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A Deadly Pledge: A dark academia thriller perfect for fans of Wednesday and Holly Jackson
The secret society everyone's dying to join ...
A case of mistaken identity means Eddie Dontay is hurled into the exclusive world of New Haven School. Pretending to be Bartholomew "Brat" Van Buren III, the sole heir to a rich family, who mysteriously disappeared a year ago, Eddie is sent undercover to expose the dark secrets of the Gloomth society.
But all is not what it seems. Eddie must participate in a series of difficult initiations, which prove his fitness for the club, competing against other students. An increasingly deadly contest culminates in the most dangerous challenge of all at a horror-filled, legendary Gothic house.
Is joining the Gloomth really worth dying for?
Perfect for fans of Wednesday and Holly Jackson.
A case of mistaken identity means Eddie Dontay is hurled into the exclusive world of New Haven School. Pretending to be Bartholomew "Brat" Van Buren III, the sole heir to a rich family, who mysteriously disappeared a year ago, Eddie is sent undercover to expose the dark secrets of the Gloomth society.
But all is not what it seems. Eddie must participate in a series of difficult initiations, which prove his fitness for the club, competing against other students. An increasingly deadly contest culminates in the most dangerous challenge of all at a horror-filled, legendary Gothic house.
Is joining the Gloomth really worth dying for?
Perfect for fans of Wednesday and Holly Jackson.
247 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 9, 2026
1 person is currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
M.A. Bennett
17 books306 followersM. A. Bennett is half Venetian and was born in Manchester, England, and raised in the Yorkshire Dales. She is a history graduate of Oxford University and the University of Venice, where she specialized in the study of Shakespeare’s plays as a historical source. After university she studied art and has since worked as an illustrator, an actress, and a film reviewer. She also designed tour visuals for rock bands, including U2 and the Rolling Stones. She was married on the Grand Canal in Venice and lives in north London with her husband, son, and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 11, 2026
Eddie Dontay is the subject of a case of mistaken identity which then turns into an opportunity. When posh girl Harper approaches him thinking he is a former friend of hers (who went by the name of Bartholomew "Brat" Van Buren III), he finds himself agreeing to a bit of subterfuge.
Brat went missing a year ago from New Haven School where he had been in the midst of pledging for the Gloomth society - a very old, very exclusive group. Before he went missing he had told Harper about some of the initiations, & Harper wants to not only find out what happened to him, but bring down the group from the inside. What follows is a crash course into the exclusive world of the rich & privileged, but is it enough to fool the Gloomth?
Wow this was a page turner! It's one of those rare books that manages to be both predictable yet thrilling. It's not difficult to work out what's going on but it's the journey that counts here, not the destination. I thoroughly enjoyed it. If your tastes also run towards the macabre & the Gothic (think Edgar Allan Poe) & you enjoy reading about secret societies, hidden rooms/mazes, & wandering around old cemeteries in the dark, then this is the book for you. 4.5 stars (rounded down)
SUMMARY:
Plot: Good - Found it a predictable yet thrilling read.
Writing Style: Excellent - I was thorouoghly immersed in the world of Gloomth.
Enjoyment Level: High - If your tastes also run towards the macabre & the Gothic (think Edgar Allan Poe) & you enjoy reading about secret societies, hidden rooms/mazes, & wandering around old cemeteries in the dark, then this is the book for you.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Hachette Children's Group/Welbeck Children's Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
TWs:
Brat went missing a year ago from New Haven School where he had been in the midst of pledging for the Gloomth society - a very old, very exclusive group. Before he went missing he had told Harper about some of the initiations, & Harper wants to not only find out what happened to him, but bring down the group from the inside. What follows is a crash course into the exclusive world of the rich & privileged, but is it enough to fool the Gloomth?
Wow this was a page turner! It's one of those rare books that manages to be both predictable yet thrilling. It's not difficult to work out what's going on but it's the journey that counts here, not the destination. I thoroughly enjoyed it. If your tastes also run towards the macabre & the Gothic (think Edgar Allan Poe) & you enjoy reading about secret societies, hidden rooms/mazes, & wandering around old cemeteries in the dark, then this is the book for you. 4.5 stars (rounded down)
SUMMARY:
Plot: Good - Found it a predictable yet thrilling read.
Writing Style: Excellent - I was thorouoghly immersed in the world of Gloomth.
Enjoyment Level: High - If your tastes also run towards the macabre & the Gothic (think Edgar Allan Poe) & you enjoy reading about secret societies, hidden rooms/mazes, & wandering around old cemeteries in the dark, then this is the book for you.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Hachette Children's Group/Welbeck Children's Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
TWs:
April 3, 2026
An ideal story to pique younger readers’ interest in the Gothic genre. A captivating mystery, set amidst a backdrop of wealth and privilege.
The story opens with Bart being buried alive. We don’t know why, but then we are introduced to our main character Eddie. He is a server in a cafe, moonlighting as a waiter at a fancy school do. He is sacked when one of the young ladies mistakes him for Bart.
