Book Review: The Pact - Jodie Picoult

This blog post is a review of another Jodie Picoult novel, my favourite. 
"Jodi Picoult has written a haunting tragedy of two families. The Pact is rich with suspense and compassion, and it will make people question how well they know their own children. It is an intensely moving novel".

-       Luanne Rice, author of HOME FIRES
I believe this quote summarises the novel and captures its essence.

With this riveting psychological drama, Jodi Picoult explores the dynamics of intimate relationships under stress, from the seemingly inexplicable mind of a teenager to the bonds of friendship and marriage. I believe very few writers have such a gift for evoking everyday life coupled with the ability to create a level of dramatic tension that will keep you up reading late into the night (well at-least that was my experience). The Pact is storytelling at its best: wonderfully observed, deeply moving, and utterly impossible to put down.

What is the novel about you ask?

The Pact paints a portrait of families in anguish over a suicide pact between a teenage couple which leaves one of them dead and the other one on trial for murder.

An exert from chapter one of the novel:

There was nothing left to say.
He covered her body with his, and as she put her arms around him she could picture him in all his incarnations: age five, and still blond; age eleven, sprouting; age thirteen, with the hands of a man. The moon rolled, sloe– eyed in the night sky; and she breathed in the scent of his skin. “I love you,” she said.
He kissed her so gently she wondered if she had imagined it. She pulled back slightly, to look into his eyes.
And then there was a shot.

Group Member: Peter

Hi, my name is Peter. I hope in my following posts I can introduce you to some new books to read/look at. 

Favourite Genre? - I mostly enjoy reading non fiction books & biographies.
Favourite book? – Bram Stroker’s Dracula.
What am I currently reading? – Since the warm weather has come back, I find myself looking over Eugene Tan’s A Day at Bondi. Also, I have started reading Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy.

Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye

Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye

 The Catcher in the Rye is a 1951 novel written by J. D. Salinger. It is a story which describes the universal theme of teenage angst and alienation during the mid-20th century. It follows the protagonist Holden from Pennsylvania to New York City, facing issues such as betrayal, assault, drug usage, and other dark themes. The story sees Holden's attitude and behaviour changing as he experience and slowly falls deeper in a confusing, juxtaposition transition of what we call "becoming an adult"

Story: 8/10: An outstanding, timeless novel. It allows the reader see  the issues arising from leaving from a familiar environment to an unknown place, facing issues which cannot be solved. What is innocence of getting an opportnity in the big city changes into a corrupted mindset of deceit, violence, lust, and trying to be honest to yourself, trying to not lose who you are.

Book Review: Murder in Mississippi by John Safran

 

Murder in Mississippi is the first novel by John Safran. Safran is known for his various TV series’ on SBS, an avid fan of true crime novels he became involved in the genre after hearing that a white supremacist he had spent time with in Mississippi for his show had been murdered by a young black man.

 In the book Safran travels to Mississippi attempting to untangle the motive of the murder, with Safran continually finding new information.  During his journey, Safran delves into the many characters of Mississippi giving the reader a fascinating look into life in the Southern United States and the people connected to the murder.

Murder in Mississippi is a must read for any true crime fans, as Safran treads a similar path to the legends of the genre John Berendt and Truman Capote, whilst adding his own sense of black humour.

Book review: My Sisters Keeper

I have read My Sister's Keeper at least five different times, however although i am familiar with the ending, i am still wrapped up and engaged in the story line every single time!

The main thing i love about the book is how each chapter is written from the perspective of a different main character so you learn the tragic story of a young girl Kate who is diagnosed with a
rare form of Leukaemia at the age of thirteen. You experience the sadness through the eyes of Kate's parents Sarah and Brian Fitzgerald as well as her sister Anna who is suing her parents for the rights of her own body, as her parents ask her to donate one of her kidneys to her sister Kate.

I never thought i would be reduced to tears while reading a book, however it is an incredibly heart- wrenching and heart-breaking tale about the power of love and family and is a credit to Jodie Picoult and her writing talent.

The 2004 novel is emotional and at times hard to follow due to the law and medical terminology describing Kate's condition and the court process that the family goes through however i believe it adds to the authenticity of the story and novel.

The novel was extremely popular and successful which brought about the release for the 2009 film My Sister's Keeper directed by Nick Kassavetas, which captures the raw emotion of the novel to a certain extent. Although i enjoyed the film and would recommend it, the ending had been changed from the original novel which made the book a number one best seller in New York Times.


Below is 'My Sister's keeper' Movie trailer.

Group member: Rachel

Hi my name is Rachel and I look forward to sharing my ideas on the wonderful adventures various books have taken me on.

First novel: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Favourite genre: Fiction, Crime, mysteries

Favourite Book: The Pact – Jodie Picoult