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.

In a future where castes are defined by language and queens have magic, Charlie is special-she can understand everyone. Charlie must hide this talent and pretend not to understand when people from classes higher than hers speak. She, and all the others in her caste, the merchant caste, must look at the ground, never in the eyes of a person superior to them, and must be careful not to break even the tiniest law or risk being beheaded. Because of the oppression from the evil, elderly, and increasingly senile queen, a rebellion starts and flows through the underground party world where anyone from any caste can come for relief. In one of these clubs Charlie meets Max and the two have a spark immediately, but Max has a secret (which I predicted before the character's first appearance) which combined with Charlie's talent can change the destiny of the entire country.

One of the most important characters in The Pledge is Charlie's mute little sister, Angelina, who is just as special as Charlie is. However, no matter how unique four-year-old Angelina is, she is just too mature for her age. Angelina's character was the essence of good and she had almost nothing else to her. In complete contrast to Angelina (and Charlie) is the queen. Queen Sabara (or not-read the first chapter and try not to freak out too much) is completely evil without a single redeeming quality, which is good because it makes hating her that much easier. Her actions horrified me, especially because of the way she treated other's lives. It was as if anyone in her way was a bug for her to squish. This is one villain who didn't even act like her actions were for the good of the country but acknowledged that they were just for herself.

One aspect I really liked was that even though Charlie was super special and all that jazz she couldn't have gotten anywhere without her friends and she knows it. She recognizes her own deeds as important but also gives out the proper credit to the ones around her. I also liked the relationship between Charlie and her best friend, Brooklynn. (I am totally Brooklynn-and not because I live there.) It's a friendship where two people who are totally different actually care about each other. I liked how it seemed uneven in certain areas because it showed that their friendship was a valid one and not one based on other things. On the other hand, Charlie and Max's chemistry seemed totally fake to me. There was too much of it and not enough communicating. They trusted each other way too easily for the amount of words shared between them. (Despite my complaints, the chemistry was a lot of fun to read.) Charlie's friends Aron and Sydney were AWOL for most of the book, coming in here and there for scenes that had barely any impact on the events of the book. My only consolation for my unfulfilled desire to see more of these characters who I actually wanted to read about is that they'll probably be featured more in the sequel.

This is one of the only young adult fantasy books I've read in a long time that can actually stand alone. Although there will be a sequel, the ending was satisfying and left me comfortable. Because the book was good, I probably will read the sequel but I don't feel the uncomfortable pressure to finish the story. The Pledge was one of the most predictable books I have ever encountered. The foreshadowing was abundant and not as subtle as I would have liked so I managed to predict multiple different happenings pages before they occurred. It was a little weak because of that, and I didn't like the dread that set in when I realized what was going to happen, but The Pledge was so good that I'll forgive it.

4.8 stars.