Emily's perspective, and more and more plot lines develop with each chapter.
I could not put it down all weekend.
They find Emily shot in the head and Chris holding her dead body. Chris tells them it was supposed to be a double suicide, but he apparently passed out before he could take his life.
As the police investigate the situation and you get flashes of before all this happened and different story starts to take shape. Did thes two love-struck teenagers really plan a double suicide? And why?
These two families, who were like one, are torn apart by the tragedy.
Throughout the book, the plot thickens with almost every page turn. You get more pieces to the puzzle, see things from Emily's perspective, and more and more plot lines develop with each chapter.
I could not put it down all weekend.
Helpful Score: 1
Jodi Picoult has done it again! I swear I am going to read every one of her books. This book was awesome, a real page turner! While reading it, I could imagine being the characters in the book because it was so detailed and made me feel as I was there. It was a love story in the form of Romeo & Juliet style only in modern times. The ending will make you cry and your heart will pour out to the survivor of this love story. It is a must read!
Helpful Score: 1
Jodi Picoult is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Her books have the ability to make tear at you from all directions. This one is no different. She does such a great job wrapping you up in the love story and agony of these 2 young people and their families.
What a great writer! I love the challenges that she presents. This story was well written; I was quickly hooked. The topic was thought-provoking.
Helpful Score: 1
Could not stop reading this one. disturbing and sweet at the same time.
Helpful Score: 1
As always, Jodi Picoult does a great job with the development of her characters. Although not my favorite of her books, it is still a page turner . Just like her other books, the author forces the reader to look at the situation at hand from various viewpoints. I found myself rooting for someone I would not have if the situation were real to me. This book is a love story not only between two young people, but also between their families. A good mystery is mixed in too not unlike her other books.
Helpful Score: 1
Reviewed by Taylor Rector for TeensReadToo.com
Chris and Emily have been good friends since they were born. Their parents have always been friends, and they were destined to become a couple once they entered their teenage years. They are always together and are seemingly very in love.
Until Emily ends up dead, and Chris was the only other person there when she died.
What happens? Will the kids that always seemed so happy rip these families apart? Did Chris really kill Emily? What really happened the night of her death?
Too much cannot be said without giving away the ending of the story. This is another book from Jodi Picoult that makes you think. There are a few predicable scenes, but still enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested. A good read for someone who is curious about how lives that seem so perfect can change so fast.
Chris and Emily have been good friends since they were born. Their parents have always been friends, and they were destined to become a couple once they entered their teenage years. They are always together and are seemingly very in love.
Until Emily ends up dead, and Chris was the only other person there when she died.
What happens? Will the kids that always seemed so happy rip these families apart? Did Chris really kill Emily? What really happened the night of her death?
Too much cannot be said without giving away the ending of the story. This is another book from Jodi Picoult that makes you think. There are a few predicable scenes, but still enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested. A good read for someone who is curious about how lives that seem so perfect can change so fast.
Helpful Score: 1
AMAZING!! I LOVE everything she's written so far but honestly this might be the best! Definitely in the top three! I recommend this to everyone in every book club and swapping site I belong to (along with her others) and haven't heard a bad review yet. Not sure why L.G. feels how he does, no examples were brought forth so I can't say anything there but please, no one go by that review, look at ALL THE REST! Picoult is ONE OF THE BEST authors of our time!
Helpful Score: 1
Good book. Great story about teenage love and pressure.
Helpful Score: 1
I read this book in a week. I never to that! It just keeps you on the edge of your set.
Helpful Score: 1
I really didn't think this was a love story, per say. From the first couple pages I could not put this book down. I thought it was well written and kept you guessing till the end.
I really liked her writing. This is the first book I have read of hers, now I think I will go back and read all hers.
I really liked her writing. This is the first book I have read of hers, now I think I will go back and read all hers.
Helpful Score: 1
I could not put this book down. I wanted to get to the end and find out what had really happened. The characters are well drawn and you begin to feel like you know them. Not a happy, fluffy love story, but is definitely worth reading. It makes you realize that you may not really know the people that you love.
Helpful Score: 1
What a powerful book. You were right along with these two families as they went through this gut wrenching time with their children. An intense read. But well worth it.
Helpful Score: 1
What a great book. It hooks you at the beginning and hooks you until the end!!!!
Somewhat predictable but a good, fairly quick read. Easily keeps the reader engaged.
Helpful Score: 1
I must say I usually love Jodi Picoult books, and don't get me wrong it had classic Picoult signs there but to call something "A Love Story" there has to be love. As far as I was concerened there was not an ounce of it between the two main characters. Truly the first disappointment as far as picoult goes.
Helpful Score: 1
As a parent and a teacher of young students-this book is real and scary and true-and impossible to put down. I have read all of her books, this one and Nineteen Minutes is a must read for teachers. We need to be aware of their emotions and all the stuff we don't see. I highly recommend this book.
Helpful Score: 1
I dont know how to feel about this book. Its an inside view of a tragic situation from many different angles. The story kept me interested and I couldnt wait to see how it ended; but I also could not wait for it to be over, it was very depressing. Like another reviewer said, I think the main character made the wrong choice in his decision and the reasons for his decision did not convince me that it was the only one he could have made.
Helpful Score: 1
I absolutely despised this book when it was a mandatory read in a Sr English class, I thought it was ridiculous and a total eye roll version of a book. But, much against my initial mood towards it, I decided to read it again, for myself. Lo, and behold, it was still a book not worth reading again, but I did find some of the lines to be noteworthy. Especially the comparison to chicken pox and adolescence. Although I did not come to enjoy it, I do recommend this for a mature reader. Maybe you'll take something away from this book that I didn't. The best of luck to you on that quest.
Helpful Score: 1
This was the 1st Picoult book that I read and I really enjoyed it. I couldn't put it down!
Helpful Score: 1
This was a phenomenal book. I couldn't put it down.
