I read: The Pledge

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting  
(Book 1 in The Pledge trilogy)

Another dystopian series, which I would describe loosely as a combination of any other dystopian series with the twist of The Selection added in.   It's an interesting concept, and I was carried easily through the novel - I did read it in one day, so it's either that easy to read, or I was just that motivated to find the ending.


I'm interested to see where the next two novels take us in this particular world as the end of this novel takes us from one position to another. I wasn't highly attached to the female lead in this one; she's a bit dense and doesn't seem to see things as quickly as I would expect.  But she wasn't annoying and that's a big point in her favour.  I very much like several of the supporting characters and am intrigued to see how they continue to fit into the next stage in the story.

I did find the writing a bit repetitive - descriptive words were used again and again, ie: things bled onto the floor, table etc, and we weren't talking about actual blood.   But overall an interesting story and there were no writing flaws that made me question the story, so I can overlook it.  The characters that we need to be attached to were relatable, likeable (or not...) and the story developed quickly enough to keep the flow steady.  It's a short novel - only 320 some pages, which is great when it's a trilogy to keep momentum.

I'm only giving 3 stars because it's not something I feel like I'll need to reread.  It's an enjoyable read, but I can't consider it one of my favourites.