The Pact

I’ve just started The Pact by Jodi Picoult, and (no surprise), I love it! Except for Picture Perfect, which I was never really able to get into, I’ve absolutely loved every single one of her books that I’ve read. They always provide several stories to keep the reader entertained, and often give an insight into a culture or setting I wouldn’t normally experience, which makes me think about how much she must research and get into the mood when she rights her books. For example, in Plain Truth I learned all about the Amish culture, and in Vanishing Acts I learned what it was like to be in jail. I haven’t really seen this yet in The Pact, but I have a feeling I will! Another thing I’ve noticed so far (I’m only about 50 pages in) is that the whole boo is in third person omniscient. Usually her stories switch from character to character among chapters, telling the story from different perspectives. This book does jump around a lot though, from different time periods. It starts off with two couples, the Golds and the Hartes, going out to dinner, and it’s clear that they’re very good friends. Later that night, both couples wake up to a call from the local police telling them that their child has been in an accident. Emily Gold and Chris Harte had been neighbors, best friends, and a couple since their parents could remember. When their parents reach the hospital, the Golds are devastated to learn that Emily has died, from a gunshot wound to the head. Chris is in critical condition, but makes it. Since the two were alone together that night, it is assumed to be a homicide, but Chris claims that it was a double suicide gone wrong. In between all of the commotion, Picoult flashes back to random excerpts from the kids’ childhood, to show how close they were. The thing I found to be really interesting in this book was the lawyer Chris’s parents hire for him, Jordan McAfee. I’m not a hundred percent sure but I feel like he was one of the lawyers in Salem Falls? I think this is interesting that Picoult might have had a character cross over from another book!