The Pact by Jodi Picoult

“As he drifted off to sleep, still kneeling on the floor like a penitent, Chris heard God. He came on the sounds of footsteps, of key turns and disembodied whistles. And He murmured, stirring the fine hairs on the back of Chris’s neck: ‘Forgive, and you shall be forgiven.”

—The Pact  by Jodi Picoult

 

Book Title: The Pact

Author: Jodi Picoult

Synopsis: 

The Hartes and the Golds have lived next door to each other for eighteen years. They have shared everything from family picnics to chicken pox -- so it's no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. 

When the midnight calls come in from the hospital, no one is prepared: Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head, inflicted by Chris as a part of an apparent suicide pact. He tells the police the next bullet was meant for himself. A local detective has her doubts. And the Hartes and Golds must face every parent's worst nightmare and question: do we ever really know our children at all?

Thoughts:

Out of all the sentences and paragraphs I wanted to quote--especially of Chris's--the one above stood out for me. It was something I didn't expect finding amidst all the hate, denial and doubts escalating as I flip through the pages. No one wants to take the blame. Humans, humans in distress! Choosing to point a finger at anyone but themselves. Starting to look for escape routes by coming up with suspicions against others. Accepting speculations and hasty judgements until these become something to believe in. And not wanting to entertain any other possibilities, the mind is forced shut. Even after finding other facts, the closed mind wouldn't budge anymore. Sadness becomes hate. And all that was left is what the book wants us to know: what really happened. Because despite all the efforts of the characters to settle for the opposite, we come to discover what those who were left behind--aching to solve the puzzle--failed to notice; refused to acknowledge; did not want to hear; tried to find; chose to ignore; and struggled to keep: The TRUTH.

For the first few chapters of thens and nows, I was thinking that it was going a bit slow. But then I started making guesses. Some of them proved to be correct. But that didn’t made me lose interest. There were plenty to take in as pages turn, larger pieces of the puzzle revealed and expected and unexpected events alike took place that I just can't put the book down midway! Although I had to pause from time to time and roll from one side of my bed to the other side letting out 'arghs', 'ughs', 'whaaaat!?!', 'whyyy!? D:' and other side comments or else my mind is gonna explode! GAAAAH~! Nevertheless, even while expecting the scenario, I was still disappointed with how the characters were acting (Me questioning “How can anyone be like this!?”, too affected from what is going on). I can get irritated at one character for doing or saying something that I would mentally pull him/her out of the book and torture the culprit myself. Yeah, I feel brutally attached to them. grawr

P.S. My heart ached a lot on Chris's 18th birthday. Because. That. Is. Simply. Cruel.