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The Pledge
Scream meets Clown in a Cornfield in this young adult horror novel by bestselling Cale Dietrich featuring a masked killer who targets frat boys.
Freshman Sam believes that joining a fraternity is the best way to form a friend group as he begins his college journey – and his best chance of moving on from his past. He is the survivor of a horrific, and world-famous, murder spree, where a masked killer hunted down Sam and his friends.
Sam had to do the unthinkable to survive that night, and it completely derailed his life. He sees college, and his new identity as a frat boy, as his best shot at living a life not defined by the killings. He starts to flirt with one of the brothers, who Sam finds is surprisingly accepting of Sam’s past, and begins to think a fresh start truly is possible.
And then... one of his new frat brothers is found dead. A new masked murderer, one clearly inspired by the original, emerges, and starts stalking, and slaying, the frat boys of Munroe University. Now Sam will have to race against the clock to figure out who the new killer is - and why they are killing - before Sam loses his second chance – or the lives of any more of his friends.
Elements of horror, mystery, and a gay romance make this a story readers won't want to miss.
Freshman Sam believes that joining a fraternity is the best way to form a friend group as he begins his college journey – and his best chance of moving on from his past. He is the survivor of a horrific, and world-famous, murder spree, where a masked killer hunted down Sam and his friends.
Sam had to do the unthinkable to survive that night, and it completely derailed his life. He sees college, and his new identity as a frat boy, as his best shot at living a life not defined by the killings. He starts to flirt with one of the brothers, who Sam finds is surprisingly accepting of Sam’s past, and begins to think a fresh start truly is possible.
And then... one of his new frat brothers is found dead. A new masked murderer, one clearly inspired by the original, emerges, and starts stalking, and slaying, the frat boys of Munroe University. Now Sam will have to race against the clock to figure out who the new killer is - and why they are killing - before Sam loses his second chance – or the lives of any more of his friends.
Elements of horror, mystery, and a gay romance make this a story readers won't want to miss.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 14, 2023
26 people are currently reading
6710 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 268 reviews
February 15, 2023
I haven’t read a book in a single sitting in YEARS! Way to master the perfect blend of horror and romance, Cale!!! Adored it.
October 31, 2022
Actual rating 3.5 stars.
Don’t let my rating fool you because this might be a perfect book for you. I loved a lot of things and just liked some things less.
I’m not a huge horror reader, but once in a while, I read one, and most of the time, I’m pleasantly surprised. Add that I loved If This Gets Out, Cale Dietrich’s collaboration with Sophie Gonzales and The Pledge instantly became one of my most anticipated 2023 reads.
What I loved most is that The Pledge is a mix of horror and mystery and that being queer is normalized. The horror part in The Pledge is on the softer side without that much gore (hardly anything, in my opinion). It’s more like a murder mystery, and that’s actually perfect for me. I also loved the emphasis on Sam’s PTSD and anxiety, and Sam and Oren were really sweet together. I flew through the pages and finished the story in just a few sittings.
There’s one thing, though. The Pledge is a horror/mystery story. I read on and on and on, and whenever someone got murdered, I was like, okay, another dead person. I didn’t have a thudding heart, didn’t feel a thrill in my chest; I just didn’t feel any tension at all. And I didn’t believe the signs that led to the murderer.
So, overall I enjoyed reading this story but didn’t feel the slasher vibes. I think if the book had been longer and the slasher parts were more deepened, I would have loved the story more. Of course, you might feel different.
I received an ARC from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Don’t let my rating fool you because this might be a perfect book for you. I loved a lot of things and just liked some things less.
I’m not a huge horror reader, but once in a while, I read one, and most of the time, I’m pleasantly surprised. Add that I loved If This Gets Out, Cale Dietrich’s collaboration with Sophie Gonzales and The Pledge instantly became one of my most anticipated 2023 reads.
What I loved most is that The Pledge is a mix of horror and mystery and that being queer is normalized. The horror part in The Pledge is on the softer side without that much gore (hardly anything, in my opinion). It’s more like a murder mystery, and that’s actually perfect for me. I also loved the emphasis on Sam’s PTSD and anxiety, and Sam and Oren were really sweet together. I flew through the pages and finished the story in just a few sittings.
There’s one thing, though. The Pledge is a horror/mystery story. I read on and on and on, and whenever someone got murdered, I was like, okay, another dead person. I didn’t have a thudding heart, didn’t feel a thrill in my chest; I just didn’t feel any tension at all. And I didn’t believe the signs that led to the murderer.
So, overall I enjoyed reading this story but didn’t feel the slasher vibes. I think if the book had been longer and the slasher parts were more deepened, I would have loved the story more. Of course, you might feel different.
I received an ARC from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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March 30, 2023
Welp, I probably shouldn't have read this book while traveling. Every time I got back to my hotel room I checked under the bed, behind the shower curtain, the closets, etc. I love Cale Dietrich's books, especially the way he addresses teen want and gay attraction. This one is no exception. He definitely threw some surprises and twists my way. The deaths were well executed (pun intended), with the right amount of gore and grist that I'll be double checking the locks at night for a while.
March 5, 2023
I love reading Cale deitrich cuz I know exactly what to expect. Nerdy jock boy meets jock and they fall for eachother while other nonesense is going on. Sex positive and healthy relationships and a HEA (for the most part)
this was like scream at a frat house. A tad unbelievable but in a good way? I read it in a single day which is always enjoyable 🥰
If you’re looking for a fun easy serial killer trying to kill a gay boy vibe then here you go
this was like scream at a frat house. A tad unbelievable but in a good way? I read it in a single day which is always enjoyable 🥰
If you’re looking for a fun easy serial killer trying to kill a gay boy vibe then here you go
February 21, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up
The Pledge delivers on it's premise- a queer, upper YA slasher set on a college campus. Sam is a freshman recovering from the trauma of killing to defend himself and his boyfriend at the time from a masked attacker. He's finally ready to move forward from the past and joining a fraternity seems like a path into friendship and reconnecting with the world. It doesn't hurt that there's a hot boy in the frat wearing a rainbow bracelet... But when a masked killer begins targeting frat boys on campus and playing mind games with Sam, he must revisit his worst nightmares.
This is a very stabby book and it's fun to see this kind of take on a slasher centering a gay guy. It did a pretty good job of keeping me guessing, though I think some information was too obscured for my taste. There were a couple moments where I went- wait, who is that? For characters who should have been more clearly established. Some of the chapters from the perspectives of victims also felt a bit weak to me. I think doing that works better in a movie than in this sort of novel. But overall, I had a good time and think fans of the genre (or teens wanting to get into slashers) will enjoy it. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
The Pledge delivers on it's premise- a queer, upper YA slasher set on a college campus. Sam is a freshman recovering from the trauma of killing to defend himself and his boyfriend at the time from a masked attacker. He's finally ready to move forward from the past and joining a fraternity seems like a path into friendship and reconnecting with the world. It doesn't hurt that there's a hot boy in the frat wearing a rainbow bracelet... But when a masked killer begins targeting frat boys on campus and playing mind games with Sam, he must revisit his worst nightmares.
This is a very stabby book and it's fun to see this kind of take on a slasher centering a gay guy. It did a pretty good job of keeping me guessing, though I think some information was too obscured for my taste. There were a couple moments where I went- wait, who is that? For characters who should have been more clearly established. Some of the chapters from the perspectives of victims also felt a bit weak to me. I think doing that works better in a movie than in this sort of novel. But overall, I had a good time and think fans of the genre (or teens wanting to get into slashers) will enjoy it. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
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January 7, 2023Are you kidding me with these comps!?
Scream meets A Clown in a Cornfield...
This sounds like the PERFECT Valentine's Day release to me!
Scream meets A Clown in a Cornfield...
This sounds like the PERFECT Valentine's Day release to me!
February 23, 2023
Oof.
I really tried to enjoy this book. I couldn’t. And typically, a queer horror slasher is right up my alley.
I really enjoyed If This Gets Out, which was co-written by this author and Sophie Gonzales. However, for this, I could not connect with the writing style at all.
Eg: “Even with everything going on, it’s impossible to miss how cute it is. How cute he is, really. As he has been every time that I have seen him, he’s wearing a great outfit, and his skin is almost flawless.”
I don’t know why, but this stood out enough for me to highlight it but because I just didn’t like the way it was written. And this is just one of many examples like this that bothered me when reading.
Every detail felt like it was laid out in front of you (and sometimes too repetitive) without leaving readers to think for themselves (some may like this!).
I also felt that the story had some really good baselines, but I just couldn’t enjoy the way it was executed. And the storyline itself fell incredibly flat for me.
For it to be compared to Clown in A Cornfield, which I absolutely loved… feels like it’s too high of a comparison that it couldn’t live up to.
I really tried to enjoy this book. I couldn’t. And typically, a queer horror slasher is right up my alley.
I really enjoyed If This Gets Out, which was co-written by this author and Sophie Gonzales. However, for this, I could not connect with the writing style at all.
Eg: “Even with everything going on, it’s impossible to miss how cute it is. How cute he is, really. As he has been every time that I have seen him, he’s wearing a great outfit, and his skin is almost flawless.”
I don’t know why, but this stood out enough for me to highlight it but because I just didn’t like the way it was written. And this is just one of many examples like this that bothered me when reading.
Every detail felt like it was laid out in front of you (and sometimes too repetitive) without leaving readers to think for themselves (some may like this!).
I also felt that the story had some really good baselines, but I just couldn’t enjoy the way it was executed. And the storyline itself fell incredibly flat for me.
For it to be compared to Clown in A Cornfield, which I absolutely loved… feels like it’s too high of a comparison that it couldn’t live up to.
February 28, 2023
✰ 2 stars ✰
"Why are you hurting them? They didn't do anything to you?"
"Because it's the best way to hurt you."
I Know What You Did Last Summer meets Scream but make it gay is the better way in which I can describe the ridiculously cliché of a story The Pledge was. I was always a bit wary of Cale Dietrich's works, but reading this in less than a hour's time has further cemented this belief. Not that I was so heavily invested in the story - it's just how quickly I wanted to put this tasteless reading over with as soon as possible.
I had assumed that the story would be about a fraternity that would have their newly recruited pledges do horrific initiations to be inducted into the brotherhood. Instead, I got a terribly conceived slasher story of revenge with a lackluster plot, poorly portrayed characters, subpar romance, and writing that was mediocre at best.
The only parts I think that were even remotely written well were the moments when the Freak was killing his victims, which honestly, I really did not need to read in a YA book. 😑😑 The frat boys were introduced like a check list, so that we can have a list of victims for the killer to choose from. And when it was finally revealed who was behind the killings, my jaw dropped, like who would have thunk??? *insert sarcastic tone* 🙄
I always feel a little guilty whenever I post a scathing review because I know it's not easy being an author and putting your work out there for people to critique and judge. But, sometimes, when there really is no saving grace for it, I just have to be honest about it. 😞😞
"Why are you hurting them? They didn't do anything to you?"
"Because it's the best way to hurt you."
I Know What You Did Last Summer meets Scream but make it gay is the better way in which I can describe the ridiculously cliché of a story The Pledge was. I was always a bit wary of Cale Dietrich's works, but reading this in less than a hour's time has further cemented this belief. Not that I was so heavily invested in the story - it's just how quickly I wanted to put this tasteless reading over with as soon as possible.
I had assumed that the story would be about a fraternity that would have their newly recruited pledges do horrific initiations to be inducted into the brotherhood. Instead, I got a terribly conceived slasher story of revenge with a lackluster plot, poorly portrayed characters, subpar romance, and writing that was mediocre at best.
