Name: The Pledge
ISBN: 9780749011857

Kimberly Derting

In a dystopian kingdom where the classes are separated by the languages they speak, Charlaina "Charlie" Hart has a secret gift that is revealed when she meets a mysterious young man named Max.

The Pledge

The Pledge #1

Courtney Gendreau

Original Review can be found: www.literarychaos.com 

This book was purely an impulse by; I was drawn in by the synopsis for this novel and just decided to buy it. There was something about the idea of a caste system that revolves around language that I found so intriguing. I was curious to see how such a society would run and how the different classes would interact if they all spoke different languages. I think that Kimberly Derting did a decent with world-building, however, I would have liked to have seen even more. The world itself is so hard to label because it has a blend of past, futuristic, dystopian, and fantasy elements. I thought that this blend made for a unique world that I hadn't seen before. I personally like this blend of elements, however, that being said, if you want a more believable dystopian read or a mystical fantasy than this book may not be for you.

Besides the world itself, I very much enjoyed the characters. Charlie, the main character, was a hit for me from the beginning, and I only grew to love her more as the time went on. This was mostly for the love she shows her family, particularly her sister, throughout the book. I also really enjoyed Max as a character. He was funny, kind, charming, and made for a great love interest. There was also NO love triangle which gives the author points in my book. The only character I didn't care for-- besides the villain obviously-- was Brooklynn, but even she managed to impress me as I got farther into the book.

While the book itself is a decent size at 352 pages, it definitely did not feel that long. The book is pretty well paced, minus a bit of world building in the beginning that dragged a bit for me, and makes the book feel like an easy read. It has an interesting plot with many twists and turns, some of which I guessed and others that blew me away.~~ cough cough, Brooklynn, cough cough~~ For those who hate cliffhangers there is a good ending, however, it is a trilogy so that is not the end of the story. I am kind of left wondering why it is a trilogy at all. I am excited to read them, but I am also worried that it will just drag out an already finished story.

Menna Khaled

Took me a month to finish but that's because i was in a bored state of mind. THAT BOOK IS AMAZING AND I GIVE IT 4.5 stars 
More to read in my review soon

Nicki

I genuinely liked this book. like a lot. I enjoyed the premise of it and while it was very predictable it was still refreshing. I think what I enjoyed the most is that there are no fucking love triangles... so far. Charlie is independent and strong. it was clear to see why she wouldn't expect to be the apple of anyone's eye. I also appreciate the loyalty her friends have. I knew there was something up with Max and Xander's relationship. Angelina is a sweetheart whom I adore. This book was excellently refreshing for me. I adore it.

Leah Patton

Good book. The dialogue was a little awekward at times but the idea was really magical as was the romance. I didn't really get how everyone just started adoring Charlie and wanting to protect her at all costs even though she hadn't even done anything noble yet. But it was an alright book.

baelgia

Julie D.

Anastaciya

Danielle H.

So I honestly did not intend to enjoy this book as much as I did. Don't get me wrong, I didn't think it was going to be terrible; I thought the plot sounded truly fascinating and something very unique, but it wasn't something I was necessarily dying to get my hands on. But now after reading this novel I have to say that it was DEFINITELY a book I should have been dying to get my hands on.

The Pledge was rich, and full of depth. Its pages were full of lies and neverending secrets that only made the story more intriguing. 

The story is about a girl names Charlaine, or as everyone else calls her, Charlie. She has a deadly secret that only her family knows about, and it turns out that not even she knows everything about it. In Charlie's society, you cannot understand or speak any language of someone in a class above you. When someone from a higher class speaks, those below that person are not allowed to meet that person's eyes or acknowlegde them in anyway. To do so would equal a crime punishable by death: they get hung. So you can only imagine how difficult it must be for Charlie to hide her secret: she is able to understand any language of any class. 

I thought Charlie could be easily identified with. She's a serious and sincere girl, and very special. I can only imagine what it would be like to hide a huge, essential part of yourself from all those you love. Charlie wants to confide in her best friends, Aron and Brooklyn, but knows she cannot because it would endanger them all. She's alwso very protective of her younger sister who has not yet found her voice, which is a little strange.

The Queen is mercilless, and horrible. She's old and dying and needs to find a suitable female heir immediately. I found it sort of interesting how in this novel, boys born into the royal family are pretty much cast aside because girls were more valued. I just found it sort of ironic since in reality, it was usually quite the opposite. 

Max is, naturally, the dark and mysterious boy with a complicated history. He has a HUGE secret that he keeps from Charlie. It was nice how they didn't instantly fall in love with one another. Their love sort of grew as the story went on so it was more real. 

I admit it was a tad slow for me in the beginning, but the pace really picked up as I read further. Derting did a great job creating this slightly terrifying dystopian world and I'm glad I gave this book a chance. It definitely made me want to pick up the Body Finder series again.

Elad Schulman

I had pretty low expectations going into this book, and it pretty much exceeded every one of my prior ideas about the story. It was fast-paced, i looved the romance (even though it was a bit insta-lovey) and the plot was actually pretty unpredictable. At some times, it was quite easy to figure out what would happen, but there were times that a few gasps of surprise escaped me. I would seriously recommend this, since it's pretty much fantasy/dystopia.

Jessica Nottingham

 Bruna Acioly Leão

Read on pulse it.
Interesting read. Works as a stand alone, but the next books sound nice. I might read them should the opportunity arise.

Pamela Alvarado

The world this is set on is very interesting, and the general plot too. I liked the writting because it wasn't overly elaborate and was very easy for me to keep track of what everyone was doing. Though, I'd have liked for it to have more substance. I feel like something's missing. Charlie is brave and all, but all the action that took place, all the 'adventure' wasn't hers. It was hidden from us. The only time she did something meaningful was at the end. I'd have liked to see more of her character development.

Liv Gliese Johnsen

One word: Amazing! Kimberly Derting is an awesome writer who makes sure you loose your good night sleep :D

The Pledge

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