The Pact

" Truth, you see, is in the eye of the beholder. " - The Pact

So my holidays have begun. Sarawak. Westlife. Friends reunion. Blog. What next? I always face this problem- before the holidays come, i'll have all sorts of ideas, or plans, in mind. Probably i should write it down next time because the list mysteriously disappears. To tell you the truth, somehow, i feel like i'm experiencing a 'mid-life crisis' now, at such an early age! Probably it's not. But whenever i open my Facebook page, i see my friends busy, doing something, filling their time with events. Then i look at myself. What am i really doing? One month down, three months to go.

There is still time, i always say. And i believe i'll be stepping up my game, and i'm going to do great things. How? Only time will tell.

I just completed my fourth book by Jodi Picoult, entitled The Pact (after Change of Hearts, Handle With Care and Picture Perfect). I was disappointed with Picture Perfect because of many reasons. The characters are not like-able and boring. The story progresses slowly and the ending is predictable. However, it made me take up an Anthropology course in my uni- so you can say that's a plus point of the book.

In The Pact, i was blown away. This is the real Jodi Picoult book that i fell in love when i first read her book. She is the master at mixing courtroom drama with family and love elements. The story starts with a bang- and i really mean a bang! When i read this title, i thought what kind of pact will it be. I least expected it to be a suicide pact- or that's what the writer wants us to believe at first. Emily Gold commits suicide in the arms of the man she loved, Chris Harte.

This book is artfully crafted. Jodi employs the 'now' and 'then' technique in this masterpiece of hers- one i am still yet to master. The 'now' is the aftermath of the suicide. The 'then' tells the story of the Harte and Gold families, living next to each other, doing everything almost together, and from the moment Chris and Emily were born, they were meant to be together. And one cannot recall any memory without having the other in it. Holiday. School. Then throw in sex, expectations and later an abortion. Until the moment of suicide. In the 'now', Chris is accused of the death of Emily, experiences prison life and later, he allegedly face a first degree murder trial- and he has to tell that he did not kill Emily.

This is definitely one of Jodi's best. The story develops well with many layers and subplots. I was deeply engrossed in the last few pages of the book. What really happened. What will happen. Inside, i knew i was on Chris' side but whenever the court drama unfolded, i doubted myself. This book kept me guessing until the end. I thought the ending could have been a little longer though, after all the drama, anticipation and adrenaline still on a high.

With interesting characters, the right mix of issues and elements, and the clever execution of the story by Jodi, The Pact is highly recommendable.

A satisfying read, i am fueled to continue with my own writing work. Hopefully, it can be ready by next year. wc11 makes a pact, with you.