Helpful Score: 1
Sad, moving but wonderful at the same time
Helpful Score: 1
I am not a big Jodi Picoult fan; I read 2-3 of her earlier novels because of a recommendation from a friend/avid Jodi Picoult fan, and while those were compelling enough to finish, the very predictable formula to her writing became boring. The predictable plots were like watching CSI or Cold Case - each episode has a different crime and characters but follows the same formula.
Someone gave me 8-10 of her books, all of which I look forward to trading here.
Someone gave me 8-10 of her books, all of which I look forward to trading here.
I thought this was the best of the her books. I couldn't put it down.
Helpful Score: 1
When I read a Jodi Picoult book I usually think they are pretty average. Although she tackles different story lines and topics, the books are predictable and have the same tone. This is by far my favorite Picoult book. I couldn't put it down. The emotions from the teenage main characters in the book were so biting. It's been a few years since I was a teenager, but it brought that raw age right back into my mind. I would have appreciated a little more to the ending. It seemed to leave the reader hanging, but overall it was a great book.
I'm a fan of Jodi Picoult because her characters are so authentic I feel like I'm reading an interesting biography rather than fiction. The Pact did not disappoint.
A heart wrenching yet beautiful story. I love Jodi Picoult because she makes you feel like you're a part of the story, that they're real. One that leaves you wondering what will happen next and so hard to put down. A great read! 5 stars!
I loved this book, it was really exciting to try to figure out what had actually happened. At the same time it was sad that because of a secret a 17 year old had to die over it.
Not the ending you were expecting. A heart breaking story of young love and pain.
I loved this one. I have read many of Jodi's books. This one ranks right up there at the top!
This book held my interest from beginning to end. Excellent read.
Heart-wrenching book. I couldn't put it down.
This book was amazing. It takes so many twists and turns you don't want to put it down. A young love tragedy.
This was my first book from Picoult and I loved it. I got to know the characters and share in their joys, confusion, memories, and sadness. I have recommended this to several friends.
The tale focuses on Chris Harte and Emily Gold, whose bond began when they were babies. Their mothers were such close friends that the babies shared a bassinet. The effect of this closeness on Chris and Emily is psychologically interesting. Always together, they were best friends who shared everything. As they grew, each begins to feel pain when the other is injured and they finish one another's thoughts and sentences. Romance blooms at 15 and 14.
Eighteen-year old Chris is caring, devoted and sensitive very much in love with Emily. He is an accomplished athlete and she is an extremely talented artist. His character was well-developed while Emily Gold and her mother seem less so. Emily seems more self-centered and withdraws into herself. By 17, she is dead. Authorities believe that Chris killed her. It seems that they had a suicide pact but Chris was unable to complete his part when he saw Emily gone. Evidence found at the scene indicates that Chris murdered Emily and an emotionally gripping trial ensues.
The plot draws strength from the autheor's writing and the story she created. There's awkward teenage sex and Emily as a child is molested-in-a-McDonalds bathroom. Suspense builds with alternating chapters reflecting on the past to explain how the suicide pact emerged. Her mother is an interesting character who can't believe that her daughter committed suicide, ready to blame someone, obviously Chris, for her death. Some parts were slow, particularly details about childhood and adolescence and sections about the parents sex added little. Nevertheless, this is a good read that gives the reader much food for thought. From experience, I know that parents don't always recognize when a child is anticipating suicide.
Eighteen-year old Chris is caring, devoted and sensitive very much in love with Emily. He is an accomplished athlete and she is an extremely talented artist. His character was well-developed while Emily Gold and her mother seem less so. Emily seems more self-centered and withdraws into herself. By 17, she is dead. Authorities believe that Chris killed her. It seems that they had a suicide pact but Chris was unable to complete his part when he saw Emily gone. Evidence found at the scene indicates that Chris murdered Emily and an emotionally gripping trial ensues.
The plot draws strength from the autheor's writing and the story she created. There's awkward teenage sex and Emily as a child is molested-in-a-McDonalds bathroom. Suspense builds with alternating chapters reflecting on the past to explain how the suicide pact emerged. Her mother is an interesting character who can't believe that her daughter committed suicide, ready to blame someone, obviously Chris, for her death. Some parts were slow, particularly details about childhood and adolescence and sections about the parents sex added little. Nevertheless, this is a good read that gives the reader much food for thought. From experience, I know that parents don't always recognize when a child is anticipating suicide.
Great book. As always, Jodi Picoult keeps the story interesting from start to finish.
Hard to put down...Very interesting twist!
A fast paced read that you cannot put down!
Another great Jodi Picoult novel about two modern families whose lives are changed forever by their children.
boring!!!!!! took me forever to read
This was a great read. I couldn\'t put the book down and read 3/4ths of the book in one night and finished the rest the very next morning. Definitely recommend this book!
One of the best books I've ever read. Its about a romance gone totally suicidal with a beloved 17 year old dead and another one alive
two families start deteriotating.
two families start deteriotating.
Very interesting storyline
Classic Jodi Picoult, this book is another good read. Perfect light reading that still makes you think. The pages soon run out of this book and when reading it's hard to stop.
WOW! What a story, I hated it but couldn't put it down. I was amazed by how this story unfolds and even when I thought I knew what was coming I was totaly caught by surprise. Its an excellant read but be prepared to feel the ups and downs of this one!!!
I could not put this book down. The story developed by beginning with present day, but then exploring the past and bringing the reader along to the present. I also don't really accept the premise of why the main character acted as he did. But I was willing to suspend my beliefs because the book was such a good read.
loved this book, easy, quick read...didn't want to put it down.
Cheesy chick book. But, yeah, I read it.
This is an excellent book~ I would defniately recommend this book~
Enjoyed the book.
Good book, really enjoyed the emotional level Picoult takes the relationships between best friends and neighbors. You are on the edge of your seat dying to know what really happened that night. I love how Picoult switched between each characters point of view, really gave insight in the deeper thoughts of the characters.
Loved this book. I had a hard time putting it down!!
Love all Jodi Piccoult's Books. This is one of my favorites
This book was an amazing story about the strong bond of love. It tells the true meaning that love has no limits. It also tells about children's comittment to their parents and how sometimes parents can expect so much from a child. These expectations can drive a child (minor or adult) to extreme limits to keep their parents happy.