What follows requires a certain suspension of disbelief, but Harper enlists Eddie’s help in trying to work out exactly what happened to Bart and how a shadowy society known as The Gloomth are involved. He goes back to the exclusive New Haven School, enrolled as Bart, and vows to help unearth what happened.
From the moment we see Eddie back in the school it’s clear this is a lot more dangerous than you might expect. Some of the characters are, quite frankly, unhinged. Eddie has his own secrets, and as things progress we see just how desperate people have been to try and get to the truth.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this before publication.
The story opens with Bart being buried alive. We don’t know why, but then we are introduced to our main character Eddie. He is a server in a cafe, moonlighting as a waiter at a fancy school do. He is sacked when one of the young ladies mistakes him for Bart.
What follows requires a certain suspension of disbelief, but Harper enlists Eddie’s help in trying to work out exactly what happened to Bart and how a shadowy society known as The Gloomth are involved. He goes back to the exclusive New Haven School, enrolled as Bart, and vows to help unearth what happened.
From the moment we see Eddie back in the school it’s clear this is a lot more dangerous than you might expect. Some of the characters are, quite frankly, unhinged. Eddie has his own secrets, and as things progress we see just how desperate people have been to try and get to the truth.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this before publication.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
M.A Bennett has always been a master at writing the most suffocating, gothic thriller that keeps me glued to the story, and this was just another great example of that.
The story was enveloped in deep gothic horror, from the world building, to the literature, and the twisted initiations the characters had to endure. The whole story felt suffocating and eerie, but also had a great mystery element, in which the reader was just as in the dark as the characters they were following, especially with such an unreliable narrator and cast of characters.
The secret society and the mystery shrouding it, was the bulk of the story, and was excellently written and portrayed, but the school itself felt a little unbelievable.
Outside of the main character Brat, and the members of the society, there didn't seem to be anybody else in the school, the few characters that did appear didn't feel like they had any depth or introduction to the story, they felt overshadowed by the gothic atmosphere, almost like they weren't as important, which was a little distracting.
The overall story felt really short, the pacing was good, but the ending felt a little rushed, with some predictable plot twists being thrown in, regardless, I really enjoyed the storytelling.
The story was enveloped in deep gothic horror, from the world building, to the literature, and the twisted initiations the characters had to endure. The whole story felt suffocating and eerie, but also had a great mystery element, in which the reader was just as in the dark as the characters they were following, especially with such an unreliable narrator and cast of characters.
The secret society and the mystery shrouding it, was the bulk of the story, and was excellently written and portrayed, but the school itself felt a little unbelievable.
Outside of the main character Brat, and the members of the society, there didn't seem to be anybody else in the school, the few characters that did appear didn't feel like they had any depth or introduction to the story, they felt overshadowed by the gothic atmosphere, almost like they weren't as important, which was a little distracting.
The overall story felt really short, the pacing was good, but the ending felt a little rushed, with some predictable plot twists being thrown in, regardless, I really enjoyed the storytelling.
March 13, 2026
I am incredibly grateful to Hachette Children's Group for the opportunity to read and review A Deadly Pledge. Being selected to explore this captivating story before its official release has been such a treat, and I can’t wait to share my thoughts on it with all of you. A huge thank you to the team at Hachette Children's Group for their generosity and for making this advanced reading experience possible.
I was so looking forward to reading A Deadly Pledge because I am very much in my dark academia era so this felt like the perfect read!
It was a quick read that I found easy to follow.
It definitely had interesting parts and certain revelations had me shocked but overall, it just felt like it fell a little bit flat.
I wanted to love this book so much and in reality, there's nothing wrong with it. It's a good book.
I just didn't fall in love with it sadly. I feel as though this book is a great read for when you're between two really complicated or deep books. A bookish palate cleanser if you will.
I was so looking forward to reading A Deadly Pledge because I am very much in my dark academia era so this felt like the perfect read!
It was a quick read that I found easy to follow.
It definitely had interesting parts and certain revelations had me shocked but overall, it just felt like it fell a little bit flat.
I wanted to love this book so much and in reality, there's nothing wrong with it. It's a good book.
I just didn't fall in love with it sadly. I feel as though this book is a great read for when you're between two really complicated or deep books. A bookish palate cleanser if you will.
April 12, 2026
I won’t ever shut up about M. A. Bennett.
She is one of my favourite authors and rightfully so. I know I have to cancel my plans for the day when I pick up a book of hers. They are intriguing and always one up their twist and turns. The S.T.A.G.S. series will forever be my holy grail and her stand alone books are just so so good.
This one made me want to re-read the series again and you can bet I‘ll do that once finals are over.
She is one of my favourite authors and rightfully so. I know I have to cancel my plans for the day when I pick up a book of hers. They are intriguing and always one up their twist and turns. The S.T.A.G.S. series will forever be my holy grail and her stand alone books are just so so good.
This one made me want to re-read the series again and you can bet I‘ll do that once finals are over.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews