Jodi Picoult has written many novels that investigate deep and unthinkable on goings of life, but The Pact is definitely one of her finest. It questions everything you have ever thought about your life and makes you think about what you would do if you were in such an un-thinkable situation.
The Hartes and the Golds were practically family, they had lived next door to each other for years and been best friends through thick and thin. It was only expected that once Chris and Emily, the eldest child of each family was old enough, a relationship would blossom between the two. And, boy did it, Chris and Emily's relationship developed from years of friendship into a mature one, full of love and happiness- on the outside this was. Under the smiles and kisses, something deep was going on in these young adult lives. No one knew that anything was going on, including their parents, who just loved that their children were in a world of love. Finally, these unaware parents were bought into the loop of tragedy, when Emily's father answered the phone late at night with the news that their beloved child had been shot and killed.
The eyes of accusation were all pointed at the love of Emily's life- Chris. There is a single, unspent bullet left in the gun that killed the seventeen year old, which Chris tells the police was meant for him. Only a local detective has his suspicions that this is not the truth. Chris is sent to jail while the Hartes and Golds are left to pick up the pieces, but their life long friendship can not be mended. Emily Gold's parents do not want anything to do with the family whose son killed their daughter, while the Hartes are struggling to keep a relationship with their son, let alone with the Gold's, both families lives are deteriorating. This is all nothing, though compared to what young Chris is experiencing behind bars, in jail he is being tormented and is in a world of hell where he can not sleep at night.
Back in society, Chris' parents are doing everything in their power to get their son out of jail. Although their son is not handling himself behind bars and his father refuses to visit his son, 'Gus' Harte, Chris' mother is doing everything she can to mend this broken family. Investigations are lead into this case to figure out if it was, in fact a suicide pact like Chris claims, although it is hard to figure out what exactly went on that night of tragedy.
Throughout the novel we read about flashbacks throughout the couple's friendships, and we see how that friendship developed into a romance. We also find out about how Emily was molested as a young girl in a McDonald's restaurant and keeps this all to herself, which helped build up her motive to want to commit suicide. Did Emily really commit suicide as a young, confused girl, or did Chris in fact shoot his young lover in the head with no motive at all? This question is answered after a long, gruelling court case, which rips into the hearts of these two families.
Jodi Picoult's betrayal of young love is perfectly executed. She makes us question how we really know our family, our friends, who we really trust. The Pact is storytelling at its best: wonderfully observed, deeply moving and utterly impossible to put down.