I was rather surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. This is not my genre of choice, and it took me awhile to get through the book, but the story was one that kept my interest. Heartwarming and tragic at the same time, this was a fantastic story about how the nightmares of our past can haunt us throughout our lives. A surprising ending and an overall plot reminiscent of a Lifetime movie (which is something I normally avoid like the plague), I still enjoyed this book.
I had a hard time putting this book down - really wanted to know what events transpired to cause the final outcome. I became very vested in the characters.
The problem I have with this author sometimes is the way she ends her novels. This ending was ok but it left me with some questions and some doubts on some of the events really happening the way she wrote them. Overall, it is a good book that I have recommended to others.
The problem I have with this author sometimes is the way she ends her novels. This ending was ok but it left me with some questions and some doubts on some of the events really happening the way she wrote them. Overall, it is a good book that I have recommended to others.
I will never forget this book. It sticks with you. 5/5.
This was a fantastic book! A real heart breaker. This book shows you the kind of love that everyone dreams about.
Great book, enjoyed it very much
Another masterpiece by Jodi Picoult, do not miss this book!
This was a really good book! I read it in about 3 days as I couldn't put it down. There were some sad parts but that is to be expected from Jodi Picoult!
I liked this book, but at the same time I did not necessiarly understand the premise of why the characters were behaving they way they did. It was a good read and kept me wondering what was going to happen, but at the same time I wondered why certain situations weren't handled differently.
I have loved all of the Jodi Picoult books I have read so far, but this book falls short. I received the book about two months ago and it has been riding around in my purse since. I am unable to get past the first few chapters. The story line is not intriguing, and I'm sure there' s a twist in the end, but I can't quite get through the book. I will be reposting the book shortly.
I liked this book as I have every Jodi Picoult.
This beautifully written, gut-wrenching tale kept me glued to the book (including a few late nights) until the end.
This book was very sad but very romantic. I loved it and couldn't put it down! The best thing about the author is that her endings don't end the way you expect them to.
Picoult's books always leave you thoughtful even as you wipe away the tears.
This was the third Picoult book I read.
Jodi Picoult is brilliant when it comes to tackling difficult topics in a way that makes us NEED to understand how the characters have come to be. In this novel, her clever manipulation of our values, morals & emotions is hard at work right up until the end when she sells out by offering up a "hollywood" ending rather than the honest one that is more true to her style. I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth at having trusted her and then when I read the author interview confirming my worst fears - she adjusted the ending to "give readers what they want" - I was a bit insulted that she dumbed it down for the masses. We like her because she dares us to think beyond our comfort zone!
Loved this book, didn't want to put it down
The first I've read by Picoult, a quick read. Fairly disturbing subject matter, but I like the way she writes and will certainly look for other books of hers.
Another great one from Jodi Picoult
I couldn't put it down!
A very interesting love story...with a definite twist. A story worth reading.
This author's style takes a little getting used to, she jumps around in this one from present to past back to present, etc., it takes a little getting used to but it puts the story into perspective at the right time.
This author's style takes a little getting used to, she jumps around in this one from present to past back to present, etc., it takes a little getting used to but it puts the story into perspective at the right time.
Another great Jodi Picoult novel: I couldn't put this one down either!!!
Not as good as My Sister's Keeper. The story itself is interesting, but the characters are not as complete and the ending isn't as satisfying. Perhaps a bit formulaic. However, My Sister's Keeper was so good that maybe my expectations were unreasonable. It's a good book, but not a great one.
A riveting novel about families and how their lives are torn apart by their teenage children. A book that's hard to put down.
Very good story. I love Picoult books.
The only thing I can say negative about this book is that you cannot put it down. It is fantastic from start to end. I read it in 2 days. It is fantastic!
Very absorbing and sad, but such a good read.
Not one of her best books
Excellent book! Didn't want to put it down.
Although I was disappointed by the ending, it was an enjoyable read.
This is one of those books that you just can't put down. It's a heartfelt story about the love of two children who knew each other from the day they were born and the life that that brings. Wonderful story that keeps you guessing until the last page!
This is the first Jodi Piccoult book I read, and from the first page, I was a committed fan of this author.
She has a way of taking a subject matter that you think you have an iron-clad opinion on, and introduces another side to the issue. You will want to read all of her books after this one!
She has a way of taking a subject matter that you think you have an iron-clad opinion on, and introduces another side to the issue. You will want to read all of her books after this one!
This was a very interesting story. The characters are well developed and the world in which they live is also very believable. More importantly, the story is gripping, compelling, and shocking. It is a good look at love and family, including the families we choose, our friends. Definitely a page-turner.
a good book for a book club, a lot to discuss.
great read could not put it down
This book is a compelling story of teenage suicide and its effect on the families of the victim. A powerful study of families in anguish and friendships ripped apart by the resulting circumstances. It was hard to put the book down once I started reading it.
I found the language to be too stiff and formal to be believable for modern characters and modern fiction. Also, the use of certain terms and phrases I'd consider more British English than American English distracted me - especially since the story is supposed to be set in New England. If I didn't have friends from the UK, I'd have gotten lost at some points.
Probably a very good book, but I just couldn't get into the story enough to finish it.
Probably a very good book, but I just couldn't get into the story enough to finish it.
Did not like this one at all! Slow and depressing.
Good story. Thought provoking - as her books usually are.
Page Turner! Couldn't put it down- it keeps you in suspence until the very last chapter. i wish there was a sequel!
This is one of those books that hooks you from the beginning and you can't put it down. I loved it!
This book is a must read. After reading the back of the book, I was unsure if I would make it through this whole book or not, but it is truly amazing!
Love this book!!! I could not put this book down until I was finished!! I highly recommend this book to everyone!!!!
Like all of Jodi Picoult's other stories, this one hinges on the relationships between families and friends. Picoult is an excellent writer, and manages to interweave the chapters and stories beautifully. However, I was disappointed that many of the subplots involving the families did not flesh out. In fact, several questions that were clearly meant to engage the reader were never answered. Picoult seems to rely more on the relational details of the two teenage characters, rather than developing a strong plotline.
