The Pact

I am probably the only person in the world who HATED this book with such a white hot hate that you almost wonder if it was just the opposite. I'm reviewing it for the sake of Lorelle since it is the book that drew me into the lovely book club that I survived (or survived me) for several fun years.To sum up, I wanted to tell the main character's girlfriend (I've forgotten all of their names, mercifully), to "get over yourself!!" I'm not giving anything away when I reveal that the "pact" of the ti [...]

I liked this better than My Sister's Keeper as a whole, although I have some of the same complaints about it. This author is a master of making you believe in a story that makes exactly no sense and making you care about characters who behave like exceptional idiots*. If I thought about any of it for very long, it was all mind-numbingly stupid. But I have to admit that the story is engrossing and satisfying in the end. PS--this is not a book for the bashful; there's a lot of sex in it, of the aw [...]

"He kissed her so gently she wondered if she had imagined it.""To say there had been a loss was ludicrous; one lost a shoe or a set of keys. You did not suffer the death of a child and say there was a loss. There was a catastrophe. A devestation. A hell.""[He] closed his eyes. How could he convey to someone who'd never even met her the way she always smelled liek rain, or how his stomach knotted up every time he saw he shake loose her hair from its braid? How could he describe how it felt when s [...]

Why do so many people seem to love/adore Jodi Picoult novels? I gave her a try with My Sister's Keeperand admittedly, I didn't hate it, although I did take issue with the plot. However, The Pact has now completely and successfully put me off all/any Picoult novels.There are so many reasons why I hated this book; I find it hard to pick one major thing that irritated me. The things I do hate about it are.ral parts of the story.WARNING. SPOILERS AHEAD. (Not that I even recommend you read this novel [...]

This is the first Jodi Picoult book that I have read. I admit that she is a good writer and I found myself unable to put the book down; however, I felt that there was a lot lacking to make this a solid GOOD book. In my opinion, though this book was supposed to be a drama/love story, it severely lacked drama. I felt it was worthy of three stars rather than two solely because I completely fell in love with the main character, Chris Harte. He was the only character that I felt was well-developed an [...]

Gosh, I want to hate her for writing books like thisThroughout the whole book, I was thinking about what rating to give it, because there were parts that blew my mind and others that were just very slow, yet significant for the storyline. I even caught myself thinking: "Ha, she forgot to mention that" but then it happens on the last page. ;)The end of "The Pact" convinced me again though that I can't give this book less than 5 stars. There aren't many books where I really sympathise or feel with [...]

This is more of a rant than a review but this book is pure trash so I’d rather talk about its issues. While reading other reviews for The Pact I only found one person, before I gave up, that had the same problem as me. It got to the point that I wondered if I read the same book as everyone else because I don’t know how anyone could have read this book and not taken issue with a very glaring problem that happens many times throughout the story. The Pact starts off with a boy and a girl, who a [...]

How did three of my friends end up reviewing this book on the same day, especially when at least two of them didn't read it that recently? Did I miss a review contest or something?Anyway, I couldn't resist adding my opinion to the pile. This was my first Jodi Picoult book, and as I read it, I was captivated. She chooses good topics, and her writing really pulls you in. At the time, reading her can feel intellectually stimulating as her books raise interesting psychological questions.However, the [...]

I knew the premise of this book was teenage suicide but I still found it very disturbing. As a mother I could not imagine anything more devasting then the loss of your child, by whatever means. Picoult's sequence of events was intersting - the timeline moved back and forth so that the reader was able to get a sense of how close both families were. I was not able to relate to Emily's pain at all. Yes, she was sexually abused as a child in a fast food restaurant, but if she was as smart we are led [...]

***Not sure about spoilers here. I think I danced around things pretty well, but you may want reconsider your decision to read further in case I messed up.***I am a bit disappointed. I was so close to loving this novel and its author, and I really did want to love them, but the denouement really let me down. In the two books I've read now, Jodi Picoult sets out to deliver a big twist that will knock us on our asses. But she telegraphs the big twist in a way that removes any possibility of surpri [...]

