The Pact by Jodi Picoult

I just started reading The Pact by Jodi Picoult and I am somewhat lost. The plot seems very good and intense, but there are so many different characters that are introduced as soon as the book starts. The book jumps right into a car crash and we find out that one of the characters death may have been on purpose. I wonder what they mean by that, because the dictionary definition of a pact is a formal agreement between individuals or parties. Maybe they planned the death? That makes no sense, but the book is very captivating. I really want to read more to find out what happens. The point I am up to now, is talking about one of the characters giving birth. One of the characters name is Gus and in the context of the book, you can't really tell its a girl, so i thought it was a guy. Later on it was explained but I was very confused. This book seems like it's going to be a tough read because its dealing with a planned death-possibly. I can't wait to read more and keep everyone updated.