But I still love you, Jodi!
But I still love you, Jodi!
Very moving story. I didn't like the end, but the rest of the book was great!
The first Jodi Picoult book that I have read and definately not the last. This was a great story that was hard to put down.
Great story; easy read.
I was expecting a lot more than what was actually delivered from this book. I had heard great things about it, had heard several people say it was their favorite book by Jodi Picoult. I did enjoy it, don't get me wrong here, but I was disappointed. I did not like the two main characters much at all, Emily and Chris. I really didn't see anything that happened in the story to justify or give reason for the extreme act from the beginning of the book.
This is the first Jodi Picoult novel I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will definitely be reading more of her work.
A beautifully written tale of loss, not only death but the kind of paradigm shift that sends you spinning loose from all you thought your life was about. Picoult describes emotions with subtle, honest complexity. I look forward to reading more from this brave author. Don't miss this book.
This is a wonderful novel. It made for a great discussion at my book club.
I love all here books and this one is just as gripping
Chris Harte and Emily Gold have been made for each other since birth -their families have lived next to each other all their lives, Chris and Emily played together as children, and now, in high school, they've become the perfect couple. Which makes it all the more shocking when Emily winds up dead, apparently as part of a suicide pact she and Chris made. The book goes back and forth between the past, showing how everything developed, and the present, as Chris goes to jail and prepares to be tried for murder, and as both families are irreparably torn apart.
This is a book that I'm glad to have read, but wouldn't want to read again, because it is so wrenching and heartbreaking. It provoked a lot of discussion at a book club, for sure.
This is a book that I'm glad to have read, but wouldn't want to read again, because it is so wrenching and heartbreaking. It provoked a lot of discussion at a book club, for sure.
It caught me from the beginning all the way to the end!
This is a riveting story about 2 families. It's a real page turner. Another great Picoult book!
Super book. I found it hard to put down.
Excellent book - both sad and thought provoking. Full of interesting chacacters and plot lines.
Got four stars on Amazon and this is one of their reviews:
Teenage suicide is the provocative topic that Picoult plumbs, with mixed results, in her fifth novel. Popular high-school swimming star Chris Harte and talented artist Em Gold bonded as infants; their parents have been next-door neighbors and best friends for 18 years. When they fall in love, everyone is ecstatic. Everyone, it turns out, except for Em, who finds that sex with Chris feels almost incestuous. Her emotional turmoil, compounded by pregnancy, which she keeps secret, leads to depression, despair and a desire for suicide, and she insists that Chris prove his love by pulling the trigger...
Teenage suicide is the provocative topic that Picoult plumbs, with mixed results, in her fifth novel. Popular high-school swimming star Chris Harte and talented artist Em Gold bonded as infants; their parents have been next-door neighbors and best friends for 18 years. When they fall in love, everyone is ecstatic. Everyone, it turns out, except for Em, who finds that sex with Chris feels almost incestuous. Her emotional turmoil, compounded by pregnancy, which she keeps secret, leads to depression, despair and a desire for suicide, and she insists that Chris prove his love by pulling the trigger...
An incredibly moving story. It was a page turner right fromt he beginning, I couldn't put it down.
As usual with her books I finished it in a matter of days but the ending was disappointing, I'm used to endings from her that completley throw me off from what I expected. Not my favorite by Picoult but still good.
I found the first half of the book a little slow. I did not agree with the ending, but it was still an enjoyable book.
I'm still sobbing...!
One of Picoult's best. For 18 yrs the Hartes and the Golds have lived next door to each other, sharing everything. Parents and children alike are 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 birth. When the midnight calls come in from the hospital, no one is prepared for the appalling truth: Emily is dead at 17 from a gunshot wound to the head, inflicted by Chris as part of an apparent suicide pact. Suspenseful story.
My first encounter with Jodi Picoult. Though the story was somewhat dark, I was caught up by her amazing writing and now I'm addicted!
This was my first Jodi Picoult book, and I thought it was OK. I wasn't crazy about it, but I did like the fact that she tackled difficult subject matter. I'm hoping other Picoult books are better as I've hear great things about her work.
Page turner!! A very compelling story that forces you to see the point of view of each character.
Another great read by J PIcoult!
It's sad, but I think this book is more timely than I would care to guess. Have you seen the movie on the Lifetime movie network? I haven't! I'm just resting in the belief that the book is always better!
This is one of the best books i have read recently. It was my first book read that was writen by Picoult. Anyone can relate to the love that Emily and Chris had.
Good book filled with twists and turns. However, not one of my favorite.
Just never finished reading this one...for some reason it sounded to depressing to me ..I hear it was great...I just must not have been in the right frame of mind to read it.I really do like all of her books.
Great book, I couldn't put it down
Unbelieveably good story! You won't be able to put it down!
By far my FAVE Picoult book. I laughed, i cried, i hoped, i cried some more. Amazing story, characters, plot all of it. Loved this whole book. Could not put i tdown. Opened my eyes A LOT!!! About suicide n relationships and the after math of such events. Great Book! Keeper!!
great read
my favorite author, haven't read one yet that disappointed
A suicide pact between two teenage lovers. Did he do it? Can you really know what happens during intense emotional crisis.
This book was a page-turner. I really was engrossed in the story and the way in which the author really brought the characters to life!
A wonderful love story that captivates and is difficult to put down.
Enjoyed this book alot. It was the first Jodi Picoult book I have read and I have since read everyone she has put out. It is a deeply moving story of two families and the bonds they shared.
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. Parents and children alike are best friends--so it's no surprise when Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. Read this book and enjoy the story of what happens when Emily is dead at seventeen with a gunshot wound inflicted by Chris as part of an apparent suicide pact.
Great book and a fast read.
Great book and a fast read.
Great story, my first of Picoult (have read most of them since.) Very sad, but moving story. As bad of a tragedy as the main story line is, the love between the two main characters is still somehow uplifting.
