Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Pact

Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Pact by Jodi Picoult

9 reviews

smisaacs's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.75

This was definitely an emotional read. I was hooked from the first page to the last. I love turning over moral quandries in my mind, and there were plenty to go around in this book. She did a great job of representing the thoughts and feelings of each family member. I really enjoyed this book a lot.

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nmuetz's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Jodi was able to talk about really difficult topics with grace and without causing discomfort. The plot was a little too 'lifetime movie'-esque for my usual taste but still a good book. Wish we got more of an ending.

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jada_ann_12's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Okay, so I’ll make this first part spoiler free for anyone who wants to genuinely know if this book is worth the read. In short: yes. When my friend begged me to read this, I was hesitant. My first thought was Why does the font have to be soooo small? However, when I actually dove in, I found myself begging to know what happened. Did Chris kill Emily? Did Emily kill herself? Was he alive?
I have many trust issues when it comes to books, so I found myself reaching for different theories, but the end shocked me. I didn’t we it coming. We’ll get to that later though.
I loved reading about Chris. While reading the book, you hear a lot from his point of view. During every flashback, I was absolutely entranced with how he spoke of her. I found myself wanting to be Emily, to be the one receiving his adoration and love. He truly put her above everything, which was why the end was so heartbreaking to read. His pain and the things that were happening must have been so hard on him and I was crying for my baby. I found the thoughts of the parents interesting, I liked reading especially about the dynamic between Gus and Michael as they struggled. I didn’t enjoy Melanie or James as much.
Overall, I would recommend this book for sure. It’s a story that you can both connect and cry with. It left me sitting on the edge of my bed. I literally sat there for three hours never putting it down until the end. You will grow attached and be confused up until the end. The ending still left me a little confused. However, this is easily a 5 star read soully for the fact of how it made me feel. The court scenes had me at the edge of my seat, and I just wanted to know everything. Truly heart wrenching.

Okay, time for spoiler!!!

I HATE EMILY GOLD!! The amount of shit that this girl put my boy Chris through was absolutely insane. When she told him that he’d let her kill herself if he loved her I was so infuriated. To put someone you love in that position is absolutely insane. She is insane for that. It also made me so mad the way she led Chris on. She barely loved him like that, I hate that she claimed to. It made me so mad reading her chapters because I just wanted to yell at her to stop and tell the truth— especially about the pregnancy. I was always so confused as to what attachment she had to him. I really just felt so bad for Chris. he deserved so much better, and I just wanted to hold him and tell him it’d be okay.
My heart did break for her with her trauma with the sexual assault when she was so young. I hated that scene and it literally made me sick to my stomach to read. That poor girl didn’t deserve it, and i hated how Chris pushed sex upon her like it was worth more than her being comfortable. For a while there, I was struggling to get over that fact and still like him. I couldn’t stand by his actions when it came to that. It genuinely made me mad enough that I had to put my book down.
However, the ending sealed the deal that he was better in my eyes. He did not deserve that pressure that she put upon him. He just wanted to save and take care of her. I hated that she put him in that position. I was struggling the whole time to read the court scenes because I just wanted him to make it out, and he did!! I was so relieved while I read it aloud to my friend and we celebrated. I was so taken aback by his profession and the fact that she pulled the trigger over his finger.
I also always called the fact that something was going to happen between at least one of the parents, and I really liked the dynamic between Michael and Gus. I struggled for a while with the thoughts of what I would do if I were in the Gold’s perspective, and I still do not know. I guess that is something I’ll always have to ponder.
The ending though— I feel like there was a secret note on it. Before, it was mentioned that they had invisible ink they would write with, and I think something was written on the note that he needed to reveal. I want to know because I am so sure that is the case that I won’t believe anything else told to me. Anyways, I love Chris most of the time and I’m happy he’s okay now!

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juliaathomsonnn's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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auds_wright's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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bookishaddictions's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is my third book from Picoult, as I finally got around to reading the title @the_female_demian loaned me. This one smacked me emotionally, as any of us could have ended up in this position as a teenager. As Christopher Harte struggles after the death of Emily Gold, he finds himself being publicly blamed for her death. The Golds are grieving, and Chris is finding himself in the middle of an investigation that has to determine whether Emily’s death is murder or suicide. Like My Sister’s Keeper and 19 Minutes, The Pact is a crime drama that follows the characters from the initial event until just after the results of the trial. Each character’s response to Emily’s death is so authentic it hurts. It’s impossible to imagine what we would do in any of their positions, and yet they each hold an echo of our reactions. The Pact will break your heart and play on parents’ deepest fear in Picoult’s distinct style.

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