The Pledge

By Kimberly Derting

Words are the most dangerous weapon of all...Seventeen-year-old Charlaina knows she has exceptional but perilous powers. In the far future, in a land controlled by an aged and ruthless queen, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. Even acknowledging a member of the ruling class while they are speaking their native tongue is punishable by death. Charlie can understand all languages, a secret she must protect to stay alive. When she meets the alluringly handsome Max, who speaks in a language she hasn't heard before, she is intensely attracted to him. Max believes that Charlie is the key to something bigger and he pledges to protect her. But as war descends, can she trust him?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Allison & Busby
• Release date: Mar 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9780749011314

Kimberly Derting

Kimberly Derting is the author of the Cece Loves Science series, the Body Finder series, the Pledge trilogy, and the Taking series. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, where the gloomy weather is ideal for writing anything dark and creepy. Her three beautiful (and often mouthy) children serve as an endless source of inspiration and frequently find things they say buried in the pages of their mother’s books. You can visit her online at www.kimberlyderting.com.

Reviews for The Pledge

[msjessie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Pledge was a struggle for me to read through, in several ways over several days. For all that I enjoyed the story while I was caught up in it and reading, once I'd set it down for the day, there would be a definite lull before I felt the urge to pick up the novel once again. I just expected more from this author and this novel, if I am being honest, for in several aspects Ms. Derting's world is a shallow reflection of the possibilities for the story. With the world rigidly segregated by class and by speech and led by a maniacal body-jumping Queen, The Pledge definitely has a fresh and unique spin on the current and oh-so-popular dystopian trend for young-adult novels going for it. And I personally found The Pledge not to be wholly a dystopic young-adult novel: the fantasy/magical elements are strong and a central part of both the novel and the characters themselves. The first area I was slightly disappointed in were the characters. For me, nearly 100% of these characters fell entirely flat. I felt like the third person omniscient point of view used for the Queen/Max/etc. did me no favors either: I had a difficult time investing in the story from such a removed perspective on the characters. The only first person narrative was for the main character and I disliked the shifts between - very disconcerting to read. Charlaina, the almost milquetoast heroine, never inspired true sympathy with me and her irritating insta!love situation with OBVIOUS love-interest Max did her no favors either. She never stood out to me: I didn't get (that) irritated with her, I didn't love her, I didn't want to hang out with her - my typical associations and categories for female leads. She's kind and unselfish, yes, but where's the personality? The vim, the pop, the individuality? Charlie was largely no different from a thousand other young-adult novel protagonists, and it felt like a chance wasted. The only stand-out about her is her hidden talent with languages, and her relationship with her mute little sister. Charlie's two best friends - Aron and Brooklynn - also fall victim to this same lack of dimension, Aron in particular. Brooklynn, the carefree and careless boy-crazy sexpot, gets the benefit of a nicely-done plot twist to flesh her out more, but Aron remains the same cardboard cut-out for the duration. Now, for another of my letdowns for The Pledge, the love-interest Maxmillian. I either wanted to kill him half the time, and spent the other 50% of his screen-time just trying to figure out the motivation of the character could possibly be. He's a trope-ish and cliched dark-haired mystery man with a hidden agenda who is inexplicable drawn to Charlie. I'm really, really weary of the whole overdone and lazy excuse of the"inexplicably drawn" line for young-adult romances: is it too much to ask for two characters to meet as friends and then gradually segue into a mature, believable relationship? Apparently, yes yes it is as I could never discern the reason why Max became so quickly and vociferously attached to young Ms. Hart. I felt very little chemistry between Charlie and Max as well. No pop, no sizzle and no line of dialogue really convinced me that these two were supposed to be with one another. I guess I liked them both well enough, but together they did not shoot sparks together. I honestly like them both on their own, independent - but that's probably my knee-jerk reaction to their oh-so-special instalove.As stated earlier, I felt Ms. Derting's worldbuilding left a lot to be desired, for me personally. Her world is set in a time described only as, "After the Revolution of the Sovereigns" but hardly any details about what that event/war was about are ever provided. Even in the present day of the novel, with the Queen facing even more rebellions, etc., no more details are provided for why the country is the way it is. It just bothered me from the outset - Icrave a well-rounded novel with a vibrant setting always. Barely sketched outlines seem to set the foundation of the country of Ludania, and I craved more setting, more substance for the locale/Kingdom/city themselves. The little details of life in Ludania are sometimes supplied: there are normal-ish pasttimes that readers can identify with: dancing, illegal drinking/drugging) to tie along with the more outlandish (read: magical) elements. I just missed the bigger picture details that Ms. Derting failed to include. Her country of Ludania never comes to life, never seems or feels like a real place to the reader and that is a shame. "The Pledge" from which the novel takes its name/series takes its name, is the required daily obeisance each person of the country must person as well as a reminder of their respective places in society - only the Queen is worth saving, protecting and pledging.I did love the language/communicative aspect for the novel. Sadly, Derting didn't go so far as to truly create and vocabularize the three languages of Ludania (Termani - the language of the elite/nobility, Parshon - the Vendor/serving class language and lastly Englaise - universal) - that we know so far - but relied on italics to stress the different languages. Derting does an adequate job of using words to isolate her classes/characters: this is a country of no trust and little love, where fathers turn in daughters and sons turn in mothers to the secret police. I liked some stuff from the novel well enough (words are power/distinction, matrilineal descent, but there was never enough detail or information for me to really feel completely satisfied with the story. It just felt half-done, or half-plotted out at points (Sydney? What as the point of her addition to the story? Xander - why did he turn? Why did "she" let him? No reasons provided!) and incomplete. I also felt vaguely disappointed by the ending. It felt sadly lackluster and almost dull after the 300 page build-up of raids, bombs, shelters, secret police, secret deadly abilities. . . but, if anything, this is the most forgivable of my problems with this novel - for there are to be two more sequels. If Ms. Derting doesn't fill in some holes, answer some questions, provide some information on her world's past/current situation, I'm going to be a very disgruntled reader. After all that, why is this still a 3.5 out of 5 stars? I did fully enjoy the style of the novel itself - Ms. Derting is a more than able wordsmith and I hope her next effort doesn't founder in the other aspects of her writing. It's also a fast-paced action novel, and I found the varied advenures kept me reading when the characters failed to do so. I will continue reading this series to find out what happens - and to see if Max, Charlie, Brooklynn and Angelina grow on me a bit more.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In a world where language divides people, everyone speaks a common language but there's a specific language for each caste and under pain of death you have to look away and not acknowledge their speech. Over all of this is a queen, who is aging and has no heir. In this world is Charlaina or Charlie who can understand all languages, including written ones (pause for a moment for how jealous I am of that skill).She meets Max and her life changes forever, as does the life of the people in her world.There were times that this didn't quite work for me but overall it was a very interesting read, I'm curious about what's going to happen next and what's going to happen to her sister and her family. The end left me wanting more.

