"The Pact" by Jodi Picoult

   

 

 

 

I read "The Pact" by Jodi Picoult after it was recommended by a coworker who proclaimed "this is one of Picoult's Greatest Books."

 

I particularly loved how the narrator descibes the character of Gus.  Gus is to the point.   She is fast in her speech, and a regular on-the-go mother.  Gus' character is the first in many of Piccoult's novels to be a woman who sounds less like the feminine, nurturing, sensitive type and more of the funny, almost manly type. 

 

 I like how Picoult introduces the parents of Chis and Emily as spirited couples who seem like the oldest of friends; getting together for dinner. 

 

The character of Gus disappears just as fast as she arrives to the dinner.  And in her frenzy of work, and no play attitude, Gus, the a"Waiter", is not the traditional waiter in the sense of we think of waiters, but in fact, her job description is actually to "wait".  Wait in line for tickets, or wait as a stand-in for a client who has in detention.  This highly stressful position fits Gus' personality. 

 

With the introduction of Chris going to trial, there were many similarites between Picoult's other novel's describing prison scenes;including "House Rules" and "Perfect Match" with the description of the jail cells, the uniforms worn in prison, and the demeanor of the guards  and/or detectives in regards to their job and obvious dislike of the suspect.  Listening to how a prisoner made a home-made tatoo instrument out of contraband needle and screwdrewer was absolutely horrifying. 

 

The overall prison setting was horrific: from poop-smeared walls in "the hole" to the descriptive way one uses his own prison garments in substitution of writing pads for doodling creative designs, in times of boredom.