Riveting tale of tragic young love and the consequences of having to live up to other people's expectations- especially people you love.
For eighteen years, the Hartes and the Golds have liverd next door to each other, sharing everything from Chinese food to chicken pox to carpool duty. Parents and children alike are 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....
I really enjoyed reading this author...
I really enjoyed reading this author...
A super engaging read! A cliff hanger ending with a somewhat unfinished feeling ending. Also a very serious subject that is deeply explored.
Depressing but really good. Picoult is one of my favorites.
Excellent... as all her books are!
From the back of the book: "Jodi Picoult paints an incredible portrait of families in anguis, culminating in an astonishingly suspenseful courtroom drama as Chris finds himself on trial for murder. The Pact is storytelling at its best: wonderfully observed, deeply moving, and utterly impossible to put down." I whole-heartedly agree.
AWESOME book. The best I have read in a while.
Good story, started to read it, realized I had read it before!
An engrossing story. Sometimes predictable, but still, a great read.
An amazing, heart-wrenching story of love in many forms.
A cast of subtly drawn characters caught up in a tradgy as timeless and resonant as those of the Greeks or Shakespeare.
I though the book was OK, but I wasn't completely enamored with it. The story is like other books I have read such as "A Map of the World"... two couples are best friends, one of their children dies, parents of dead child blame other parents. Picoult has created some sympathetic characters, but as a whole the book's plot was somewhat contrived and hard to believe.
I thought I would like this book more. It took me a while to get me into it and I was never fully interested.
Great story! I just discovered this author, but am currently reading My Sister's Keeper and love it too!
Friendship, loyalty, lifelong love -- and teenage suicide. A riveting, timely, and terrifying novel from an acclaimed writer who skillfully intertwines the intimate perceptions of Anne Tyler with the dramatic tension of John Grisham
The Golds and the Hartes, neighbors for eighteen years, have always been inseparable. So have their children-and it's no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. But the bonds of family, friendship, and passion-which had seemed so indestructible -- suddenly threaten to unravel in the wake of unexpected tragedy.
When midnight calls from the hospital come in, no one is ready for the truth. Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris pilfered from his father's cabinet-a bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself. But a local detective has doubts about the suicide pact that Chris describes.
This extraordinary, heart-rending novel asks questions that every parent faces: How much do we know about our children? Our friends?
The Golds and the Hartes, neighbors for eighteen years, have always been inseparable. So have their children-and it's no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. But the bonds of family, friendship, and passion-which had seemed so indestructible -- suddenly threaten to unravel in the wake of unexpected tragedy.
When midnight calls from the hospital come in, no one is ready for the truth. Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris pilfered from his father's cabinet-a bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself. But a local detective has doubts about the suicide pact that Chris describes.
This extraordinary, heart-rending novel asks questions that every parent faces: How much do we know about our children? Our friends?
This book is great! I cant imagine having to go through what these friends went through. Fantastic. My favorite of Picoults books so far!
All of Jodi Picoult's books are so good. She is a wonderful writer.
A very touching love story.
Reviewed by Taylor Rector for TeensReadToo.com
Chris and Emily have been good friends since they were born. Their parents have always been friends, and they were destined to become a couple once they entered their teenage years. They are always together and are seemingly very in love.
Until Emily ends up dead, and Chris was the only other person there when she died.
What happens? Will the kids that always seemed so happy rip these families apart? Did Chris really kill Emily? What really happened the night of her death?
Too much cannot be said without giving away the ending of the story. This is another book from Jodi Picoult that makes you think. There are a few predicable scenes, but still enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested. A good read for someone who is curious about how lives that seem so perfect can change so fast.
Chris and Emily have been good friends since they were born. Their parents have always been friends, and they were destined to become a couple once they entered their teenage years. They are always together and are seemingly very in love.
Until Emily ends up dead, and Chris was the only other person there when she died.
What happens? Will the kids that always seemed so happy rip these families apart? Did Chris really kill Emily? What really happened the night of her death?
Too much cannot be said without giving away the ending of the story. This is another book from Jodi Picoult that makes you think. There are a few predicable scenes, but still enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested. A good read for someone who is curious about how lives that seem so perfect can change so fast.
Wonderful book!
Another thought provoking book by Jodi Picoult. She has become one of my favorite authors. This is a story of two teens, raised as neighbors, and nearly brother and sister for years. What happens when one of them wants to commit suicide? Picoult brings out the personalities of all the characters involved in this tale. I could not stop reading!
Excellent! Could hardly put it down!
Love this author. Another one that is hard to put down.
Well written; a great story! I really got involved with the characters, so much so, that at one point I had to put the book down and ponder what just happened. I was stunned, and had to reprocess the whole situation before I could go on. I will not get more specific because I don't want to spoil it, but this is a book most anybody will enjoy.
Jodi Picoult is the most phenomenal writer. This was the first book I read by her, and I could not put it down. I immediately went and got every single other one of her books. This book is a difficult one to read for a parent, regardless of whether or not they are the same age. Jodi really makes the reader feel for every character.
Another great Picoult novel!
Once again Ms. Picoult has written a completely mesmerizing tale of a sensitive subject, suicide. I simply cannot put her books down & this one was no exception!
An amazing story...I read this for a book group I was in and we all LOVED it and had quite a good discussion about it. This book really stayed with me long after I was done reading it.
Excellent, engrossing book. I'd definitely give it 5 stars.
Wonderful book.
A love story. A heartache. The truth.
Loved IT!!
Jodi Picoult has a knack for writing heart-wrenching, emotional stories that will have a lasting effect on the reader long after they have read the last page. This book is no exception. The lives of the Hartes and the Golds, neighbors and best friends for 18 years, is thrown into turmoil when 17-year-old Emily Gold is killed in the presence of her boyfriend, 18-year-old Chris Harte. Was it suicide, as Chris maintains, or murder? Riveting reading.
This was one of those books that I didn't want to stop reading until I got to the end, but paced myself because I didn't want it to end too soon. Great read. The characters are still on my mind.
excellent book. couldn't put it down
Another interesting book by Jodi Picoult.