[laphenix · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved the plot and the characters, though small bits don't yet make sense. The one-dimensional queen and little sister (who would totally be using visual communication) were rather grating.

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In this dystopian novel, society is divided by language - the difference social classes each speak their own language, using a common language only when they need to interact with each other. This makes Charlaina, who can understand all languages, a dangerous young woman. The last half of this novel really flew by, although the first half was a little hard to get through. I'd recommend this to fans of YA dystopian literature, but I don't know that it has much cross-over appeal.

[lauras4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A phenomenal story about the power of language, and the strength of the weak, "The Pledge" takes the reader through a caste system that has every likeness to those class systems we see around us every day. The extreme nature of this story's class system will keep the reader at the edge of their seat, rooting for the underdog, and looking to join the fight.

[cantinera · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book, even more than I thought I would. I've read the Body Finders books and thought this was going to be another book in the growing list of teen-dystopia series coming out, so I had vague ideas of what to expect, but the book did not match them... in a good way.

To be honest, while it has the science-fiction/authoritarian/political-upheaval vibe so popular in the teen fantasy genre now, I felt it transcended being lumped in with most of the books coming out lately due to the feel of the story feeling more like a futuristic fairy tale, its style borrowing more from a classic fairy tale than the post-Hunger Games trend. And it really, really works. It didn't feel like a rehash or a bandwagon of any of the genres, but felt fresh while recalling those literary traditions and genres.

I don't want to say too much about the actual story since I fear I will give too much away, but the heroine, the love interest and the storyline were all rather well developed and engrossing. And, as I see this was a series, it was nice to not see it relying on a cliffhanger, but being rather tidy about the current storyline, yet drawing you in enough to want the next book. That's pretty rare nowadays, so massive props to that.

Overall, probably in my Top 10 teen books out this year. And I've read a lot.

[a_reader_of_fictions · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Needless to say, I was really stoked about this book, especially since I got a free ARC from a giveaway through Presenting Lenore. You know me and my undying love for dystopias. Unfortunately, The Pledge did not fulfill my hopes. It had some good parts and some rather obnoxious parts, which I will attempt to enumerate somewhat in this review.

The Good:
A society based on discrepancies in language is a very interesting idea, especially since, in some senses, this has been done in real cultures, such as how Russian royals used to speak in French. Intriguing, too, were the seemingly magical powers possessed by Charlie and the Queen of the realm. Why do only women have the capability to have such powers? I don't know, but, heck yeah, strong women! Actually, one of the few things I really liked about Charlie is that she spoke almost entirely in Englaise, because she didn't see the point of making things hard on people. Why not speak so everyone could understand?

The Bad:
While I liked the language differences, I had trouble accepting that people were incapable of ever learning a language they were not born with. This just isn't how language works so far as I know. Not being allowed to speak an upper crust language, I get, but being incapable of ever learning or speaking it?

Another thing I really didn't like was what transpired in one particular scene. Charlie and her best friend Brooklynn go to an illegal nightclub, despite being underage (woo, doubly illegal!). When let in, they receive hand stamps, much like clubs now have for those below the drinking age, only these are laced with drugs to loosen people up. Charlie feels some ill effects from hers, so she decides to wander around the building and finds a secret hallway. Discovered by a mysterious, vaguely creepy, secretive guy, she lets him put something else on her hand (supposedly to help, but what does she know?!?) and falls asleep trustingly. To be fair, nothing untoward occurred, but I just want to say that no one should ever do this. Charlie is a bad role model!

The Obnoxious:
While the overarching plot had some interesting things going on, the romance running through it was just completely stereotypical YA and barftastic. The words describing any encounter between Charlie and Max are reminiscent of such works as Twilight, Personal Demons, or Hereafter. Here's a sample scene of the two of them, just after their first makeout session: "I was still shaking when I finally turned my head away, ending the kiss. It was the hardest thing I'd ever done. My lips felt swollen and raw, and achingly cold in the absence of his" (265). The hardest thing she ever had to do? Really? Come on.

At this juncture, I do not know if I will be trying the sequel; I may have to just to figure out why a sequel needs to exist, as this seems to have wrapped up the existing plot threads. For those of you who enjoy melodramatic teenage romances complete with instalove and some dystopian business, The Pledge will satisfy your every desire.

[supagurlbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

5x5Be prepared to take the Pledge! In a land where Queens rule all! I was swept away into this society where classes are clearly defined by the language you can speak and understand. I really enjoyed every aspect of this book! The story is well written and very clever. I could see myself there where Charlie (MC) was. Pacing is great I didn't feel rushed or like anything was dragging at anytime. The characters are all very well written. Charlie is just a vendor girl with a unique gift. She knows how to stay in her place and keep her and her family safe. *I totally loved her little sister also!* When she meets Max she feels something for him and him for her. We soon learn he has his own secret. I was smitten with Max. This was not a clear love at first sight kinda deal but as a girl I know that feeling when you meet a guy and you are drawn to him no words needed. GET This on Nov. 15th when it comes out you will love the world and the characters! Well done Kimberly, well done!

[coranne_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book I have read by Kimberly Derting. She is also the author of the very popular Body Finder series. I love the cover of this book! It is so mysterious and creepy and I love the very faint letters across the entire cover. It is a very enticing cover and is incredibly well done. That being said, I wouldn't say that the cover is directly related the book. I think it just might be me (because I didn't read the summary first), but when I read this and the title "The Pledge" I immediately thought of secret societies, maybe even witches. I was absolutely wrong. This is not a paranormal book- this is much more of a fantasy book. I think it is important to know that because I can see how the cover is misleading.The story starts slow. I will admit that. The author does a very good job introducing characters and setting up the plot- however, it doesn't move quickly. I almost stopped reading this book early, and I am so glad I didn't. The second half of this book was excellent. The story had more action and was better paced. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. I feel like I didn't get to know the characters as much as I wanted to- but I have a feeling I will get to know them more in the next book. The "final battle" in the book was excellent and I wish I could see it on TV or in a movie- I am sure it would be beautiful!If you enjoy fantasy or Kimberly Derting- you will enjoy this book! I did!

