Book Review: THE PLEDGE by Kimberly Derting

The Pledge (The Pledge, #1)
Author: Kimberly Derting
Published Date: November 15th 2011
Published By: Margaret K. McElderry
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Fantasy

Summary on Goodreads:
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. Add to TBR

My Thoughts:

I'm a big fan of dystopian novels--from Hunger Games to The Maze Runner series, from Divergent to Blood Red Road. When I first saw this book, I didn't realized that it was actually another dystopian book. But I was immediately intrigued by the premise: people divided by classes and languages, a girl who can understand all the languages even the most unfamiliar ones, a mysterious boy whom she was very much attracted to. There are mixed reviews about this one, but I'm glad that I read it. It captured my heart from the very beginning up to the last page. The story is unique and I liked how the author added a magical flavor to it. It's a modern, dystopian world with something that is both historical and epic. 

The queen smiled. The girl was ready; young but ready. She will be a beauty in her time... She will be strong and powerful and feared, a force to be reckoned with. Men will fall at her feet...

...and she will crush them.
She will be a great queen.
She took a deep breath. It was time.

She reached for the girl, clutching the child's tiny fingers in hers...She heard the child gasp, and then felt her struggle, trying to free her fingers from her mother's grip. But it didn't matter now; it was too late. She'd already said the words... "Take me, Mama. Take me instead."

The book was narrated in third-person perspective when it comes to the Queen, Xander and Max. But when it comes to Charlaina, it was always in first-person narration. A bit confusing to others, but for me it's quite interesting to read because it gave me glimpses of how things and situations appear to the different characters. It made the story even more effective. 

Charlaina may not be the best heroine but she is good. She's not stupid and she's not irritating. She's strong... smart... and though she's not as snarky as the other characters I tend to love, it's not difficult to like her and to relate with her. She has imperfections but who doesn't have flaws? And Max. Oh my Max. What is a book without a guy who is beautiful and mysterious? Well, if a guy is someone as interesting as him, who wouldn't want to be stalked?

His lazy smirk was pure enticement. I wanted to be immune to his brand of temptation, but I wasn’t, and I found myself leaning toward him. The lamp in the corner flickered, casting shadows over his face, changing shapes and colors, but no matter what dance they did, he was still beautiful to look upon. -Charlie

For me, The Pledge is a page-turner, gripping, engaging, avoid-drinking/eating-while-reading kind of book (yeah, because you might sprinkle some on the pages). The mysteries and all those secrets behind each of the characters were so intriguing that I couldn't put down the book. But the answers and revelations held me captive and kept me awake up to 3 am. There were times that I find myself turning back to a couple of pages and re-reading some of those just-can't-get-enough-moments... parts that I so want to remember. Those sparkly and giggle-inducing moments between the two main characters created a tempting and delicious romance. The ending is beautiful, no biggie cliff hanger ending that left me frustrated. But instead, it gave me just enough reasons to anticipate the next book. 

If you haven't read The Pledge, I recommend that you try it. If you love dystopian novel with a twist of magic and with a promising and delectable romance, then you might enjoy this as much as I did. But of course, and as always, I only try to give my humble opinion, as far as all my reviews are concerned *WINK*.

My Rating: