Review: The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Pledge 

Author: Kimberly Derting
Publisher:  Margaret K. McElderry 

Publishing Date: November 15th 2011

Pages: 323
Genre:  YA Dystopian Urban Fantasy

Series:
Source: 

  

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 loved The Body Finder Series and decided to give this series a try. Its been out for quite a while and it took me forever to get to but I finally did. I enjoyed the first book. I wasn't wowed by it, it didn't leave me overly excited, but I think I will see where the series will take me. It was a pretty interesting story and the characters were pretty cool. The story was just a little slow for me. 

The country Charlie lives is in separated by class. They all live among each other, but they speak different languages. There is one universal language then 4 class languages, one for royalty, one for the privileged, one for merchants, and one for servants. Charlies family is of the merchants. She speaks the merchants language and the universal language, and for some reason every other language too. Her family has taught her to keep this a secret he entire life, but one night she lets it slip, the wrong person. This causes a whole lot of cause and effect and lands Charlie in a world she never knew of or that she was so close to being a part of. Now she is on the run, hiding, and trying to plan what comes next. In the midst of it all is the one boy, Max, that knows her secret and why she is able to do what she can do.  Charlie doesn't know if he is enemy or friend, if she can trust him, if he will keep her safe, all she knows is she kind of likes him. 

This story was very interesting. I liked the post apocalyptic/fantasy feel together. I liked the central plot. I liked the direction the story was taking. I really  liked the characters too. The main issue I had with the story was the pace. I felt it was a little slow. It felt like the story took forever to get anywhere. I normally don't mind a slow story build up when the building up was to get to know the characters or the setting. I just didn't feel that the story did either and the slow pace was just that slow. I liked the writing style, I love Kimberly Derting's writing style, which was very evident in this book while still keeping it different enough to give a distinct difference between this series and her Body Finder series. I just found myself a little bored in a few slow parts which in turn caused distractions. A little halfway the pace did speed up and the book was hard to put down. 

The story itself was just fabulous. It was wonderful to see the two genres of fantasy and Dystopian weaved together so seamlessly. At times I felt the setting had a historical feel but it was set in the future, with that feel to the setting and the old feel to the fantasy witchcraft, I often forgot I was reading a dystopian. I was drawn into the story quickly and even though I felt it was a bit predictable at times, it was still a great story.  The love story took back seat as the main battle of good vs. evil takes place. The love story, even though it was not front and center, was sweet. There was a pretty quick attraction and pull from the beginning but I felt it was slow to building, at least as slow as it can be to happen in one book. 

The main character, Charlie, I liked. She was smart, loyal, and inquisitive. She knew something was up and wanted to figure out what. Once she figured out the truth, and oh there was so many for her to discover, she didn't back down or run for the hills. I had an issue with her attitude at times, but I think in everything going on it seemed she would be a bit cranky. I liked Max too. I don't feel that I was able to connect to him as deep as I wanted. I was only able to scratch the surface, but he seems for real, sweet and a great protector. Loves strongly and fights fiercely, doesn't allow anyone to dictate his present or future. I hope to get to know him more in the next two books. 

I wanted to love the book but ended up only liking it. I do feel there is more to come in the next book and I am hoping it wows me like I wanted this one too. It seemed like a good beginning and that it will have a stronger second and final book. There is a whole lot of story yet to discover. 

 A little slow paced, characters likable.... Liked it enough to continue and hoping I will fall in love in the next book.