This is by far the best book that Jodi Picoult has written! It is powerful, uplifting and inspirational. I would recomend this book to anyone and everyone!!

This book was tough to put down. Jodi Picoult is a master at creating story lines with a surprise ending and doesn't disappoint in The Pact. Although I didn't enjoy it as much as My Sister's Keeper, I still highly recommend reading it!

One of the things that struck me was the way it was expected that Chris and Emily would become sexually intimate - with hopes that they would eventually marry.

Yet Emily was clearly uncomfortable with this expectation - partly because of her earlier sexual abuse, and partly because of how she felt her sexual relationship with Chris was incestuous. The latter feeling apparently undid her when she became pregnant.

She had no one to talk to about this. Chris "loved" her and would be devastated if she told him she loved him as a sister but not as a potential wife. Her parents - and his - made it clear that they expected her to eventually marry Chris so she couldn't discuss her feelings with them either.

Her relationship with Chris was so close, she basically had no other close friends.

It seems to me that sexual relationships are emotionally dangerous for teens even without these particular circumstances and this book ought to give us all pause in encouraging teens to be active before they are truly emotionally ready.

I love Jodi Picoults books but this one keeps you on your toes and not wanting to put the book down! Very much enjoyed it!

Why does anyone commit suicide? More to the point, why would a beloved, beautiful, intelligent, talented high school senior with everything to live for choose to end her life?

This is an unanswerable question. Ms. Picoult presents us with a myriad of possibilities; early sexual abuse, an unplanned pregnancy, confusion about the nature of a relationship, high parental expectations or perhaps a combination. It's bewildering. It's more bewildering when the plot plays out and it seems that neither Emily nor Chris considered the legal implications of Emily's ultimately very selfish act. For such bright, mature young adults, such lack of forethought is incredible and is the weakest part of the book.

Far more powerful is Ms. Picoult's fearless exploration of the repercussions of Emily's death on the families and friendships involved. It's a cautionary tale of the power of forgiveness and the damage caused by withheld resentments. That is the meat of this book and her likeable, believable characters provide much fuel for thought and discussion.