The only parts I think that were even remotely written well were the moments when the Freak was killing his victims, which honestly, I really did not need to read in a YA book. 😑😑 The frat boys were introduced like a check list, so that we can have a list of victims for the killer to choose from. And when it was finally revealed who was behind the killings, my jaw dropped, like who would have thunk??? *insert sarcastic tone* 🙄
I always feel a little guilty whenever I post a scathing review because I know it's not easy being an author and putting your work out there for people to critique and judge. But, sometimes, when there really is no saving grace for it, I just have to be honest about it. 😞😞
February 7, 2023
I had a lot of fun with this one! I will say I might be rounding up but I can appreciate a simple premise being executed well and feeling like some good gay representation without being gay being the trauma of the MC.
We follow a murder spree victim Sam as he enters college two years after the events that traumatized him and sent him into a deep depression. He gets wrapped up in Rush as a re-entering life sort of trope and genuinely gets invested in the brothers he is meeting and connections/healing ensues, but of course it cannot be that simple and copycat killer starts targetting the brothers surrounding sam, while also ensnaring Sam in his evil deeds. This is also happening parallel to Sam finding love with Oren a brother who is a year older than him.
That is the rough premise. Overall this was a really fun novel with strong pacing and the writing style while not the most impressive was sgood at keeping that pacing up and providing enough dialogue to connect with the cast of characters and feel connnected to the world while also keeping the pacing going at a blinding pace as the whole novel minus the prologue and epilogue really only take place in like 3 weeks max. The villain reveal was good even though its a little unbelievable that the perpatrator could do everything they were doing given their access to resources, but thats fiction for you.
We follow a murder spree victim Sam as he enters college two years after the events that traumatized him and sent him into a deep depression. He gets wrapped up in Rush as a re-entering life sort of trope and genuinely gets invested in the brothers he is meeting and connections/healing ensues, but of course it cannot be that simple and copycat killer starts targetting the brothers surrounding sam, while also ensnaring Sam in his evil deeds. This is also happening parallel to Sam finding love with Oren a brother who is a year older than him.
That is the rough premise. Overall this was a really fun novel with strong pacing and the writing style while not the most impressive was sgood at keeping that pacing up and providing enough dialogue to connect with the cast of characters and feel connnected to the world while also keeping the pacing going at a blinding pace as the whole novel minus the prologue and epilogue really only take place in like 3 weeks max. The villain reveal was good even though its a little unbelievable that the perpatrator could do everything they were doing given their access to resources, but thats fiction for you.
February 27, 2023
This wanted to be Scream 2 so badly, and I wish it had been. But it was so poorly constructed, from forgettable characters, to senseless plot. The prose were okay, but the plotting and narrative were just so lackluster. The decision to write the book in first person, except switching to third person when someone is about to get attacked, stole all the tension out of the book. Also no death meant anything because none of the characters were memorable. The premise of this one is really fun, and it should have been killer, but the only thing getting slayed here is my interest in any sequels. I'm begging it to end with this one. That said, I could see this being a fun slasher movie adaptation, but they'd have to take major liberties in making the plot more logical and interesting; like, maybe make the killer actually interesting and a good reveal. The love story was also so dull I thought he had to be a killer; but nah, he was just totally boring. The main character was also just wrapped around the killer's finger the entire book and so unlikable in much of it; he needed more Sidney Prescott in him. Anyways, I'm tearing this apart, but it's because I wanted to love it, but I was so disappointed. Read Clown in a Cornfield instead, please. 2/5 stars.
Want to read
July 19, 2021
September 14, 2023
This book was a lot of fun! After the last book I read, I needed something fun and dark, and this book definitely gave me what I needed. I love a good slasher and when it's queer, I'm in heaven.
This book gives you Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Clown in a Cornfield realness but make the MC gay. There aren't many books out there that queer "final girl" main character, so I was very excited to pick this book up. Sam is a very likeable and honest narrator that you just feel for as you read his story. What he has gone through would cause significant trauma to anyone but especially a teen. He finally starts to trust the world again and decides to step out of his comfort zone when his world is turned upside down again by a masked killer taking the lives of people close to him. I can't imagine what that would do to anyone's psyche, but Sam manages to fight against his internal and external demons to ensure that no one else dies.