After you've read a few Jodi Picoult books, you come to expect certain things. A compelling, flashpoint topic (teen suicide, stigmata, school shootings, sexual abuse, etc.) that rips a small New England community apart. Courtroom drama. Finely wrought family dynamics. A maverick lawyer, a quirky judge, and a lot of angst. Tons of plot twists and turns. All of the above were present in "The Pact," a story of the death of a teenage golden girl, with her longtime boyfriend accused of the murder -- [...]

This was a devastatingly beautiful story. Very hard book to put down and will leave you experiencing a wide arrange of emotions. I did not have the whole it is like Romeo and Juliet as many readers/reviewers mention, as I am not a huge fan of that story (love Shakespeare, but not that plot). Instead it was like a love story with no true happily ever after. There is no way for a happily ever after in this book but trust me, it is acceptable to the reader. Overall, a powerful read that will leave [...]

I hated this book. I was especially angry that I couldn't find it at the library and had to go all over looking for it, and all that effort was wasted. I'm not sure exactly why we read it for book club, because the main female character was the complete opposite of strong. She was mealy-mouthed and pathetic, but I got the feeling that we, the readers, were supposed to sympathize with her anyway. As opposed to the author implying, "here is a despicable example of a woman, one who gets pregnant an [...]

I bought this book merely because a girl in a bookstore approach me and asked me if I would like to buy her copy off her. She said she loved the book and she wanted money to buy another one of Jodi Picoult's books. I hadn't ever read anything of Picoult's before, I'd only heard that if you read My Sisters Keeper you should keep a box of tissues handy. I said yes, because hey its not every day that someone approaches me in a bookstore and I like a bit of spontaneity. It took me a while to bother [...]

The PactJodi PicoultEvery time I read a Jodi Picoult story, she just shreds my heart and leaves me sobbing. That is exactly what happened while reading THE PACT. Emily and Chris have been best friends since they were born. Their parents are next door neighbors too and best friends as well. That is until that fateful night when everyone's lives change, one even ends. Trust me, hang on tight! The emotions roller coaster Jodi Picoult puts her readers on with THE PACT is one crazy rideE PACT is fill [...]

I picked up this book based on recommendations from friends. I already loved Jodi Picoult from My Sister's Keeper, The Tenth Circle, and Nineteen Minutes. Yet again, she did not disappoint. I don't know what to say about the book without sounding hokey is a great story about teen love and commitment. I am always amazed at how deeply I feel I know Jodi's characters. Right now Chris is sticking in my mind and how often I just wanted to shake him and say "Tell someone! Don't be a hero!" But, isn't [...]

OMG this book drove me CRAZY!!! But I loved itlolLet's seewhere do I start? I was frustrated with all the characters for different thingsMelanier burning Emily's diary, which may have helped with the trial, and also maybe she should have told the police about the watch. Also her lack of communication with her husband Michael, and also burning Emily's photos.Michaelr turning to Gus.did not like where I thought that was going to goank God it didnt.Gusr turning to Michaele above. Also, you didnt he [...]

This is a well-written, gripping and thought-provoking novel. The Pact is an extremely emotional tale and it is impossible not to be moved by it. Jodi Picoult writes so well and so beautifully. The book alternates between the past, tracing the history of the two main characters, Chris and Emma's relationship, and the present, as Chris faces an uncertain future. Due to the novel having multiple narrators, the reader gets to see all sides of the story and this adds to the intrigue of the plot. The [...]

The Pact by Jodie Picoult is one of those rare books which made me feel so helpless that I started crying. There were parts were I wished I could just jump into the book and stop the characters from making all the wrong decisions. The story was rich and has its own charisma which made me want to read it in the first place. Granted I knew what I was getting in to provided it was a Jodie Picoult book after all but I was not prepared for the onslaught of emotions which were headed my way. The story [...]

