The Pact: A Love Story

by Jodi Picoult

Book Overview

“Engrossing...Picoult's deft touch makes this her breakout novel.”--People The Golds and the Hartes, neighbors for 18 years, have always been inseparable. So have their children--and it's no... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688170528
• ISBN13: 9780688170523
• Release Date: May 1999
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.4" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

2nd time I’ve ordered same book and both times it was paperback and not hardcover as advertised

This is one of my favorite books, but this is the second time I’ve tried to order it in hardcover from this company and both times, I received a paperback!!!

Ordered a hard cover but received a paperback. I’ll try again.

Book is great. Just wanted hard back copy for my collection.

Ordered hardcover for my collection, got paperback which I already have 2 copies of this book in.

Didn’t get what I ordered.

Smut? Trash? No where close.

I heard so many people tell me how amazing this book was. How they couldn't put it down. Got it, (of course, knowing me, I was already reading another book.) My sister told me we were going to read it in 12th grade, but I had already waited 2 years, and nothing was going to stop me now. I sat down and opened this book, its flimsy pages hanging off the side, and couldn't take my eyes off of it. The first little paragraph, what an eye opener. Jodi has such a way of drawing her readers in and feeling the characters feelings. Couldn't put it down. I wish I could give this book ONE MILLION stars, and, in my mind, I do. There has never been a book like this in my life, even when some come close. My mind is full of feelings left over from Chris, Emily, Gus, Melanie, Michael, Jordan, and, even Selena. What happens afterwards? Will they ever be friends again? These questions filling my mind, no answers, just my intuitions. Jodi Picoult is astounding, her writing so moving. I will, from now on and always, gladly read any of her books. Read this book, and I gurantee you will fall in love with the author and, more importantly, 'The Pact.'

Perfectly told

This wonderful book is more about a teenage love story than it is about teen suicide. I took me only 5 days to ready the entire thing, while I was on vacation in Hawaii! I thought My Sister's Keeper was good, but I personally like this one so much better.

highly recommend

The Pact is a beautiful albeit heartwrenching tale of love, life and death. Many times during this read, I was forced to put this book down to digest the entirety of the heartache caused by suicide. Each parent dealing with the loss from his\her perspective. I highly recommend this story. What this book may lack in minor detail, makes up for in main topic and emo. Devastating and thought provoking.

One of Picoult's best about love and tragic loss-A+++

This was one of those books that are hard to lay down. Picoult is one of my favorite authors and I don't think she knows how to write a bad story. The Harte's (Nick's parents), and the Gold's, (Emily's parents), were neighbors and the very best of friends. Their children were practically born together just a few months apart from each other. And Nick and Emily were inseparable growing up. They were true soulmates. But things changed when Emily becomes pregnant with Chris's child, and she becomes depressed wanting to commit suicide. She is afraid to tell her parents for fear she won't be the perfect daughter that they expect of her. And she never does tell Chris, but instead wants him to help her plan her death. Of course this completely breaks Chris up, but rather then see Emily so miserable, he goes along with her-taking his father's gun out of the cabinet at home-loading it with 2 bullets. One for her, and then one for him. They go off to a secluded place where they've always gone, and Chris carries the gun, but still tries to fight Emily out of it. She grabs the gun out of his hand, and with her finger on the trigger, the gun goes off. Emily dies later at the hospital, and Chris though he gets hurt, lives. This event happens on a Friday night, when both families usually eat out, which they were doing when this happened. But they had no idea until later when they each returned home and got a phone call in the middle of the night of the terrible tragedy had taken place. The story from there is that Chris of course gets the blame. Later he is arrested and put in jail until the trial. He is out of his mind the whole time, trying to remember exactly what happened. Whether he gets off or not remains to be seen until later in the book. His attorney, Jordan, goes to fight for him. The families naturally split. Melanie and Augusta Chris's mom are no longer friends but bitter enemies. Melanie won't accept her daughter's death, and acts just as though she is still alive. Her hatred for Chris as well as his mother now is very real. But interestingly enough, Melanie's husband Michael, and Augusta begin having an affair. But that is short-lived as the two families move away and separate from each other later in this book.

WOW!

I was unable to put this book down. What an amazing book. Jodi Picoult has perfectly described the feelings of love, loss, grief and devastation in The Pact. I think I must have begun weeping several times while reading this book (on the bus, in line at the drug store...).Not only is the book gripping while you are reading it but it stays with you afterwards - I can't stop thinking about it. The Pact is the story of two teenagers who grow up next door to one another from birth, their parents are the best of friends and have always expected that their children's friendship will blossom into love which it does.The book jumps from both Chris and Emily's perspective as well as both sets of parents - it deals with a suicide pact gone wrong and the aftermath (as well as what has lead up to the central moment). If anyone has ever learned devastating news or lost a loved one then they know what it can do to a person as well as a family and I thought that The Pact was unbelievably realistic.This was one of the most moving, touching and important books I have read - it certainly leaves you thinking about it and your own life as well as the lives of those around you.Read this one but make sure to keep a box of tissues and a loved one near by (for a hug if you need one).