This is my first Cale Dietrich book but it won't be my last. I highly recommend this book to slasher lovers and anyone looking for a horrifically good time.
This book gives you Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Clown in a Cornfield realness but make the MC gay. There aren't many books out there that queer "final girl" main character, so I was very excited to pick this book up. Sam is a very likeable and honest narrator that you just feel for as you read his story. What he has gone through would cause significant trauma to anyone but especially a teen. He finally starts to trust the world again and decides to step out of his comfort zone when his world is turned upside down again by a masked killer taking the lives of people close to him. I can't imagine what that would do to anyone's psyche, but Sam manages to fight against his internal and external demons to ensure that no one else dies.
This is my first Cale Dietrich book but it won't be my last. I highly recommend this book to slasher lovers and anyone looking for a horrifically good time.
March 17, 2023
Listen. Was it bad? No. Was it good? No. Was it a book that focused on gay characters? Yes, and that’s what I wanted.
February 24, 2023
I had been waiting since the book acquisition was announced in mid-December 2020. I frequently see horror movie reviews on Cale's insta stories. I should not have been surprised to see he wrote and sold a slasher with a gay lead but still excited to read it. When I read his debut " The Friend Scheme " in 2017 I knew I needed whatever would be published in the future. It was delayed by almost a whole year from May 2022 to Feb of this year. Personally speaking, it was worth the wait.
You could say The Pledge is the sequel to a slasher if it were a movie. With how the book opens. Sam is traumatized by being the final boy from a massacre two years back. He forces himself back into the world at the therapist's request by enrolling in an out-of-state university. His hot RA invites him to a fraternity " open night". (Ya know 😉 I would attend too if someone hot guy invited me.) The tension builds knowing it's a slasher but not knowing when it will happen. But when the first kill happens the tension doesn't release but rises till the final act resolution.
Sam is an endearing but messy character being a final guy does that. I love how Sam was a family guy but a highly traumatic experience can tear a family apart. I wanted to give him a huge hug. Cale writes about gay longing and loneliness extremely well. It never feels old, maybe because each of his books has a different setting and a different feel but still the same guy wrote them. And his scenes with Oren, what a dreamboat, were so cute and 😳... it's technically a YA but set in college with 18 and 19-year-olds. I love that each Dietrich book is sex-positive and had a fade out/post-action.
Personally speaking, I loved seeing Cale's growth as a writer in The Pledge. Each book has a place in my heart but it was noticeable with Sophie Gonzalez's collaboration " If This Gets Out" ( totally recommend her books). The pacing was quick but there was still room to breathe and built characters, relationships, and growth. I was suspicious of everyone. Even Oren, the guy Sam is crushing on. 80% in I was still second-guessing myself. I was completely wrong about who killed. It was a nice surprise and the reasoning to act to kill made sense. The Pledge is close to Scream in tone. This time the comparison title rings true. I also liked the the way third person and character perspective are used with the killings. Maybe it's art form but films don't let me feel an attachment to teen characters in slasher films. I was ready to not feel a thing with the frat boys. But I was emotionally attached to almost each frat boy that was attacked. I would join a frat if they were as non-trashy as in The Pledge 😆. I loved the brotherhood💜
If you want a slasher with a tone close to Scream. A smart, sweet gay dude that always keeps fighting. With a cute romance in the background. I highly recommend The Pledge.
Ps. The sequel baiting nod was hilarious. Are you ever really safe in a slasher?
You could say The Pledge is the sequel to a slasher if it were a movie. With how the book opens. Sam is traumatized by being the final boy from a massacre two years back. He forces himself back into the world at the therapist's request by enrolling in an out-of-state university. His hot RA invites him to a fraternity " open night". (Ya know 😉 I would attend too if someone hot guy invited me.) The tension builds knowing it's a slasher but not knowing when it will happen. But when the first kill happens the tension doesn't release but rises till the final act resolution.
