Published by Bookouture Genres: Mystery, Psychological Thriller
Format: ARC, eBook
The Pact is about promises and secrets.
“We think we’ve got over things, don’t we? We think we’ve made our peace with trauma, that we’re strong again. We keep going, we smile, we manage day to day. Then something comes along, something so very small compared to things we’ve faced before, something we think we can more than handle, and it floors us once more. And we realize we’re not strong after all. The fault lines have not healed over. We’re not living, not really. We’re still surviving.”
Rosie is a 15-year-old girl who is lying in the hospital in a coma. She has been sheltered for most of her life. Her Mother, Toni, has tried to protect her and keep her safe. Due to her Mother’s strict rules and constant hovering, Rosie has secrets of her own. She communicates with friends and a “possible” suitor on social media. Knowing that her Mother checks up on her, she has secrets accounts and is not always honest about where she is going or who she is going to meet.
Toni, Rosie’s Mother has secrets as well. She had a traumatic childhood which she wants to keep secret from her daughter. Her sister, Bridget, knows the truth and has vowed to never discuss the past with her. Toni sees her daughter as happy and talented. She believes her daughter will have a good life, if only Toni can keep her safe. When Rosie is approached by a talent scout, will this be a chance at a bright future? Will she be an entertainer like her Aunt Bridget?
What happens when one has secrets? How does a traumatic past shape our future, our relationships and the choices we make? What role does social media have in our lives? As the story progresses, the reader learns about Toni’s past, about Rosie’s use of social media, about secrets hopes and dreams, about deception and about the hidden dangers which exist in the world. This book flows between the past, the not so distant past and the present effortlessly. I found it very easy to follow and over the course of the book, several gaps are filled in for the reader. There were some sections which I wished would have moved along a little faster but overall, I felt this book was well written and thought out. There are some twists and turns along the way that kept the story interesting.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.