[lauramoore_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved Kimberly Dertings Body Finder series, so I was super excited to get my hands on a copy of the Pledge, and the verdict is that I loved it. It was so unique as far as dystopians go, and had a bit of an old-world feel with the class system and the monarchy that exsists. This book could have definitely been a stand-alone, but I'm glad that it's not. I say it could be a stand-alone because the story wrapped up nicely and didn't end on a huge cliff-hanger as most series books do. I'm happy it's a series though because I think Kimberly can build up this world as well as the characters and really make something spectacular. I love Kimberly's writing style, and I feel like I usually fly right through them, and want more from her! She's quickly becoming a favorite author of mine, and her books are those that are on auto-buy for me. She dosen't let me down, and this novel is no exception. If you're a fan of dystopians and even historical fiction (this isn't historical fiction, but has that old-world feel) then your in for a treat with this book. The only reason it didn't recieve 5 stars is because I wanted more world-building and character development and I'm hoping we'll get more of that in the second book.

[breakingdownslowly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really, really liked this book. In a time where many dystopians are becoming the same, this one was completely different.Charlie as a character doesn't stand out much to me. She's another YA protagonist. What I did love about her is the devotion she had to her little sister, because it's something I really connect to. The sibling relationship was fantastically done. I did love Charlie's friends and Max. Max was kind of easy to predict, but her other friends were much more surprising.But this story? Oh this story. The rich history of the world, the political turmoil, the rebellion. It was just so, so, SO fantastically done. I wanted to get lost in that world and how complicated it was.The writing was really good. It kept me super entertained and intrigued in the story. I mean...the story itself was enough, but if there wasn't good writing, I couldn't keep going.Now the ending...oh that ending. It was cruel and fantastic and shocking and just...so, so perfect. Left me dying for book 2!Read this for the fantastic plot. Read it now so you can suffer in the wait for book 2 with me! (Or be smart and wait until Book 2 is closer...but really you should read it now.)

[zoey_talbon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Pledge was kind of refreshing, in a way. No love triangles, no insta-love, and no Mary-Sues.But I'll start with what I didn't like, since there's not much of it.From reading the blurb, you know that Charlie can understand every language and that she's not supposed to. But in the book, it takes forever to actually explain that. I don't care if we technically already know it, I like elaborations, dang it! And the world of Ludania, how the Queen ruled, Ludania's past, I felt like it was revealed too late in the book. I spent all this unnecessary time wondering what the heck was going on.In the beginning, I didn't really like the writing style. Lots of the sentences were too long and felt awkward, but it wasn't very long before I didn't think about it. I'm not sure if it's because the sentences got less awkward or because I didn't notice it anymore, but either way, I started to really like the writing.AND NOW ONTO THE GOOD STUFF.I don't know how Derting did it, but she made me totally understand Brooklyn. At first, I hated her. And when Charlie started to suspect that Brook was just using her for selfish purposes, (which I totally agreed with) I couldn't believe Charlie wasn't even angry about it. But then I found out about the real Brooklyn, and I was like WHOA. I GET IT. SHE'S NOT REALLY THAT MUCH OF A BITCH. I have to applaud Derting on that, considering I utterly hated Brooklyn for the first half of the book.Although there were times when I didn't really understand it, I loved the romance. There was no insta-love, and after the first night she met him, Charlie wasn't constantly and obsessively thinking about Max. He crept into her thoughts sometimes, but not all the time. It seemed very realistic to me. And there were things she liked and disliked about Max. He wasn't perfect, and Charlie knew that, and that just made it so realistic for me.I also really liked Charlie as a character. She had her faults. When her city was being attacked, sure, she was worrying about her sister, but she also afraid for herself, which made her seem much more real and relateable. She was caring and strong, but she had her moments where she questioned everything. She was an awesome narrator/main character.But by far, my favorite thing about this was the originality. Sure, the whole "rebelling against the leader" thing has been done plenty of times before, but Derting made it an idea all her own. I loved the world of Ludania, I loved how everything worked, and I loved how modern things were still incorporated into it, like restaurants and clubs.Overall: The Pledge surprised me and then continued to surprise me. Full of originality and twists and turns, I really loved this. The characters were real, the romance were real, but the plot was definitely not something you see every day. 4.5 stars.

[stacyatufi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've really enjoyed Derting's The Bodyfinder series so I knew from the moment I saw THE PLEDGE that I would be reading her take on Dystopian. Charlaina (Charlie) is a seventeen year old living in the Vendor sector. The Dystopian society she lives in rates your worth by the sector that you live in. The sectors are only allowed to speak their language and must be subservient to sectors above their own. Because of the sector laws Charlie was taught from an early age to hide the fact that she can understand and speak all languages no matter what they are. Because Charlie can understand all languages spoken she has to be careful to really listen to what is being spoken when and avert her eyes and attention when it is appropriate for her to do so. She ends up hearing a language she has never heard before between a boy and his companions and can tell that from that moment she is in trouble. She ends up finding out that she is not only special because of her gifts but because of who she really isI had no issues getting into THE PLEDGE. The story was interesting, unique and all around catching. Derting ends up switching between characters as the story is narrated. I had no problems following along between the switches and I always felt that the character speaking at the time was a good fit for that particular part of the story. There are some fabulous twist and turns throughout the entire book, just when I thought a part of the story was revealed to its fullest there was something else that shocked me. The world that Kimberly built was super easy to picture. The characters all had different sides that were revealed throughout the story and I enjoyed looking back to see the clues that might have come up and I missed. A lot happened in THE PLEDGE, whether it was expected or unexpected I enjoyed it all the same and will be continuing the series.

[dizzyweasel · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have to agree with my fellow 3-star reviewers. This book had a great premise, but poor execution. In the future, the world has returned to a sort of medieval surfdom state in which the caste into which you were born determines your future. Shopkeepers' children will be shopkeepers. Servants will give birth to servants. But in this world, each caste has a language, and it cannot speak or acknowledge any language above it. To do so is death, as the wicked queen has made it an executable offense. She enforces this rule with the titular Pledge that all citizens must repeat regularly. But Charlie is different. Born to the shopkeeper class, she understands ALL languages. This skill makes her a terrible threat to the system, which is already in danger from organized rebellion. Should anyone learn of her power, or her sister's powers, they would most certainly be killed. That's why when Charlie meets Max, a prince of the realm who recognizes her power, she fears for her life. Torn between her affection for Max and her fear of discovery, Charlie spends the majority of the novel grappling with indecision about what to do: tell Max her secrets, join the rebels, try to disappear into her old life.The grappling with Charlie's feelings occupies most of the novel. All of the novel. Every page of the novel. As with (too) many YA titles, this novel presents a story, then makes it take backseat to the love story. Should she trust Max? Not trust Max? Kiss Max? And so forth. I would have much preferred to learn about the history of the country and its citizens only hinted at by the author. I hope she fleshes this out in subsequent books, as this is (like most YA fiction today) a series. It was a very quick read, few of the characters had any real characterization, and the plot felt really shallow. I'm not sure if I would bother continuing to read this series.

