A Painful Pact (The Pact - Jodi Picoult)

Member Name: blackviolets

Product:	The Pact - Jodi Picoult
Date:	06/05/09 (101 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: storyline.

Disadvantages: n/a

This was the very first Jodi Picoult book I read and the only reason I bothered to pick it up was because I had just finished writing a book myself. One which I had also given a title-The Pact. At the time I was surprised at how similar mine and her stories were alike aside from the fact that hers was written a lot better, my excuse is I was young!

It's a simple idea for a story, not hard to pick up on and one which hits home a bit from a friend of mine, which probably explains a bit as to why I was so interested in it from a young age.

It features mainly on the relationship between two teenagers who have grown up and shared all of their experiences together over the years. Chris and Emily, both teenagers, have more or less lived out of eachothers pockets. They are neighbours and are so close it is like they are brother and sister. What with both of their families being so close knit as well it would be hard not to.

Inevitably their relationship changes from one of intense friendship into romance. When something happens to Emily though, she realises she somehow feels different towards him than she did before.

One night both sets of parents are given a call telling them to come immediately to the hospital. On arriving they are told that Emily has died at the just the young age of 17, from one gun shot to the head. Chris, being at the scene, claims that it was a suicide pact but as he is still alive suspicions have risen that this is more like a murder case.

We are told this practically right from the start with narration similar to a lot of Jodi Picoults novels. Through the mind of Emily we see what might of drove her towards this decision whilst also being rewound in time to past memories. From the first time she and Chris kissed to her going into the mens toilets at a service station as part of a dare. We also get to see that of Chris's as well.

Throughout this story you get to feel the emotions going through their parents as well. You can see how different they reacte to the situation, pulling back from affection and giving only hostility to the parents of the teenager who's suspected of killing their only child.

This is my favourite of Jodi Picoults books and highly recommend it to anybody who has never read one of her novels before. It was this one which made me a fan of hers.

You can still get this for £6 on Amazon.

Summary: .