Book Review: The Pledge

Title: The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Release Date: Oct. 15, 2011
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 320 pages
Genre: Dystopia, Fantasy
Source: Publisher through GalleyGrab

Goodreads Summary: 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.

The Pledge combines two of my favorite genres, dystopia and paranormal, and actually reads more like a fantasy novel. For me, this is a good thing as I loved reading about the world where an evil queen uses magic and cunning to rule and the special girl who can stop her.

Kimberly Derting has created a fascinating world were language is used to separate the people into an oppressive caste system. The caste you were born into determines your education, vocation, friends and pretty much the rest of your life. Charlaina, or Charlie, is born into the vendor class of people. Her family owns a small restaurant and Charlie is fiercely loyal to her parents and four-year-old sister.

While Charlie is passionate about her family, friends and then about Max after they meet, that seems to be the extent of her character development. I don’t really feel that I got to really know her or the other characters. You know that moment in the novel where the main character, even if they have been cruising through the story, makes a determined decision that’s do or die? When they get it together and commit to a course of action that may even cost them their life? In The Pledge, it was such a small thing, such fast event that you almost miss it. I waited for this moment because I thought it would be a huge turning point for the flatness of Charlie’s character and I was let down. There is some insta-love between Charlie and Max and I wish their romance was more developed. Also, there are some plot twists in the story that are very predictable.

While I’m being critical of The Pledge, I did enjoy it, I just wanted more from the story. The fantasy elements are awesome but the book feels like it needs to be longer and much more detailed. I do think this is a good start to a new series and I am very much looking forward to the sequel to see where Derting takes the story.

Content: Kissing, violence, drug use, underage drinking.

My Rating: Just Fine.

Review of Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Release Date: Feb. 15, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 368 pages
Author Website: http://www.kimberlyderting.com/
Genre: Paranormal, Mystery
Rating: 3 stars
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found. Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered—and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.

As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

Review: I loved so many things about The Body Finder: Kimberly Derting’s writing, the main character’s unique paranormal ability, the portions of the book told from the killer’s perspective. It was mysterious, exciting and suspenseful. I was very excited to read the sequel but unfortunately, I was disappointed in this second book.

While I understand that Violet can’t always track down serial killers like she did in book one, the mystery element in Desires of the Dead was nowhere as exciting as it was in its predecessor. DotD starts out nicely, gets caught up in page after page of teenage angst for the majority of the middle, and then gets back to the good stuff at the end.

I hate to say it but Violet’s character does not seem to have grown from one book to the next. If anything, the decisions she makes in this book are worse than before. She gets herself in really bad situations and refuses to tell her family or friends what’s going on with her as she digs herself deeper and deeper. Her parents are extremely permissive and more like roommates, stopping in occasionally to smile, pat her hand and tell her that they trust her decisions, which again, are very bad.

Is it just me or are sexual aggressive female characters a trend in YA books? I have noticed quite a few girls who are pushing their love interest to do more physically while the guys are ones holding back and asking them to wait. I guess this makes the guys seem more honorable but what does it do for the girl? Make her seem more empowered? Hmmm, that may be another blog post for another day.

Violent and her friend Chelsea may be two of the more sexually aggressive female characters I have seen in a while. Chelsea shamelessly and continually throws herself at Mike while Violent pouts and complains when Jay stops their make out sessions if they have gone too far. She finally does get him to sleep with her after making a snide remark that seems to guilt him into sex. I remember Jay being so much more alpha in The Body Finder…

There are some new characters that seem really interesting but were under developed. I am guessing Ms. Derting is holding out on telling us more about them until book three and she has piqued my interest. I still love her writing and look forward to book three in this series as well as The Pledge, the new dystopian novel she has coming out in the fall. I am hoping for more body finding and less angst in book three.

Content: Sex, language (including the f-bomb) and some violence

Library Thursday – 4/7/11

Library Thursday is a weekly blog hop hosted by Lazy Girl Reads to:
1. Encourage people to support their libraries when they can
2. Meet new bloggy friends and grow your following

For the first time, I got a video game from the library, Michael Jackson The Experience for Wii. It was soooo much fun! I think we may have to buy this one! I also got a lot of great books for myself:

Clarity by Kim Harrington; Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting; Timeless by Alexandra Monir and The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa.

For my husband, I got him the following audiobooks: Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi and The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

For my four-year-old I got: Ladybugs by Cheryl Coughlan; Sea Anemones by Lola Schaefer; Tarantulas by Helen Frost and From Seed to Pumpkin by Wendy Pfeffer

What did you get from your library?

Waiting on Wednesday – The Pledge

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: The Pledge
Author: Kimberly Derting
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publish Date: Nov. 15, 2011
Pages: Unknown
Genre: Romance, Dystopia

Summary: A romantic fantasy novel set in a dystopic, war-torn world, in which a teenage girl realizes that she may be the key to saving her country.

Another dystopian novel for me to drool over! This is not much of a summary, but the book does not come out until November so I’m sure there more about it soon. The cover is gorgeous and I like Kimberly Derting’s writing. I think this one will be good!

What books are you waiting on?