[titania86_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Queen rules over Ludania with an iron fist, forcing its inhabitants to make a pledge to protect her over all others. This entails turning in anyone speaking against the Queen or contributing in any way to the Resistance. She has also implemented a unique way to separate the classes and ensure that upward mobility is impossible: limit each class by the languages they are allowed to speak. Charlie is a Vendor class girl who has always had the ability to understand all the languages and knows the importance of hiding it. If anyone ever found out and turned her in, she would swiftly be put to death, as is the punishment for any infraction no matter how small. When a mysterious boy takes interest in her after he notices her strange ability, she is drawn into a political struggle between the aging Queen looking for an heir and the young revolutionaries fighting for equality. What is Charlie's place in all this? Can she make a difference in this power struggle?I picked this up on a whim and I was surprised how good it was. I was expecting a mediocre dystopia because many of the ones I've read lately have been lackluster and disappointing. The Pledge does a lot of things I haven't really read before and compares to adult dystopian novels as well. The big totalitarian government in this case is run by a woman, which isn't typical. It's usually a Hitler-esque dictator or Big Brother, but rarely a tyrannical, manipulative queen. Her male heirs are viewed as essentially useless because the magic, the power, and the respect of the other countries are dependent on a female heir. This is the opposite of how we historically viewed the genders in power and as heirs, and it's even a perspective not seen in science fiction very often. The Queen is seriously creepy and will do anything to ensure her own safety and the prolonging of her reign, including torture and executions. Her ingenuous solution to any kind of revolution is segregating her subjects by the language they speak. The lowest classes only speak one language and each class above that speaks their own language and all of those underneath them. There is literally no way for anyone to move up in this caste system and they don't enjoy any real freedoms. The Pledge of the title is particularly chilling because the inhabitants are forced to put their monarch above anything in their lives. They are expected to turn in dissenters or troublemakers or run the risk of being executed themselves. I was impressed with the world building and how sociopathic the Queen was.The ensemble cast is interesting and kept my interest. My favorites are Charlie, her little sister Angelina, and the evil Queen. Charlie puts her family before herself and doesn't whine about how sucky her life is. Unlike many YA book heroines, she prefers her working class home and life to anything else, even when circumstances allow her to choose to change her lot in life. I wanted to give her little sister the biggest hug because she was so sweet. Angelina doesn't speak and has the amazing ability to heal. Without saying anything, she can convey everything she is thinking and feeling and she has a wonderful relationship with her sister. Max, the main love interest, was just ok for me. He wasn't annoying or abusive, but was a little bossy and didn't have much of a personality. The romance was really secondary to the dystopia and didn't overpower it.The Pledge is a fast paced dystopia that featured some unique concepts and some surprises along the way. I'm not sure if this is the first in the series, but it works very well as a stand alone novel. I would recommend this to fans of the Hunger Games and Delirium.

[bkwormblogger · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Synopsis:In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regimeReview:So after reading the last two of her books I decided to give Dertings new dystopian adventure a try. The problem when switching from present day to fantasy is that it highlights writing flaws and there were a few here.The story is told from 1st and 3rd point of views. The 1st is always Charlie's. But then, randomly, we have other 3rds that don't really gel or really help with the story except to fill in a story gap that the author couldn't tell from another direction. I didn't like this aspect and think its particularly lazy on the authors part. Creative writing could have helped here.And then there's the premise of the story. We're told that there's a big war on, that refugees are entering the city for food and shelter because Queen Elena's armies are getting nearer but then its almost fogotten when we find out the truth between the attacks on the city and who's behind them. Also this 'essence' that the queen is holding in, this creep factor doesn't really come into the story either except at the end when Charlie understands the history of the Queen. But thats it! I was hoping for some backstory here but nothing came of it.In the end its really about two sides of war trying to use Charlie for their own means and too much of that overshadows what could have been a great war epic. Characterwise, Aron gets almost forgotten around a third of the way in. Brook is horrid as a friend and if she was mine then I'd dump her so quickly. Max is a little one dimensional and has little personality, plus his insistence on following Charlie and just saying lines that call her beautiful get a bit old fairly quickly, although I admit that he is swoonworthy, he actually had me disliking him in the beginning. I'm hoping that the second book opens up a little more because this could have been a great book but sadly gets lost in the filler of the story midway. So this is more of a 3.5 because I did like it aside from the gripes and I liked Dertings writing immensly.

[alisbookshelf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Now onto my thoughts for The Pledge... So lets see where to start, hmm lets just start with this OH MY GOD...this is an incredible book. From cover to cover I was enthralled and as soon as I read the last word I needed more.I feel in love with the idea of the main character not only being able to talk her language, but being able to understand every other language even if she hadn't heard it before. The main character in this book is so much stronger then she realizes and is way more than she realizes and I love that in a main character. I also loved the powers and abilities in this story. I loved how things caught me off guard, they weren't predictable like so many book's I've read lately. I loved her parents throughout this story as well, they try so hard to keep her secret and the main character has no idea why well, not the real reason. (that was one thing that I didn't see coming ) I was so pissed at them when they kept pushing their only daughters out when the sirens went off signaling a battle has started, but when I found out why I totally understood.Then there is Max, yummy yummy Max!!! Love him so much. He is so protective and I love the way he falls for her. I also loved how mysterious he is and when his secret comes out I was like OMG seriously. I didn't see it coming. But Max is my new book crush. I need more of Max! There is a lot of different secrets in this book being kept from everyone!!! I loved reading all of the characters secrets, but the one I loved the most was Brooklyns. I pretty much knew something was off with her, but I wasn't sure what it was. (no I'm not going to say what it is, that will give away way to much.) I loved how different this book was from what I've read lately, the idea's behind it was amazing and I can't wait to see what's next. I love how this book shows girls that no matter how hard it is in live things can change and turn better! You just have to believe in yourself and work really hard for your dreams. Never Give Up!!!The cover of this book was stupendous as well, I loved the design and it made me want to jump into the book and read right away as soon as I looked at it.I need more of The Pledge, their story isn't over and I need more of it! I could go on and on about how wonderful this book is, but I want to know what you think. If you've read it, tell me your favorite part! Leave me a comment and let me know!

[fledgist · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In a future in which the world is broken up into kingdoms ruled by queens with magical powers or a sort, a young woman finds herself with a strange ability she cannot comprehend. This is a fascinating novel about growing up and confronting your demons in the midst of crisis.

[xtastethesky · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So this is a roundup review -- along with one other that will be posted in the next few days. I read this right before the New Year, so I figured I'd get it up before I started getting far ahead on the reading I already started in 2012, and way behind on reviews.The Pledge is about a society that has been split into a class system, each with its own language and they're only allowed to know their own, and lower. The novel follows Charlie, a girl who has a secret: she is able to understand every single language. It's something she's not allowed to tell anyone, if she did she'd almost certainly be executed for treason against the crown -- that's right, the world is ruled by different monarchies, and can be only ruled by a queen (kings aren't recognized, which I thought was a nice twist).As a whole I really enjoyed this novel, that's why I gave it a three-point-five star rating. I really liked the plot, and for the most part the characters were intriguing. There were some small things that bothered me. While I enjoyed the characters, I didn't feel like there was any real growth. I didn't get the feeling that Charlie really grew from our initial introduction to the end. She stayed pretty much the same, even when she was having to make tough decisions. There never really was an "aha" moment, or a "everything clicked" moment. Even when she had that opportunity, I felt it was held back. I was also disappointed by how the romance between Charlie and Max was developed. By developed I mean... not... developed, rather sprung upon. I understood the curiosity of the new language, however I felt that their relationship was not nourished in such a way that I was able to believe (spoiler) that by the end of the book they were sharing a bed with one another. Perhaps that's just how the society works, but in the end I wasn't sold on it, or their feelings. I was sold on their mutual attraction, which is the first step.(Some spoilers are here.) Her best friend Brooklynn turns out to be a rebel. While I found this sort of impressive, I feel like I was sort of cheated out of the actual story. I would have rather heard everything from her voice, would have rather seen the type of life she had to live, than what Charlie was doing. In comparison I feel that she was actually doing something, while Charlie was very much going along for the ride. Her double life would have been very interesting to follow -- the types of thoughts and actions she must have been doing... it's just impressive to think about abstractly.A few of the other characters disappointed me, actually. Charlie's other best friend Aron was probably the most unimpressive character... and he had a lot of potential. He was underdeveloped -- (spoiler) when we see him brought into the queens chamber's being tortured, the fact that he just spits out Charlie's name when he sees the prince walk in just felt out of character, for not only him as a person (because all we know are Charlie's thoughts, and he's supposedly one of the most loyal friends you could ever have) but for citizens of their country. They know that the queen is ruthless, ready to execute at any moment, giving away a name at any time is just the wrong thing to do. So I guess that just bothered me, however I understood it was necessary to move the plot along.While I just labeled Aron as the most unimpressive character, I think it's fair to label the prince (Max) as equally unimpressive. I was actually disappointed that he was a prince -- I had hoped he was one of the rebels (his brother, the actual rebel, was a lot more interesting). He pledges to protect Charlie, however we never really understand why, or what urges him to do so. It just sort of annoys me, but not enough to hate everything about this story.While it looks like I disliked a lot of the characters in the book, it didn't make me hate what I was reading. My problem is that I'm a very character oriented reader, and while I do have a lot of these critiques I did enjoy the story. The novel was an interesting read more due to the type of society that they were, than the characters themselves. I really liked the idea of the class system each having an individual language -- the fact that they were only allowed to understand/read their language and those under them is a very powerful thought. Language is something that I think many take for granted. It's not something that you think about being a privilege, and that's exactly what it is in this novel. It's this thought that drove me to read the novel in the first place.So, in the end I really enjoyed this novel more for the setting, and some of the plot. The characters were okay, but since I'm so picky I had some issues with their development. If anyone is looking for a cool dystopian fiction, I'd recommend this one. I enjoyed reading it, and if there's a sequel in the works (it felt like there could be), I'll most definitely be reading it.

[mrsmich02 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Many types of "pledges" in this new novel by the author of "The Body Finder".

[melanie_mccullough_4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My first Kimberly Derting book and she goes straight to my list of favorite authors. That should speak volumes. I've never read Kimberly Derting's Body Finder series and now I wish I had. She is a remarkable writer, and in The Pledge, she gives us a fantasy world complete with an evil queen, a stringent class system, and a brewing rebellion. Not to mention an incredibly dreamy love interest for the main character.Seriously, I'm in love with Max. He doesn't beat Perry from Under the Never Sky, but he's right up there with him. He's uber HOT, with his dark hair and his dark eyes. And the way he leans in when he talks to Charlie. The little touches, the almost kisses. I was seriously dying the entire time I was reading this book. The romantic tension alone would have been enough for me to love this book. I am a huge fan of the build-up. I love all the little things that finally lead to the first kiss. If the characters are making out ten pages in, it's just not going to work for me. Fortunately, The Pledge played with my emotions and made me wait for that moment. Note: I'm always going to lean toward the more romantic of the dystopias, because if I can't get behind the love story, if I don't want to see two people survive their awful world and live happily ever after, then there's really no point for me. Moving right along, Charlie is strong, resilient, and feisty. Exactly my kind of heroine. From the very beginning, you get the sense that she is unhappy with the way of the world, with the fact that she has to hide her gift for fear of execution. She's loyal to her friends and family. She also loves her little sister Angelina and would do anything to protect her. It's something to which almost everyone can relate. We all have those people in our lives for whom we would easily sacrifice everything. I love pretty much everything about this book. The setting and the characters are all incredible. And I love words. I love the power words have. With the right words, the right tone, you can make another human being feel something: pain, happiness, sympathy. It's why I write. With The Pledge, Kimberly Derting has given us a powerful, suspensful novel that explores the power of language. It's wholly engrossing, mysterious, and romantic. Still, I kind of wish I'd waited until closer to the release date of part 2 as I now have to wait until January 2013 for the sequel. Oh well, I have no doubt the wait will be worth it since The Pledge was fantastic.

[strongpieces · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Originally posted at The Wandering Fangirl.I gave this a good try, I really did, but when I hit page 100, I realized I wasn't connecting with our heroine or her friends at all. The dystopian element was interesting (a world where people are separated in class by what language they speak) but it wasn't enough for me. I can forgive not connecting with a character or weak world building, but I can't do both. Maybe I'll give it another try in the future since it had the misfortune of following an amazing stretch of books.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book, it was fast-paced with a nice mix of dystopia and fantasy, but the characters were rather one dimensional. I liked Charlie but she didn't impress me as a protagonist. Instead, my favourite character was her four-year-old sister. Angelina, who was a real little sweetie. There was a gentle romance throughout the book, which was a nice change, and I liked the premise of the social classes being separated by language. it was only in the epilogue that the author hinted at a darker element, leaving the story open for an interesting sequel.

