I will start off by saying this was not my favorite Jodi Picoult book, but I still really enjoyed it. The novel is about two families that have grown up next door to each other and have been best friends since they moved into this small town. One family has a girl, and one family has a boy. Boy and girl are best friends and eventually fall in love. They decide to make a suicide pact- they are going to kill themselves together to keep life just like it is now. But something goes wrong, and the boy, Chris, faints before he has a chance to pull the trigger on himself, and the police arrive and accuse him of murder.This book was written in typical Picoult fashion- jumping between different character's perspectives to get inside the head's of the characters. I really felt like I knew what Chris, Emily, and their parents were thinking. Another typical Picoult theme- I loved the law aspect of it (I guess that comes from being married to a future lawyer).
The only problem with this book is that I felt like Picoult maybe gave away a little too much. The reason I normally love her writing is because she always pulls some twist ending that leaves me thinking, "What??" This book didn't do that for me. As I neared the end of the book I could easily guess everything that was going to happen. There just weren't the typical twists and turns that make her novels so intriguing. It was still a great story and well written, but I would have liked for the novel to be a little less predictable. Or maybe I am just good at guessing.
One thing I did really have to think about from this book is how unfair our justice system can be. A lot of this book was written while Chris was sitting in jail for almost a year waiting for his trial to begin. He had been accused of murder and because of the accusation, that may or may not be true, he had to live through the pains and suffering associated with jail life. In her epilogue, Picoult explained that even if Chris did get out, his life would never be the same. I understand that accused criminals have to be controlled before proven guilty, but this boy's life was ruined for a crime that he may or may not have committed. It was a little hard for me to grasp, and I don't know what the right solution is but what happens if you're just in the wrong place at the wrong time? There's no giving back that year you wasted away.
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I have still never read any of her books. Where is the best place to start?
ReplyDeleteThe Pact was the first book that I read by Jodi Picoult and I was hooked. Unlike Playful Professional, I was on the edge of my seat through the entire book. I loved the way that the characters unfolded before me and I came to know and care about each one for different reasons. I cried when I reached the end for many reasons, but the biggest one being that I didn't want it to be over. I have read almost everything that she has written and I have yet to be disappointed.
ReplyDeleteI loved The Pact but my favorite book by her was definitely "My Sister's Keeper", which was the first book I read. However, all of the books I have read by her (I just started my fifth), I have loved.
ReplyDeleteTHE PACT IS AWESOME!!!
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