I loved reading this book. It's one of those special finds that makes you laugh and cry and really feel. Picoult wrote the love between Chris and Emily perfectly from the time they were newborns to the turmoil of high school. The heartbreak, anger, and confusion between the two families is so real that the characters seem more like real people than fiction. Another perfect book from Jodi Picoult.
This is a book that I absolutely could not put down. If you read and liked any of Jodi Picoult's books including "My Sister's Keeper" you won't be disappointed with this one.
superb read, I couldn't put it down last nite till I finished it!, I am so... tired this a.m.
Another great read from Jodi Picoult!
Another beautifully written page-turner from Jodi Picoult.
Eh..
I wasn't very thrilled with this book. It was very predictable, and I could give a crud about the characters, they never seemed "real" to me.
I wasn't very thrilled with this book. It was very predictable, and I could give a crud about the characters, they never seemed "real" to me.
I couldn't put it down! I read this book in a day! Excellent book, with every page drawing you in until you are certain you know the outcome... but do you? I really recommend this book!
If you are a Jodi Picoult fan, this is just another one of her marvelous books... if not, you should read it. She's a wonderful author.
This story had so much. Characters you could relate to, relationships you could see change, a horrible situation, and a tragedy that was very real in today's world. Jodi Picoult is a one-of-a-kind author who has a true gift for portraying emotions that leaves you thinking long after the last page.
This is a thought provoking book that left me unsure of how I felt about the ending..which is good. It's one of those stories that lingers long after you've closed the pages. A good read about a sad subject.
The characters and story are both compelling and heartwrenching. Every character comes to life as someone who is real and multi-dimensional. Though it is not a light read, it is definitely worth picking this one up.
This is a book that I would not put down. It is a gripping story and is well told and will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Not Picoult's best work. I felt it dragged on, and she spent too much time getting to the heart of the matter. All in all though an interesting book.
a flight attendant recommended this to me when i was reading my sister's keeper by jodi picoult. i really liked that book and she said this was great too...or not.
the story is of two teens who were born six months apart and gew up together. they were brother and sister, best friends, and became lovers. one night the two of them go on a date and emily ends up dead. chris has a few stitches from a fall.
chris is arrested for the murder of emaily though he says it was a suicide pact. no one is quite sure what happened that night.
the story is told by time. some chapters in the present-chris' trial, what his parents are going through, etc. some chapters as the couple was growing up.
i think it coldve been a good story-it has a good premise, but it was way too long, very boring at times, and i just couldnt get through it fast enough. i kept putting it down and was forced to finish it when someone requested it.
id planned on reading more of jodi picoult's books but now im not so sure.
the story is of two teens who were born six months apart and gew up together. they were brother and sister, best friends, and became lovers. one night the two of them go on a date and emily ends up dead. chris has a few stitches from a fall.
chris is arrested for the murder of emaily though he says it was a suicide pact. no one is quite sure what happened that night.
the story is told by time. some chapters in the present-chris' trial, what his parents are going through, etc. some chapters as the couple was growing up.
i think it coldve been a good story-it has a good premise, but it was way too long, very boring at times, and i just couldnt get through it fast enough. i kept putting it down and was forced to finish it when someone requested it.
id planned on reading more of jodi picoult's books but now im not so sure.
Two teenager sweethearts are together and one of them is dead while the other holds the gun. Is it a suicide pact gone wrong or a murder? Well written with and inside look at prison life while awaiting trial.
As usual, Picoult involves the reader in a thought provoking, heart wrenching legal battle. This book deals with teen suicide. The material in the back says that The Pact has heightened awareness in both parents and teens about this hard-to-detect situation. Great book!
Best book I have read yet by Jodi Picoult.
A sad, sweet story. Would've liked a different ending though. All of her stories have dealt with a tragedy of some sort and how the familes cope-or not.
This book was amazing. I'm going to have to take a few days to think about how I feel about the ending though.
I love Jodi Picoult. I thought this book was good, but not as good as some of her others.
ANOTHER JODI PICOULT. A TEENAGE BOY IS ACCUSED OF SHOOTING HIS GIRLFRIEND, BUT HE CLAIMS THAT THEY WERE GOING TO COMMIT SUICIDE. TWO FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN BEST FRIENDS ARE RIPPED APART BY THE EVENTS OF THAT ONE DAY. IT IS A POINGNANT STORY.
This was just as good and enthralling as the other books I have read by Jodi Picoult, who has become one of my favorite authors.
A disturbing subject (teen suicide), but the drama of it was gripping. I felt like some of the story's threads were left hanging, and the ending was weak, but the main character was so well portrayed, and the relationship between the families so engrossing, that it did not prevent me from enjoying the book very much.
What a painful and difficult book to read. The boy and girl next door - sharing from bassinette to mud baths to intimacy to death - how this shattering ending to the families' most cherished fairy tale wounds them all.
I loved this book. It was the first novel by Picoult that I ever read and it remains my favorite. Skip the Lifetime movie and just read the novel instead!
The Harte and Gold families have been inseperable neighbors for years, so when their two teenage children appear to be involved in a suicide pact, it rips them apart.
Took me into the story the instant I started reading and didn't let me go through out. Be sure to have tissues handy. Just a gut wrenching story all the way, and very well written.
This one is alright, very sad. Makes me want to hold on to my little girl and not let her go ever.
Lifetime has a movie as well, not bad, kinda like the book.
Lifetime has a movie as well, not bad, kinda like the book.
Enjoyed the love the boy had for the girl.
I absolutely loved this book. It was one of those that I just couldn't put down.
The Pact is a heartbreaking story of two families and what happens when expectations are made on the hearts of children. Jodi Picoult has an amazing sense of what teenagers goes through, and always surprises the reader with her complicated endings.
Very emotional, and impossible to put down. A great book.
Another AWESOME and Powerful book
by Jodi Picoult
Really Enjoyed this
by Jodi Picoult
Really Enjoyed this
This was a page-turner! I stayed up until 3 a.m. last night because I had to know how it finished.