[readingdate · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Pledge is the first book in a new dystopian trilogy. The concept is interesting and fast paced enough that I read it in one sitting, and the story’s fantasy elements set it apart from other YA dystopian books. The imaginative story is entertaining and full of adventure, which made for a pleasant fast read even though some of the character insight and dystopian world building details were sometimes lacking. I did enjoy it as much as The Body Finder series though, and especially the royalty / fantasy parts of the story.

The series opener introduces a cool concept in which the citizens of Ludania are separated by a language barrier according to class. Learning another class’s language or even looking another class member in the eye in acknowledgement of their language is a crime punishable by death. The ruler, Evil Queen Sabara, uses some fancy magic that keeps her around forever to continue to torment the citizens of Ludania. The heroine Charlaina (Charlie) is born with the talent to understand all languages. Her parents have asked to keep her talent under wraps to keep her safe and to keep a watchful eye over her gifted younger sis Angelina. Her secret is exposed when she meets Max and he recognizes she can understand his unusual language. This starts a sequence of events that cause Charlie’s world to turn upside down.

There are multiple character POV’s in the book, with Max and another character Xander sharing the spotlight with Charlie. Several other side characters are introduced, including a couple other potential love interests for Charlie, which made it hard to buy into the Max and Charlie romance completely. The side characters are somewhat lost in the shuffle of the fast moving plot. With so much action in the book, I hoped for a breather that would allow more focus on the magical origins and Queen Sabara.

The series has a lot of potential, and I’ll be interested to see where it goes, though it seems a bit twisted considering the epilogue. I would recommend this book to fans of the author’s writing, and those looking for something different in the dystopian category.

[burgandyice · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It has been almost a year since I purchased this beautiful hardback for my library. I read a lot of reviews first, and decided that this was one of those books I could save for a “rainy day”. You know… the books you save for dessert after eating your veggies of review books.It feels funny to hold a book on such a high pedestal for so long… and then actually read it. Since I had so many expectations, I’m going to review by comparing to them.Language plays a key role. Class is decided by which language is spoken. I knew this, and yet I was disappointed and relieved, both. I was sad because language is not really language – as in “people who speak different, learnable languages”. It was language as in… a sort of magic-induced thing where people are unable to learn different languages. A separation of the classes - more of a class thing than a language thing.On the other hand… there are really only three classes, or four. I had imagined a multitude of languages, which could be confusing. Rather there are the poor, the worker, the council and then royalty. And then outcasts. End of layers. Complicated enough, but not confusing. Phew!Charlie is a fun character. She sees through the classes. She doesn’t belittle those below her and she shows deference due to those above her without thinking they deserve it for any reason besides “the rules”. In such a strong system, it would be easy to pass the unfair treatment on down the classes, but Charlie helps everyone she comes in contact with. She’s awesome.She’s spunky, too, and stubborn and full of love for her family, for her parents & her sister. I love, LOVE her relationship with her four year old sister. Wow. There’s so much heart and devotion wrapped up right there. I love how the romance sneaks up and surprises Charlie. She resists her own feelings as long as she can, which is delightful. I don’t even want to spoil who HE is ‘cause it’s such a wonderfully sneaky romance that is intricately tied to revolutionary things. I quote her remembering his voice:“I loved voices, I always had. Words held meanings, but voices held emotion.” Pg 112What about Brook? What a fun surprise! Charlie has some great friends and connections around her.Yet, one of my favorite things about this story is the grittiness of it. It’s dark. The shadows are cast long, the candle flickers low, the music throbs like a heartbeat, my fictional fingernails got dirty reading this book. The cover is so perfect, now that I know how dark it is. Charlie is a distinctive blond in hiding, shadowed by darkness, obscured.The Pledge is a crazy-great name. It stands for the government, the revolution, the horrors and the hope. Then… it has a smaller, more personal, goose-bumpy meaning, too.My Rating: 4.5 - Great Book. En fin, I had bigger visions for The Pledge than what I found, yet I was surprised by the gritty fast pace. I am happy to read more books from this world because I have tons of questions about the royal female bloodline. What a great world full of great characters.

[hatikva_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Unsichere ZeitenEine Königin, die ihre Nachfolgerin sucht und ein Volk, das unterjocht wird...Charlie wächst in einer Welt auf, in der man auf jedes ausgesprochene Wort achten muss und eine launische Königin regiert.Es gibt Rebellen die sich gegen die Königin auflehnen, doch ein Durchbruch will ihnen einfach nicht gelingen.Das Volk ist in Klassen unterteilt, und jede hat für sich eine Sprache. Nur diese Klassensprache und die Universalsprache Englaise dürfte Charlie verstehen. Doch dem ist nicht so. Sie versteht jede gesprochene Sprache, auch wenn sie eine nie zuvor gehört hatte, und dieses Können ist für sie ein Fluch, der sie schon öfters in Gefahr gebracht hat.Wenn je herauskommen sollte, dass Charlaine alle sprachen versteht, wäre das ihr Todesurteil...Als wäre ihr Leben dadurch nicht schon gefährlich genug, lernt sie zwei Jungs kennen, die um ihre Gunst buhlen. Jeder von ihnen stammt aus einem anderen Klassensystem mit einer anderen Sprache.Und zum Ende des ersten Teiles kommt etwas heraus, dass Charlie liebe nie erfahren hätte. Plötzlich scheint sie absolut niemandem mehr trauen zu können. Und was daraufhin folgt, scheint unfassbar zu sein und absolut unlogisch. Das Jugendbuch hatte etwas unglaublich fesselndes an sich und der Schreibstil von Kimberly Derting war genial, sodass ich regelrecht gebannt war. Und so musste ich bewusst immer wieder Pausen einlegen, damit ich diesen tollen Roman auch in vollen Zügen genießen konnte. Der Roman ist in zwei Teile aufgegliedert. Jedes Kapitel ist mit der lateinischen Zahl gekennzeichnet und der erste Buchstabe der Kapitel ist schön verziert.Die Handlungen werden aus mehreren Sichtweisen erzählt, wobei Charlie dabei natürlich die wichtigste Figur ist. Doch sowie die Protagonistin werden auch die anderen Blickwinkel immer aus Sicht desjenigen geschildert, sodass ich auch die Empfindungen der anderen Figuren mitbekam. Das wurde auch gut sichtbar, dadurch, dass die Abschnitte immer gut gekennzeichnet wurden, aus wessen Sichtweise nun geschildert wird.Das Ende lässt auf eine spannende Fortsetzung hoffen!

