(The Pledge #1)
by Kimberly Derting
Publication Date: November 15th, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781442422018
Where to Buy:
B&N | Amazon | The Book Depository
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.I am a huge fan of Kimberly Derting’s ‘The Body Finder’ series. So I was super excited to finally get started on The Pledge. I really love Kimberly’s writing style, and the way she pulls you into a story, so I was looking forward to see where exactly she was going to take us with this new series.
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 regime. (Goodreads)
I found the characters in the story to be likeable, but they didn’t really grab me like I kept expecting them to. I thought that the main character, Charlaina, (aka. Charlie) was a very strong character. However, we really don’t get to see too many different sides of her, so I didn’t really connect with her. The guys in the story were fairly interesting. Without going into too much detail, I would totally choose Xander over Max. (But that’s just me!) The secondary characters were likeable, but I would have love to see more depth to them. Especially the Queen; we don’t see nearly enough of her, and I was really curious about her.
The one character that I loved, who really stood out in the book for me, was Charlie’s sister, Angelina. While only being 4 years old, she was quite a mystery. The more I read, the more I loved her, and wanted to know more about her. I really hope we see a bigger role for her in the next book.
The storyline for the book was very interesting, and it kept my attention for the most part. There were a few slow places, but this was still a really quick read. I really enjoyed the descriptions of how the world was during this time; I could picture it quite easily in my mind.
Overall, I thought this was a pretty interesting read. I’m looking forward to seeing where the series takes us in the next books.
Happy Reading!
Angelina was my favourite too. I had such a hard time connecting to the characters and it made it a little harder to get into the story. Glad you liked it though.
ReplyDeleteDisappointing that I've been hearing about the lack of connection with the characters so often in reviews for this. I've only read The Body Finder so far, but I loved that. And The Pledge sounded fantastic, so it's a shame it didn't fully live up to expectations.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to hear the worldbuilding and storyline are good though and I'm curious about Angelina! Great review :)
I haven't read any of her books, but I really want to try this one. I also have The Body Finder, and I'm hoping to read it soon. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI had really similar thoughts to you, especially in regards to Xander > Max. Not that he's a bad guy but Xander was awesome!
ReplyDeleteI was so hoping she'd write another set of characters that really reached out and grabbed me the way Jay and Violet did, so that's a touch disappointing. The world sounds really interesting though and I love mysterious characters, so I'm curious about Charlie's little sister:)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read anything by Kimberly Dertiny not sure I will start with this book as it seems to have a few so-so reviews
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I'll read this one, I've read a lot of good and not so good review. I'm sorry it didn't blow your mind away, but I hope it will be the case in the others.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you that it was entertaining, but it didn't grab me like a really great book would have. I, too, had a hard time relating to any of the characters and Max was a letdown. I guess I will have to stick with her Body Finder series, which I love! Great review!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your review! Angelina was a sweetheart. I hope she plays a bigger role in later books, too! Great review!
ReplyDeleteGreat review and we definitely have similar feelings about this book. I loved Angelina too. I'm hoping we get to connect more to the characters in the next book in the series.
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Truly Bookish
Ah, I've read so many reviews that are like, Eh. Was okay. And that sucks because I really love Derting's Body Finder series, too!
ReplyDelete- Asher (from Paranormal Indulgence)
I haven't read any reviews on this one yet. I like The Body Finder series, too. I'm debating on purchasing this one. It's nice to read it's an interesting book!
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