Review: The Pledge

The Pledge
Kimberly Derting
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Release Date: November 15, 2011
Pages: 323

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 regime.

I'm a huge fan of Derting's The Body Finder series. I was so excited to read this new one book by her. Unfortunately, I didn't love it as much as I hoped I would. 

I think where the book fell flat for me was the characters. This is a place that can either make it or break it with a dystopian novel. And there may be some people who disagree. But I never really connected with any of them, especially the main character, Charlie. It's not that she bothered me or that I didn't like, I just never cared about her specifically enough to keep going. It was the story that kept me captivated enough to move along.

The world was fascinating to read about. I loved the idea of every cast having a different language. Very original and intriguing. And the book was fast-paced and action-packed. 

I think what saved this book for me was the ending. I don't know why, but I loved the ending. It wasn't entirely unpredictable, but I was still happy. I think this is the reason That I'm going to keep reading this series. 

A very original and unique story. I was enticed by the story but put aback by the characters. But it's the captivating ending that has me moved me on to read the next book in the series about a fascinated world.