[darkfaerietales_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: This book bites off more than it can chew, making for a shallow read populated with a lot of stock characters.Opening Sentence: The air crackled like a gathering thunderstorm the moment the girl entered the chamber.The Review:The Pledge combines a future where America has fallen and reformed to be Ludania, a country ruled by caste systems and magical queens. The current queen, called Sabara, isn’t really Sabara but her mother. In fact, every queen Ludania’s ever had has been the same soul that simply steals the bodies of her daughters. In Derting’s world a revolution has already happened once, managing to install a President before Ludania realized they weren’t as self-sufficient as they thought. The other countries will only ally with a government ruled by a queen, which is how Queen Sabara became welcomed into power in the first place. Now the queen needs a female heir, having had sons who only had more sons. Only a queen can rule, and that’s the only body she can jump into.But revolution is brewing again across the country, with attacks both on the countryside and the Capital. Charlie’s learned to keep her head down and her mouth shut, both because the punishment for breaking the law is death and because no one can know she understands. Charlie understands every language, every dialect, without ever trying to learn them. And in a world where classes are isolated by the languages they’re legally allowed to know, her power could get her killed. By the queen’s command everything from stealing to meeting the eyes of someone speaking a language above yours is punishable by hanging. So Charlie doesn’t trust anyone, not even her two best friends Brooklynn and Aron.Brooklynn is the ditzy, boy-crazy best friend who’s father really doesn’t care where she is or what she’s doing. While there was a lot of potential in Brooklynn, especially as the plot gets drawn deeper and deeper into the subterfuge of the revolution, she’s a stock character to the core and used mainly as a plot device. Aron is the same way, the over-protective best friend who tries to take care of them. The characters that did feel fleshed out, besides Charlie, was her sister Angelina and the mysterious Max from the club Prey.It’s a good thing Max is a well developed hero, because the romance between them is the primary plot. Everything else, the revolution, the magic powers she has, comes in second. In fact, the plot of the novel isn’t really brought into the story until you’re halfway through, letting the backstory and characters attempt to carry the first half of the novel.I think part of the reason I couldn’t get into this story was that there were too many things going on. It’s trying to be a dystopian fallen-America as well as a paranormal romance but neither aspect is well fleshed out. The POV jumps between Charlie, who’s the main narrator, to Max, the queen and Xander. Mostly to add tension and move the plot along, but there’s no rhyme or reason for it. When the POV changes it’s pretty much a giveaway something’s going to happen, because even though Charlie’s the main character nothing really happens to her. Mostly it’s the other characters who do something which then affects Charlie, rather than our heroine doing anything for herself. And that’s one of my biggest character peeves.Anyway, The Pledge had high ambitions but couldn’t quite live up to them. There were things I liked, Max and the revolutionaries comes to mind, but mostly the story wasn’t strong enough to carry its own.Notable Scene:The skin at the nape of my neck tightened, my head clearing instantly as the drug that had been bleeding through my system evaporated in a blink. In fact, all of my senses were heightened as my eyes remained fastened on his.“I wasn’t sure you’d be here tonight.” His voice was low–almost hushed–despite the loud music pounding around us.“Yeah, me either. I wasn’t sure I’d be anywhere tonight.” I shot back.He raised one brow uncertainly. “Is this a bad time? If you’d rather be alone, I’ll go.”I could feel the restless crowd around us. If I’d really wanted to be alone, Prey would be the last place I’d be. But I suddenly felt trapped by his cool, flint-colored eyes. They were disquieting in a way I didn’t understand. My breath lodged in my throat, and I had the strangest feeling that I should look away from him. Yet I was captivated.“It’s–it’s okay,” I finally managed, and that tangled knotted deeper, taut threads of hesitant emotions. The feeling that he was to be avoided deepened.He frowned, but his lips quirked. “Good, because it was an empty offer. I had every intention of staying.”The Pledge Trilogy:1. The Pledge2. The EssenceFTC Advisory: Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of The Pledge. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[pdbkwm-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When I first heard about this book, I thought it sounded interesting. I love reading about different social classes in books, especially when said books have nice covers. However, this wasn't enough to make me want to read this. It wasn't until I heard about Essence, the second book in the Pledge series, that I decided to check it out.

I guess you could say that I’m impressionable easy when I see a gorgeous covers.

The Good:

A world where Queens rule and social statuses are divided by the languages you speak is a fantastic idea for a story. And for the most part, I felt like Derting did a really great job execution this. That being said, if you’re expecting a lot of details surrounding the social classes, then stop expecting it...because it doesn't happen. The book is mostly about finding the next Queen. The present Queen wants to find the potential heir so she can bring the girl to her side, while the rebels want the potential heir to take over and bring hope to the people.

In terms of the characters, I think my favourite ones would be Brook, Angelina, and the Queen. Brook was smart, but also had some vulnerability to her and I think Derting only touched the surface of what this character could do to the story. I feel kind of the same way with Angelina, only because what we know about her powers. She seems a lot more powerful than Charlie. And smarter too. A lot smarter. So I liked her.

The Queen, however, was my standout favourite. I know, I know, it doesn’t make much sense considering the fact that she was a typical villain without much depth to her. But I liked her. She’s ruthless and petty and doesn’t care who knows it. The fact that she has a rule in place that you’ll be sent to the gallows if you look in the eye of someone of a higher rank while they are speaking their language is messed up. It was also enough for me to want to see more from her. You have to be pretty senile to push that kind of law. And by golly, senile is what she is. I loved it. The way the Queen maintains her power reminded me of the manhwa Witch Hunter, so I enjoyed that aspect of her as well.

The story, for the most part, is told in Charlie’s viewpoint, but sometimes we’ll get snippets here and there of what is happening with other characters like the Queen. I liked this, only because there were times when I’d start to get bored with Charlie and then bam, another character would start to talk about what’s happening with them. I do wish we got to have a chapter or two dedicated to Brook and Aron, but maybe they’ll be showcased more in the next book.

Another thing I liked was how the romance wasn’t as over done as I originally thought it would be. This is a YA novel in a dystopian world, so you know going into it that there will be romance with a hot guy. It’s expected. So I was afraid that the story might shift into lovey dovey territory instead of the main story about the Queen. Instead, the romance was enough to establish a connection between Max and Charlie, but not too much that it overpowered everything else. The fact that she still refused the Queen’s advancements, despite seeing what happened to Max spoke volumes. She loves the guy, but he wasn’t enough to make her listen to the Queen. I’ve read books where this would have been enough, so I was glad that this wasn’t the case here.

The Okay:

Sydney becoming an ally did make sense, but I wish there was more to this. She went from being a bully to being someone Charlie could trust. Like I said before, it does make sense considering her circumstance, but I kind of wanted to see more dialogue between the two girls.

The friendship of Charlie, Brook, and Aron wasn’t as fleshed out as I would have liked. Aron was pushed to the back-burner, even though it seemed like he was going to be the ‘I love my best friend’ type of character. He promises to always be there for Charlie, only he’s hardly in the book and you kind of forget about him. It’s kind of sad. Poor Aron. I really hope you don’t end up in a love triangle.

With Charlie and Brook, it kind of felt like there was a lot more brewing there and nothing happened with it. There was a scene when Charlie said that she felt sorry for Brook, because Max wasn’t paying attention. It kind of seemed like even though Charlie loves Brook like a sister, she does kind of look down on her. Brook was the hotter friend and one that gets all the attention from the guys, so you’d imagine that Charlie would feel some sort of complex over this, especially since Brook relishes in the attention while Charlie doesn’t. On the other hand, Brook seemed to have a lot of secrets of her own and was dealing with some other issues as well. I mentioned earlier that there is a vulnerability there that kind of goes over Charlie's head.

I dunno, it just felt like there could have been a lot more ‘drama’, for lack of a better word, when it came to their friendship.

The Bad

I liked a lot of things in the book. The writing is good, the romance doesn’t take over the story, and the characters, for the most part, are enjoyable. The only downside is everything is very predictable. As a reader, you’ll easily figure out who Charlie really is and why everyone wants her so badly. You’ll figure out who Max and Xander are and you’ll also realize why Brook does the stuff that she does.

It’s predictable. It’s also cliché in the sense that Charlie is the chosen one. Of course she is. And of course the hero, Max, only has eyes for her even though Brook is the better looking one. Of course. Of course. Of course.

Normally, this would bother me a lot. And I mean a lot. Yet, I didn’t really mind it here. I wanted to go for the ride and not care because I did enjoy the story. Plus, the ending made me want to read Essence, so I didn’t mind it too much. That being said, I have a feeling that Essence will be a lot better than the Pledge. This book seemed like a stepping stone for what’s to come.

Overall:

I’m glad I read this. Even though it was predictable and did feel like everything that happened was a stepping stone for what’s to come, the writing, the characters, the story was enough to keep me interested. I liked the book. It could be mixture of my desire to read Essence and my love of pretty covers, but even still I liked the book. Now I just have to wait a month to see what happens next.

Please no love triangle, please no love triangle, please no love triangle.

4 stars

[bornbookish · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Unfortunately, this one was a bit of a letdown from what I had heard and was expecting from it. I still enjoyed it, just not as much as I thought I would. I am in love with the concept of the world that Derting created, I just think it had some holes in it that could have been filled to make the story stronger.Each class had their own language, but there was also a universal language, known as Englaise, that everyone was aloud to speak. This just kind of confused things and made me wonder why the classes even existed. Why didn’t everyone just speak Englaise all the time? So if someone from another class spoke to you in Englaise, you could respond. But if they spoke in their language, you had to bow your head. If you didn’t it could result in immediate execution.The book was mostly told from Charlie’s point of view with occasional chapters thrown in from others. I found these chapters to be kind of random, although I did enjoy getting a peek into the minds of other characters, even if they were just tiny glimpses!I liked Charlie, she’s smart, strong, tough, and had a good heart. The only thing that bugged me about her was how easily distracted she was by Max. From the moment they met he consumed her every thought! As for Max, he really didn’t have much of a personality. He was nice enough, but so unoriginal. I felt the same way about their romance; it was just kind of blah.Two of the other main characters were Charlie’s best friends, Brooke and Aron.Brook was so annoying; I don’t know why Charlie ever put up with her!Aron was so sweet and didn’t get nearly enough attention, if you ask me. He and Charlie knew each other since they were kids. They walked to school together everyday where he would carry her bag, and bring her scraps of silk from his father’s fabric shop so she could make new clothes. You could tell he was totally in love with her and she never even seemed to acknowledge this fact. She was to busy swooning over Max.For a dystopian, the action was pretty disappointing. Stuff happened, it just wasn’t as exciting as it could have been. The action was either too quick or just lacking luster.This book is number one in a series, which you would never know by the ending. I thought things were tied up nicely and it could have definitely stood on its own. I honestly have no idea where the author is going to go with another book…

[hankesj · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was my first Kimberly Derting novel even though I’ve seen her books around EVERYWHERE on the blogosphere but I’m super glad this was the first one because I really liked it!The Good: First of all, I’m always up for a good Dystopian read and The Pledge did not disappoint. I loved that the ruler was a queen and that she was portrayed as ruthless. To me, there seems to be this notion that Kings or Men are the merciless, terrible and violent villains but women can be just as evil if you give them the space to be that way. Queen Sabara is awful in this novel, she is like a parasite that crawls underneath your skin and all you want to do is get rid of it. I loved the characters that Derting brought to life for us. Charlaina aka Charlie reminds me so much of the girl next door. While I love the kick-ass female main characters…she’s not so much like Katniss but more like a normal girl that really wants to protect her family. I like that. I also dug the triangle of men that seemed overly invested in Charlie’s safety. Until the middle-ish of the book, I couldn’t decide if I wanted her to be with Xander, Max or Aron but I’m happy with the way things turned out. I thought they were all great male characters. Even the goons protecting Max are great! I especially loved the characters of Angelina (Charlie’s sister) and Charlie’s best friend Brooklynn. They both were subtle side characters with a lot of meaning to them. They each had an important role in the story and I liked that Derting was able to maintain that importance without having to play them more dominantly in the story. I thought the pacing and action were done very well, and I LOVE the way the novel ending…ambiguously. It left the right questions lingering and I can’t wait for the next book in the series! The Bad: I really didn’t think there is too much negative to say about this book and this is more of a wish rather than a “bad,” but I really wanted more character development of Max, Xander and Brooklynn. I really loved them, but I think I would have been even more invested in them if I had a little backstory or a little bit more development on them. Overall, I really liked this novel and I’m lucky that I am actually a Pledge Street Teamer!! I will for sure be going to the local library and schools to tout this book! I give it an A!