THis is a moving, long story whose protagonists are two adolescents,Chris and Emily. Having grown up together, they were as close as two sides of the same paper. The themes are close friendship, suicide, sexual abuse. So well written, and so haunting. I'm writing this review two years after having read THE PACT, and it still haunts me. It was, yes, disturbing, and at the same time, an insight into the emotional decision making of adolescence.

Well, I work in a bookshop & have been reading since I was a young little thing, but I must say that of all the books I have read in such a long time none have come close to touching me so deeply as this book. It deals with all the issues; young love, family pressures, friendships, and that all in the first few pages!! Jodi Picoult really knows how to write exactly the right thing at exactly the right time. None of her books have been a disappointment, & believe me, out of all the booksI recommend to friends, families & customers, this would have to be one of the few which I always get great feedback about. So, If you're thinking about getting this great book, hesitate no longer, do yourself a favour. Put your feet up, make free a whole afternoon, & get immersed!!

As a high school teacher, I thought this book might be interesting. Instead of just a teenagers' novel, I found a book I couldn't put down! The characters are believable, the story line riveting, and the ending a shock. As an adult, you will be reminded of your childhood and teenage years. As a teenager, you can get a feeling of what it might be like to be the living member of a suicide pact. A must read for teenagers, teachers, and parents of teenagers

The plot had such potential then offered very little. To many characters undeveloped I like to know my characters feel thier pain,happiness ect. I was not able to connect. The ending was also a source of great disappointment Too bad.

I agree with "Lily" in when she says" I definitely disagree with some of the reviews about the book being breathtaking and "not able to put down."".It dragged on a lot to me, and the jumping from past to present was a pain to read through, especially with multiple(!) points of view. I also had trouble really getting into it, I found the story lacked real depth/detail, color, and texture. For example, Emily Golde's character is talked about a lot but we hardly know anything about her. Why care so much about someone you know nothing about?I also expected a twist, some kind of interesting explanation for why the tragic event occurred, but I got nothing that satisfied me. I would say more but I do not want to spoil it for those of you that will read it anyway.This is the first and last book of hers I will read. I need something I can really get into.I read 'Water For elephants' before this book, and that book makes this book look almost like child's play.

This was my first Jodi Picoult book, and may be my last. I felt like I was climbing up a steep hill, never to reach the top. The book starts out with a murder ?, suicide ?, and goes downhill from there. Tedious trial, and many unanswered questions. Why was this teenage girl so miserable and unhappy? Some hints of abuse, but nothing is clear or validated. Her parents were clueless. Depressing story, with really no answers, not a romantic love story.