Review: The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

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.

Publishes in US: Nov 15th 2011
Source: Simon Teen for honest review
Series? Part of trilogy, 2nd releases in 2012 I think

My Review:

    Once I started reading The Pledge, I couldn't stop! I didn't think that I would like this book as much as I did, because something about the description of the language barrier in the blurb didn't connect with me, but once I started reading Charlie's story, I fell in love with her character and had to know more.
    Derting is a master of characters, I was suspicious yet charmed by Max, fiercely wanting to protect Angelina, and not only that, she is great at giving only the information you need in that moment, and not a smidge more to keep me asking questions, being surprised, and needing to know more.
     The world building and the pacing was great, and this makes me think that I have really missed something by not reading The Body Finder.
     There were so many things that I wasn't expecting that effected the storyline and it's a pleasant surprised to be completely blindsided by things like that when I can sometimes sniff a dystopia "twist" a mile away.
     If you like fantasy or dystopias, then I recommend to give The Pledge a chance, you might fall in love like I did.