The Pact by jodi picoult

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

This book, which happens to be my absolute favorite among Jodi's works, represents the entire Picoult oeuvre. I devoured most of her books over the course of one summer. It served as the testing ground for the divide in my reading personality - that of a snob versus a storylover.

Picoult is undeniably sentimental. She always tackles at least one significant Issue, and almost every chapter, if not each section, concludes with pithy Theme Sentences that really hit home. However, miraculously, she manages to avoid that after-school special kind of cheesiness almost entirely. I truly have no idea how she pulls that off.

Moreover, she is an outstanding storyteller. She takes stories that seem like they should be extremely predictable and manages to make them not so obvious. She can tug at your heartstrings even as your mind is critiquing with thoughts like "after-school specialiness." Additionally, she has an extraordinary talent for creating authentic teenage voices, although they are typically those of white middle-class teens. Her works are a unique blend of emotion, thought-provoking issues, and engaging storytelling that keeps readers coming back for more.

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Emuzzu

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

This was truly bad, so extremely bad that I find myself completely at a loss for words to accurately express my feelings.

It was a situation that defied description, leaving me in a state of shock and disbelief. The magnitude of how bad it was simply overwhelmed me.

There were no adequate adjectives or phrases that could do justice to the awfulness of the situation.

I was left dumbfounded, unable to put into words the extent of the badness that I had witnessed or experienced.

It was as if my mind had gone blank, unable to process the sheer magnitude of how bad this truly was.

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highhi

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

The friendship between the Hartes and the Golds underwent a significant transformation when a tragic event befell their children, Chris Hartes and Emily Golds. One fateful midnight, Emily was discovered dead, and Chris, the sole witness at the time, confessed that they had entered into a suicide pact. However, the police harbored doubts about Chris's statements, and it was here that readers began to uncover the truth.

The story unfolds through an alternating timeline of Now and Then. The Now focuses on the investigation and the ongoing trial, where Chris is accused of being the murderer. In Then, readers gain an in-depth understanding of the lives of the Hartes and Golds, particularly Chris and Emily. I appreciate the alternate timeline style as it provides more exposure to Emily's character.

I now see Picoult's writing style more clearly. I have read several of her books, such as "My Sister's Keeper," "Plain Truth," and "Perfect Match." While they all follow a similar pattern of a tragic event followed by the characters facing a trial, in this book, Picoult delves more into the jail scene rather than just the trial or the outside world.

This book is not simply a romance; it encompasses much more. It explores themes of family, friendship, and depression, and how these are handled, in this case, not very well. I wanted to like Emily's character, but I couldn't help but think she was selfish. It's not fair to put someone you love in such a difficult situation.

Do you love someone so much that you would do anything for them? In this case, Chris does, but look where it has led him.

Despite my busy life, I couldn't put this book down. I was eager to keep reading and find out what would happen next. Picoult's portrayal of the characters is fascinating, especially the character of Jordan, the defense attorney. I usually find reading about ongoing trials boring due to the technical terms and complex thinking involved. However, this time, I found it enjoyable, and Jordan added a touch of humor to the tense moments.

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koffeekid

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

It's an almost 4 stars, not sure if minus or plus something.

I truly like Picoult's style. Her stories always manage to draw me in. This particular one is indeed a good one. The thread of the story gradually unfolds and emerges into its final state.

I find myself wondering why Chris was so deeply in love with Emily. I mean, I didn't have such a great liking for her. She could have talked to someone about the molestation she endured at age 9, about the issues regarding her sexual implication to Chris, about the fact that she was pregnant. About everything. But instead, she chose to hurt the only person in the world who truly cared for her. She didn't seem to give a shit about his feelings or about the fact that she would destroy his life forever. Because no matter what, his life was irrevocably damaged.

I also didn't like her mom. I mean, it's unimaginable to lose a child, but how could she destroy the only evidence her daughter left?

I have very mixed feelings about this whole situation. But despite that, the story is undeniably good. It makes you think and feel a whole range of emotions.

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Icouto

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

It is extremely rare for me not to finish a book. In fact, I can't recall a single instance where I haven't completed one. However, this particular book was an exception!

I managed to get through approximately one-third of it (unfortunately) before I finally said, "enough!"

