Whenever I had to work or eat, all I wanted to do was slip back into this world and never let go. I never got bored and had a lot of trouble putting this book down. The first, about halfway through the book, I never saw coming, the second one, I totally did, and the third, I did shortly before the author revealed it. Derting also manages to throw several twists and turns at readers. Character development is fully fleshed out to the point where readers will even care about secondary characters. It's also heated with unexpected romance. The book can be dark and gritty as it explores themes such as torture and ruthlessness. THE PLEDGE is dystopian, but also not dystopian, so it may appeal to those not normally into this genre-especially if they're big on fantasy. Or maybe it's just that I associate kingdoms and a thread of magic with fantasy, not a grim, realistic future. (The addition of princes and princesses is one of the biggest reasons I'm looking forward to 2012 dystopian debut THE SELECTION by Kiera Cass). After all, there's a kingdom and a QUEEN. Derting creates an accessible world that is easy to envision, especially for those who might not like dystopian novels. Yes, the government is corrupt, but no, this isn't some super-futuristic society where the government has an all-seeing eye. There's a twist of fantasy that I didn't see coming. This isn't completely a dystopian, so dystopian-readers can read this book and will quite possibly love this. But I don't think I realized that it was also leaning more fantasy than sci-fi. I think initially, I wanted to read this because 1) I like dystopians, and 2) The concept intrigued me. I don't know quite what I was expecting from THE PLEDGE by Kimberly Derting, but it more than lived up to my expectactions. 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.

and her secret is almost exposed.Ĭharlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before. 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. 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 smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak.

The pledge by kimberly derting