Melanie and Michael Gold and Gus and James Harte have been neighbors and friends from the time Melanie and Gus were pregnant with their first children. The kids, Emily Gold and Chris Harte, grew up together, became a couple, and are now high school seniors preparing for college. As the story opens Emily and Chris are on a date at a local carousel when a shot is fired. Cut to the hospital: Emily, shot in the head, is dead; Chris is disoriented with 70 stitches for a scalp laceration. When the pol [...]

Es war super! Erschreckend, gut durchdacht, fesselnd, in die Irre führend, anfixend!

Jodi Picoult delivers another excellent novel about family relationships, friendships, courtroom drama, a love story, suicide and so much more. This certainly is a page turner and one that could lead to a great bookclub selection. Picoult's novels are emotionally draining because she skillfully writes about problems that exist in society. 4 stars

I'll admit that Picoult can tell a story and keep me interested, but she has some seriously annoying writing tics that almost made me stop reading. Some examples: ",' he said softly"; ",' she said thickly"; and (my favorite) ",' he said, his eyes shining." Blech. Spare me! If only I had a dollar for every time I had to read one of these trite phrases. Is there not some other way to convey that someone is speaking softly than by saying "softly"? Also, someone needs to re-edit this book because I [...]

This book wasn't as good as I'd expected, but what disappointed me more than anything was how much of a jerk Emily was to Chris. Through memories, it's seen that Emily used Chris as a scapegoat for all her wrongdoings in childhood, like stealing a sex book from the local library and drinking alcohol. And then she kills herself and gets Chris implicated in her murder and it's implied that she hates just about everyone and everything, and that perhaps Chris was just her escape, not her friend.This [...]

For me her best book. Loved the way she split the story between the girl's side of view and the boy's and how even if she shows you in the end what really happened you still walk away unsure of who was right.

Great book about the struggles of being a teenager. I read this with my youth book club. They loved it, but you know teens, they like the dark stuff.The Pact: A Love Story, by Jodi PicoultWe read this book as a part of our high school book club. By far, it was one of the student’s favorite books. They really related to the content. I had about 8 students, 7 girls and one boy read this book with my co-sponsor and I. My co-sponsor finished the book first and when I finally finished it, I called [...]

I couldn't put this book down. It was actually a pretty sad book. Talks about suicide pretty much the whole book. But its definitely a page turner. My favorite murder mystery/love story. It has great twists and a great story line. I loved it.2017 Side note update- I was thinking about this book today and how much I loved it. So I wanted to update my review and add this below. “You know, the mind is a remarkable thing. Just because you can't see the wound doesn't mean it isn't hurting. It scars [...]

By far my favorite book of Jodi Picoult's. I thought Plain Truth was my number one, but after reading The Pact, I've found a new number one! At first I wasn't sure that I would like the way the book was laid out with the "Now" & "Then", switching back and forth. But I came to realize after I was continuing to read and finished the book, that's what made the book so great. I loved going back "Then" because it gave you the truth and a walk through their life and how they became to where they a [...]

This book, as my favorite of Jodi's, stands in for the whole Picoult oeuvre, which I read mostly over the course of one summer and which is the proving ground for the split in my reading personality -- snob vs. storylover. Picoult is sentimental, always takes on at least one Issue, and pretty much smacks you at the end of each chapter, if not each section, with pithy Theme Sentences, but she manages to avoid after-school specialiness almost totally (no, I don't know how that's possible). She als [...]

Jodi Picoult is a storyteller, a masterful one. She has everything to create the perfect story: the language, the plot, the developed characters, the relationships. A bit like Liane Moriarty, her mysteries are unconventional, domestic. But she is more on the dramatic, tragic side, while Liane Moriarty takes it with much more humor.In this book, Picoult touches so many important issues, the strength of love, between lovers, between parents and children. But also, the notion of truth, in court, an [...]