Book Recap: The Pledge by Kimberly Derting (ARC)

Cover Inspection:
Veiled.
Perfect as the book is about keeping secrets.

SUMMARY (book description based 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.

BOOK REPORT CARD:

Cover	3.0
Plot	3.5
Writing	3.5
Characters	3.0
Ending	3.5
Overall Rating	3.5 Superior! (93% to 96%) * highest rating possible is 4.0

LOCATION/SETTING:
The book is dystopian, and the story is set in Ludania. Under a totalitarian regime, Ludania is governed by a queen. Males cannot inherit the throne in this world. The government also imposes death penalty for petty crimes. There is extreme social division manifested by the use of language. Those belonging to lower classes cannot speak the language of those belonging in the upper class.

MAIN CHARACTERS:
The main character in the story is Charlie. Charlie is the eldest daughter of a simple restaurateur in Ludania. Being such, she belongs in the merchant class or in the lower class of society, and so she is not supposed to understand the language of the "rich." But Charlie does, and this is her secret.

WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT:
There is an extreme social division in the country of Ludania. There is a language barrier that separates the rich and the poor. The lower class members of society should not be able to understand the language of the upper class, but for some reason Charlie does. This is the secret that Charlie's family is hiding. They have to keep Charlie's power to understand languages a secret as it may result in the Charlie's execution. But when Charlie meets Max, everything changed. Max seemed to sense that Charlie understands the language of the upper class. The story gets more complicated when the rebels attack the city desperate to depose the queen, and claiming that Charlie is the only hope to their country's liberation.

LOVE:

I loved the part when the city was under attack. The attack was described in such a way that the bombs felt real to me. It's as if I was there in the story. This book is also filled with secrets. All of the characters have some very important secrets to hide that would affect the turn of events. It's one of the amazing things in this book - people are not always what they seem. Another thing I liked about this dystopian world is that there is a royal family - queens, princes, and princesses. I also like the way the book was written - different POVs. It offered insights of what the characters are actually feeling.

NO LOVE:
There were some things in the book that left me confused. One was the what, how, and why of the magic of the queens. (Yes, there is magic in this dystopian world.) I need more details about this. Also, Charlie's younger sister cannot speak at the beginning of the story, and then at the end, she was able to speak out of the blue. I know magic has something to do with it, but it wasn't explained very well. Kimberly Derting would probably tackle these on the sequel.

FAVORITE CHARACTER:
Charlie's younger sister, Angelina. She made me realize that someone who may seem inconsequential may actually play a very important and significant role.

FAVORITE LINE:

I lowered my voice and my eyes. “I just don’t know how this can possibly end. What good can come of this? Of us?”
His finger lifted my chin, a gesture that made my stomach flutter. “Who says it has to end?”

MUSINGS:

This book tackles social division, not only between the rich and the poor, but also between men and women. In this book, women hold the power. The book is also about appearances - people have deep, dark secrets, and they are not what they seem. All in all, the book is good, and it's worth reading. It's a beautiful blend of fantasy and dystopia.

DOODLES:
none yet

AUTHOR'S WEBSITE:
Kimberly Derting

SIMILAR READS:

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Matched by Allie Condie

CONTENT REVIEW:
profanity: mild
violence: moderate
sexual content: mild
mature themes: mild
age recommendation: 13+

ARC obtained from S&S GalleyGrab.