Another gut wrencher by Jodi. If you've never read her, try! If you have, you'll love this as much!
Awesome book. I couldn't put this down once I got started. It really makes you think.
A shocking act leaves two families shattered, one teenager dead and another young life in peril.
OUTSTANDING!
Never thought I'd say "what a great book" about a story about teenage suicide, but this is a great book! I was addicted from page 1. It was the second Picoult I read, with Sisters Keeper the first & it was awesome. Intriguing, plot twists, the unexpected all woven into a love story of two teenagers. Fabulous without being too depressing. Recommended!!
This story is a disturbing and realistic tale of a suicide pact between two teens. Becomes mired in legal scenery the last half of the book.
I thought this book was a great read. Although I was confused as to why Emily was so depressed.
Maybe I shouldn't have read "My Sister's Keeper" and "Nineteen Minutes" as my first Picoult books. Everything I've read since is a disappointment after those two. Having said that, this book offers a perceptive, in-depth look at possible triggers for teenage suicide, the pressures of school and parental expectations as teenagers brink on the verge of college, and the extreme loyalty of lifelong friendships, including the events that can tear them apart. My major disappointment in this book was the extended jail scenes involving one of the main characters as he awaits trial. Part teenaged angst, part prison book, part courtroom drama, and part Romeo-and-Juliet plagiarism, "The Pact" does it best to play on your emotions and sympathies as it weaves a complex web of relationships and the harmful power they can have in bringing about a tragedy.
This one had me hooked in the beginning, but in the middle i was forcing myself to pick it up. But the end was very good. I would not recommend it if you have trouble with a dry book.
In my opinion, not the best Jodi Picoult, but good. Interesting topic and worth reading
Anyone with teenagers should read this book...and make sure your lines of communication are always open. One of Jodi's finest.
Excellent book. Interesting plot development. Proves once again that the FACTS may mislead one into what is not true.
This book is as usual, a very good Jodi book. It makes the reader want to continually read to get to the bottom of what really happened. It is about true love that most of us could not comprehend.
The positives: it was a good story, it drew me in fast, I wanted to keep reading especially as the story progressed. The negatives: Naming a main character Gus, JUST DIDN'T WORK. Every single time this name was mentioned, it was jarring. It is a man's name. I have NEVER heard of a woman named Gus. My brain thought of a man, then had to remember, NO, Gus is a woman. Very weird. I hated this. Gus and James. Who on earth would name a couple this? PLUS a prosecutor named Barrie. What does this author have with man names for women?
More weirdness: in her efforts to write creatively, and probably using a thesaurus a lot, the author uses verbs (????) like spooned, as in, "her body spooned his". Again, I found this jarring. It just didn't flow. It sounded....awkward. And this wasn't the only weird verb that broke the spell, and made me screw up my face and go, "What???" I'm an accomplished reader, a former English major, a reader of just about everything - but this doesn't work for me.
I also thought the author expected too many willing suspensions of disbelief from the reader. In real life, seriously, would a high schooler have gone along with aiding his supposedly beloved girlfriend to kill herself, just because she wants it? Come on. The kids are too smart these days for that. OK, you argue he DIDN't aid her. But bringing out Daddy's gun, and Daddy's bullets, just to NOT help his girlfriend commit suicide....it's a little far fetched. I think only a zombie would have complied with these kinds of requests.
The novel was thought provoking, and that seems to be what J. Picoult writes.
More weirdness: in her efforts to write creatively, and probably using a thesaurus a lot, the author uses verbs (????) like spooned, as in, "her body spooned his". Again, I found this jarring. It just didn't flow. It sounded....awkward. And this wasn't the only weird verb that broke the spell, and made me screw up my face and go, "What???" I'm an accomplished reader, a former English major, a reader of just about everything - but this doesn't work for me.
I also thought the author expected too many willing suspensions of disbelief from the reader. In real life, seriously, would a high schooler have gone along with aiding his supposedly beloved girlfriend to kill herself, just because she wants it? Come on. The kids are too smart these days for that. OK, you argue he DIDN't aid her. But bringing out Daddy's gun, and Daddy's bullets, just to NOT help his girlfriend commit suicide....it's a little far fetched. I think only a zombie would have complied with these kinds of requests.
The novel was thought provoking, and that seems to be what J. Picoult writes.
Compelling story. Not a page turner but it engages you throughout so you're not just scanning it to see how it turns out.
This was a very good book. I don't like the endings of her books. I have only read 2 this one and my sisters keeper. I like how she has the 2 friends become one. vary touching.
A book that twisted and turned it's way through love, betrayal, and sadness. Amazing Picoult seems to write every angle of the story.
Very good book. Kept me reading!
What a wonderful book. I love a book that makes you "feel". This book was so hard to put down as I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I like how Picoult handles these life topics in way she does. A great book for teens and adults. It is easy to fall in love with both the teens in this book but at the same time be very upset with them and the choices they made. A definate tear jerker, but well worth the tears! I highly recommend this book!
The book was very enjoyable with its twists and turns and it was a quick read! However, this being the second Jodi Picoult novel I've read, I've found the characters and the roles of each character rather formulaic and recylced. I also didn't enjoy the ending; it didn't tie together well enough and there were quite a few characters that simply just "walked out" of the book without any idea of how the outcome of the trial affected them.
Good Read. I enjoyed it.
Great read! I could not put this one down. Very touching story and also very sad. I would recommend this book to others.
Wow what a powerful story about the fierce love between two people. The minds of those people are pried open and splayed onto the page and the reader is compassionately thrown into their lives. Stunning.
Good story about a couple of kids, born 3 mos. apart, start dating in their teens and trying to live up to their parents expectations.
Excellant read.
Excellent sory. Very quick read.
I have read most of her books. Although this is one of her earlier books, the story and characters are great. It both tense and intesse with a surprise ending, although you do get the feeling that it is not going to turn out quite like you think.
I really like Picoult's writing but this book was not one of my favorites. I did force myself to read it and was a little disappointed at the end. I like answers, this book did not give them to me. I think that it was on purpose because of the subject of the book. I wish I had read this book before some of her others seeing as the same lawyer in her other books I have read appears here.
Well written, suspenseful book. This is a can't put it down book.
Much better book than I expected. For some reason, I didn't know much about Ms. Picoult and didn't give her books much of a chance. She tackles some tough issues in the two books of her's that I have read and I learned something from each of them.
Jodi Picoult has just become one of my favorite authors. This book was awesome, just as great as I thought it would be! I loved the concept of the book where she went back and forth from the past to present and present to past as she told the story. She described the relationship that the couple in the book had, where you could almost actually feel the emotions that the characters were feeling. She got the characters right on! I can't even say which Jodi Picoult book, out of the three that I've read so far, would be the best. They've all been awesome! She's a terrific writer!!
Good book! I really like this author! It's sad and engaging.
i love jodi picoult. I have had a hard time finding an author that i can pick up one of their books and not worry about disappointment. This is another. a great book in picoult style. keeps you not wanting to put it down. show a bond of true love in its most rare form.
As always a great read
My favorite Picoult book!
I love reading her books. I had this one done in a matter of a day and a half.
This was a really good book, kept me guessing till the very end.
Easy read...loved it!
Another wonderful Jodi Picoult book
A good story line, but I must say that I was disappointed in the endingNot the usual Jodi Picoult twist at the end.
I enjoyed it ok, but didn't go nuts for it.
Completely engrossing. I found myself wanting to peak at the end of the book because I just had to know. Great book!
loved this novel!! Picoult did an amazing job with all the characters! a must read!
Good book. Fast read. Very down to earth, especially if you have teens.
Excellent story of a great love
Great book. I love Jodi Picoult!
Very good!
good story
LOVE Jodi Picoult. LOVE. Great Romeo & Juliet story.
A fabulous read.....so good I didn't want to put it down!!!!
Really well written, I can't wait to read more of her books!!!
Really well written, I can't wait to read more of her books!!!
It's Jodi Picoult! What more can I say?
Simply AWESOME book. Impossible to put down. One of the best books I've ever read.
I enjoy this author, but would not recommend this book...
i am addicted to jodi picoult books. this was great.
I normally read Christian Fiction, but this book was very good!! There are a few "F" words in there, but not so much that it was offensive. I could hardly put this book down, because I just had to know what would happen next!! It flashed between the past and the present, but not in a confusing sort of a way. :)
Friendship, loyalty, lifelong love -- and teenage suicide. A riveting, timely, and terrifying novel from an acclaimed writer who skillfully intertwines the intimate perceptions of Anne Tyler with the dramatic tension of John Grisham
The Golds and the Hartes, neighbors for eighteen years, have always been inseparable. So have their children-and it's no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. But the bonds of family, friendship, and passion-which had seemed so indestructible -- suddenly threaten to unravel in the wake of unexpected tragedy.
When midnight calls from the hospital come in, no one is ready for the truth. Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris pilfered from his father's cabinet-a bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself. But a local detective has doubts about the suicide pact that Chris describes.
This extraordinary, heart-rending novel asks questions that every parent faces: How much do we know about our children? Our friends?
What if . . .? As its chapters unfold, alternating between an idyllic past and an unthinkable present, The Pact paints an indelible portrait of families in anguish . . . and creates an astonishingly suspenseful courtroom drama, as Chris finds himself on trial for murder.
It's rare to find a writer who combines Alice Hoffman's gift for evoking everyday life in pellucid prose with a remarkable ability to create a legal page-turner that will keep you up all night reading, but this is such a book. The Pact rings true: wonderfully observed, truly moving, frightening, and utterly impossible to put down.
The Golds and the Hartes, neighbors for eighteen years, have always been inseparable. So have their children-and it's no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. But the bonds of family, friendship, and passion-which had seemed so indestructible -- suddenly threaten to unravel in the wake of unexpected tragedy.
When midnight calls from the hospital come in, no one is ready for the truth. Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris pilfered from his father's cabinet-a bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself. But a local detective has doubts about the suicide pact that Chris describes.
This extraordinary, heart-rending novel asks questions that every parent faces: How much do we know about our children? Our friends?
What if . . .? As its chapters unfold, alternating between an idyllic past and an unthinkable present, The Pact paints an indelible portrait of families in anguish . . . and creates an astonishingly suspenseful courtroom drama, as Chris finds himself on trial for murder.
It's rare to find a writer who combines Alice Hoffman's gift for evoking everyday life in pellucid prose with a remarkable ability to create a legal page-turner that will keep you up all night reading, but this is such a book. The Pact rings true: wonderfully observed, truly moving, frightening, and utterly impossible to put down.
Easy read, the plot really sucks you in.
Another great book by this author...she never disappoints!!!!
Vivid and original tale. Well told, suspenseful and engaging.
A real thought provoking page turner.
Another great book, very sad.
Couldn't put it down
Great book! Loved it.
Disturbing
love Jodi Picoult. Loved the book
Another great one from Jodi Picoult!
My first Picoult book! Great story.
Fabulous
One teen is dead another survives an apparent suicide pact
I LOVED this book... What a GREAT/Sad story
Book that I am posting is a well read copy
In fair condition
Book that I am posting is a well read copy
In fair condition
First book of hers I've read. I'm now looking forward to reading the rest of hers.
Excellent Read
I loved this book! I am not able to repost it as my co workers borrowed it.
I love this author!
Until the phone calls came at three o'cock on a November morning, the Golds and their neighbors, the Hartes, had been inseparable. It was no surprise to anyone when their teengage children, Chris and Emily, began sowing 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.
Until the phone calls came at three o'cock on a November morning, the Golds and their neighbors, the Hartes, had been inseparable. It was no surprise to anyone when their teengage children, Chris and Emily, began sowing 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.
Ugh. I couldn't make it past page 30. Banal and contrived, complete with exceptionally cheesey dialogue. Another example of Picoult's schlock produced for the masses. I am puzzled by this author's popularity.
