Jodi Picoult is known for many bestselling novels, such as My Sister’s Keeper, and her ability to incorporate difficult themes into her novels. Her fictional novel The Pact: A Love Story is no exception.

The Pact revolves around two families: the Hartes and the Golds who moved into the neighborhood. The Golds and the Hartes became friends after initially introducing themselves. Melanie and Michael Gold had a daughter, Emily, not long after Gus and James Harte had their first-born, Chris. Chris and Emily were inseparable growing up, and everyone knew it was only a matter of time before they started dating. Everything seemed fine as Emily and Chris became seniors in high school.

So, why did the Golds and the Hartes receive a phone call early in the morning saying that their children were being rushed to the hospital? Emily and Chris were found on an old carousel, one had a gunshot to the head. With Emily pronounced dead, Chris is suspected of murder despite claiming it was a double suicide attempt. Now, he and his lawyer, Jordan McAfee, must find a way to keep Chris from going to prison on account of murder.

Filled with heartbreak and thrill, The Pact allows readers to see how pain takes a toll on the Gold and Harte families. The novel, though enjoyable, also gives audiences an insight on criminal justice and the effect of death on families. The Pact keeps readers on the edge, often wondering where the real truth of the carousel events lie. In addition, the characters undergo thought-development instead of maintaining the same mindset throughout the entire book. The characters, though fictional, seem real. They share emotions with the audience as the plot carries on. By narrating from an omniscient point of view, Picoult creates a novel that’s akin to a newspaper article, telling each event as if it were fact. This creates a stronger bond between the story and the reader, who becomes immersed into the plot. The novel is 369 pages long but easy enough to read in about a week. Meant for an older audience (16+), I strongly recommended the novel to anyone who loves suspense and mystery.