This was my first attempt at reading this author, and it will most definitely be my last. I have a strong aversion to her writing style. Not only were the characters disappointingly one-dimensional, but not a single one of them seemed to possess any integrity or moral fiber. I simply can't fathom any worse parenting than what was depicted in this book. I couldn't care less about any of the characters because they were either so morally corrupt or so poorly developed that I thought they were all completely uninteresting!

What I truly despised was her edgy and overly graphic writing style. I have a deep loathing for books (or even movies) that are充斥着 profanity and sexuality. It's just yucky! I found it to be completely tasteless.

I am absolutely flabbergasted by all the reviews that describe this novel as "beautifully written." What on earth? Beautifully written are the works of Bronte, Austen, Dostoevsky, Stratton-Porter, or Hardy... not this drivel.

I just don't understand the hype surrounding Picoult.

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AkatsukiUlquiora

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

I had a Jodi Picoult phase when I was 11.

I literally read every single book of hers that was published until 2013 on my first edition Kindle.

Eleven-year-old me had no business reading this, but I was obsessed with the courtroom drama and thought her writing was God’s gift on earth.

This was my favorite book of hers.

HUH? Rereading this at 22 has been a rude awakening.

Long story short, this is a book that would have been canceled and slandered if it was published in this day and age.

Was her writing always this…mediocre? And dry? And her characters literally so unsympathetic?

As I look back now, I realize how my perspective has changed.

Perhaps it was because I was younger and more impressionable back then.

But now, I can see the flaws in her writing more clearly.

The storylines that once seemed so captivating now feel a bit tired and overdone.

The characters that I once thought were so complex now seem one-dimensional.

It's interesting how our tastes and opinions can change over time.

Maybe I'll give some of her other books another try and see if my thoughts have changed on them as well.

But for now, this particular book has left me with a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.

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FreedomWingz

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

Pactul is a novel full of controversies and intense emotions. The author weighs many things through its actions. Friendships and love relationships are brought into discussion. Perhaps, over time, they sometimes reach a certain saturation, giving a sense of boredom and not necessarily delighting the soul. Everything seems perfect initially. There are two families with a good financial situation. One has the head of the family as an ophthalmologist, and the other has a veterinarian as the head of the family. The Harrte and Gold families have been neighbors for over eighteen years. Although they are not related, they have come to consider each other as an extension of the other. That's why their children, born with a very small age difference, a boy and a girl, become extremely close. This is no longer surprising to anyone. Moreover, they even form a couple at the ages of 13 and 14 respectively. Chris and Emily seem to have the perfect relationship. However, a phone call at night, announcing the worst, that both children are in the hospital, surprises everyone. From this moment, the author oscillates between the present and the past, presenting us with details of the facts and relationships and showing us how a tragic event can change people and relationships. Beyond the action itself, which leads us to the truth, which, like any truth, is relative depending on the perspective from which it is seen, Picoult tells us about the relationships between spouses, about the relationship between parents and children, and about the depths of the human mind, which can lead to great evil.

The story unfolds in a way that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, constantly wondering what will happen next. The characters are well-developed and complex, making it easy for the reader to empathize with them. The author's writing style is engaging and descriptive, painting a vivid picture of the events and the emotions of the characters.

Overall, Pactul is a thought-provoking and emotional novel that explores the depths of human relationships and the impact of tragic events. It is a must-read for fans of Jodi Picoult and anyone interested in a good story that will make them think and feel.

https://crampeiedesufletblog.wordpress.com/2019/11/01/jodi-picoult-pactul-recenzie/

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Ininimin

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

I'm truly on the fence about this particular book. I, Amos, have DNF'd (Did Not Finish) it a couple of times mainly because it had an extremely slow start. And I'm not exaggerating when I say that. The story didn't begin to gain momentum until well past the 60% mark.

At the beginning, I had a certain liking for Chris. However, as the story progressed towards the middle, my opinion of him started to change and I began to dislike him. By the end, I actually loathed him. The entire plot was a so-called "who-done-it" romance, but in reality, the actual events were not even that complex. They were just unnecessarily drawn out. In my view, this book could have been half its current size and I probably would have given it a higher rating.

It's a real shame because there were some elements in the story that had potential. But the slow pacing and the drawn-out nature of the plot really detracted from the overall reading experience. I'm left feeling rather disappointed with this book.

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The Pact

jodi picoult

This edition

Chris Harte

Emily Gold

Melanie Gold

Jordan Mcafee

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About the author

jodi picoult

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