Product Description

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 that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. They've been soul mates since they were born. When the midnight calls come in from the hospital, no one is prepared for the appalling truth: Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head as part of an apparent suicide pact. The gun holds a single unspent bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself, but a local detective has doubts. And the Hartes and Golds, in a single terrifying moment, must face every parent's worst fear: do we ever really know our children at all?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #69119 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-18
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 528 pages

Review
'A love story, thriller and family drama in one, The Pact is the perfect novel to take on holiday this summer' 'You will find this novel impossible to put down - and if you take it on holiday with you, just don't plan on doing any sightseeing until you've finished it!' -- Daily Mail "If you haven't yet read any of Picoult's novels get your hands on one. ... This story will make you wonder whether we ever know the people we love". -- You Magazine, South Africa 'The novelist displays an almost uncanny ability to enter the skins of her troubled young protagonists.' -- New York Times 'Picoult has become a master ... It is impossible not to be held spellbound by the way she forces us to think, hard, about right and wrong.' -- Washington Post 'Jodi Picoult's fifth novel, THE PACT, is so good that we can't put it down ... It is suspenseful, intelligently written, topical.' -- Detroit Free Press 'Picoult's characters are so compelling that the reader hopes this won't be the last time we meet.' -- USA Today 'Picoult is a writer of high energy and conviction, who has, in [THE PACT], brought to life a cast of subtly drawn characters caught up in a tragedy as timeless and resonant as those of the Greeks or Shakespeare ... She forges a finely honed, commanding, and cathartic drama.' -- Booklist 'Anyone who doubts that there is any more vivid, original fiction being written must read THE PACT. Jodi Picoult has written a truly fine book, a piece of total contemporary America.' -- Anne River Siddons 'Engrossing ... Picoult has a remarkable ability to make us share her characters' feelings of confusion and horror ... THE PACT is compelling reading' -- People 'You will find this novel impossible to put down- and if you take it on holiday with you, just don't plan on doing any sightseeing until you've finished it!' -- Daily Mail "If you haven't yet read any of Picoult's novels get your hands on one. ... This story will make you wonder whether we ever know the people we love". -- You Magazine, South Africa

Detroit Free Press
'THE PACT...is so good that we can't put it down . . . It is suspenseful, intelligently written, topical.'

Anne River Siddons
'Jodi Picoult has written a truly fine book, a piece of total contemporary America.'

Customer Reviews

Almost Perfect
The story of the pact is about a girl (emily) and a boy (chris) that have been together their whole life; they are next door neighbours. The story begins with the two of them found lying on a carousel, chris unconcious and emily shot through the head with a gun holding two bullets. It is fairly easy to draw your own conclusions from this situation, yet is it really as it seems? It it, as chris so valiantly claims, a suicide pact? As the story progresses we follow Chris's battle with the courts and his concience, whilst recieving snatches of Emily's past alone and with Chris that lead her to be possibly scuicidal. In addition to this the story follows the effect on the two families left behind; their guilt, separation and love. I found this book brilliantly written, the story and mystery beautiful. The relationship between Emily and Chris was passionate and I could feel it radiating off the page. My only complaints are that the court case was rather long, however compeling, and the ending, though satisfactory, does seem a little unlikely. Despite this it felt that these were small problems in comparison to the rest of the book. The book was almost perfect, reflecting well upon the way in which Emily's life is explained.

Fantastic - a real page turner!!
What a fantastic book - i couldn't put it down, it was one of those reads where i lost the entire weekend to a book! Brilliant!!!

This is a real page turner. Emily and Chris were born six months apart, lived next door to one another and grew up together. Their families were close and each felt part of the others family. As they got older, the enivitable happens and they fall in love, both families are happy. Then at 17, Emily dies from a gunshot wound to the head, as part of an apparent suicide pact with Chris, only Chris survives.

The book alternates between the past, tracing the history of Chris and Em's relationship and Now, as Chris faces an uncertain future.

The reader see all sides of the story and as such knows all the secrets of the characters. You are waiting all the way through the story for some of the big secrets to be shared, especially one that affects Emily.

I liked all the characters, bar one, emily's mother Melanie. Whilst she starts out as the quiet, timid one, Emily's death changes her nature so much she becomes bitter and as such i found myself not liking her at all. I like the roles of Gus (Chris' Mum) and Michael, (Emily's dad)but found Chris' dad, James quite hard to warm too.

The book really makes you think and poses the question of how well does anyone know anyone and as parents - how well do we really know our children.

A great book - will be recommending and passing on to many friends!

Another great read from Jodi Picoult
Her books may not be classified as literature, but they are well written, gripping and thought provoking and The Pact is certainly all three, which is a pretty good start!

The story is about two families, the Hartes and the Golds. Chris and Emily as born within just a few months of each other and grow up together. The two neighbouring families live in each others' pockets. The seemingly unbreakable bonds of friendship between the adults, built up over 18 years disintegrate in the aftermath of Emily's tragic death as denial, guilt, anger and blame replace respect, trust and love.

Emily dies right at the beginning of the novel but becomes more and more real as her life unfolds in a series of flashbacks that bring the reader through her childhood, the developing friendship then more intimate relationship with Chris, revealing her talents as an artist and the emotional turmoil that she hides from her family, to the moment of her death, as we see her cradled, dying in Chris's lap.

How did she die, was it a suicide pact or not, was her family life a contributing factor, was her closeness to Chris a blessing or a curse? We as readers also question just how well we can ever know the people closest to us.

This book left me feeling a little unsettled - and tired - just one of those books you can't put down!