Sam is an endearing but messy character being a final guy does that. I love how Sam was a family guy but a highly traumatic experience can tear a family apart. I wanted to give him a huge hug. Cale writes about gay longing and loneliness extremely well. It never feels old, maybe because each of his books has a different setting and a different feel but still the same guy wrote them. And his scenes with Oren, what a dreamboat, were so cute and 😳... it's technically a YA but set in college with 18 and 19-year-olds. I love that each Dietrich book is sex-positive and had a fade out/post-action.
Personally speaking, I loved seeing Cale's growth as a writer in The Pledge. Each book has a place in my heart but it was noticeable with Sophie Gonzalez's collaboration " If This Gets Out" ( totally recommend her books). The pacing was quick but there was still room to breathe and built characters, relationships, and growth. I was suspicious of everyone. Even Oren, the guy Sam is crushing on. 80% in I was still second-guessing myself. I was completely wrong about who killed. It was a nice surprise and the reasoning to act to kill made sense. The Pledge is close to Scream in tone. This time the comparison title rings true. I also liked the the way third person and character perspective are used with the killings. Maybe it's art form but films don't let me feel an attachment to teen characters in slasher films. I was ready to not feel a thing with the frat boys. But I was emotionally attached to almost each frat boy that was attacked. I would join a frat if they were as non-trashy as in The Pledge 😆. I loved the brotherhood💜
If you want a slasher with a tone close to Scream. A smart, sweet gay dude that always keeps fighting. With a cute romance in the background. I highly recommend The Pledge.
Ps. The sequel baiting nod was hilarious. Are you ever really safe in a slasher?
August 11, 2022
This just wasn't for me.
To be frank, I thought it was poorly written. The characters had no personality, which is a problem for a slasher because you need to root for a good number of them. There were huge chunks of dialogue that lasted too long for conversations that weren't interesting. I felt no tension at all throughout the entire thing.
Positive: yay for queer rep, because we always need more of that. Another positive: I will still rec this to people who are really looking for a slasher because we also need more of that in both YA and adult. I'm always on the lookout, but there isn't a lot out there. Maybe the genre is better on the screen.
Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the arc!
To be frank, I thought it was poorly written. The characters had no personality, which is a problem for a slasher because you need to root for a good number of them. There were huge chunks of dialogue that lasted too long for conversations that weren't interesting. I felt no tension at all throughout the entire thing.
Positive: yay for queer rep, because we always need more of that. Another positive: I will still rec this to people who are really looking for a slasher because we also need more of that in both YA and adult. I'm always on the lookout, but there isn't a lot out there. Maybe the genre is better on the screen.
Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the arc!
February 10, 2024
I read it all due to the fact I spent money on it. There's just so much info dumping, literally to the point I sighed when the next bit came along. Also, in the first chapter, the MC is sad that his mum and dad split up, but then, like two paragraphs later, says his mum abandoned him during his time of need, because writing was more important...like, why are you mad your dad left her? Obviously, it's not all bad. Some will enjoy it, and it's just not for me.
I thought I The plot is over the top, and the writing doesn't scream thriller. It's a book that's trying to be Scream, Friday the 13th, or Nightmare on Elm Street, but misses the mark.
I thought I The plot is over the top, and the writing doesn't scream thriller. It's a book that's trying to be Scream, Friday the 13th, or Nightmare on Elm Street, but misses the mark.
abandoned
February 1, 2023DNF @ 41%
First DNF of 2023! I'm actually kind of proud of that (look who's getting better at putting down books!).
I love queer horror and I have a soft spot for Greek Life, so I was hoping this one would be a personal hit. However, right from the beginning I couldn't get into it. I think Dietrich is going for a slasher vibes, but the jerky, jump-right-in pacing and the thin characters makes this too difficult to get invested in. I couldn't take it seriously enough to care of get immersed in the danger of a serial killer, and I really just didn't enjoy the experience.
First DNF of 2023! I'm actually kind of proud of that (look who's getting better at putting down books!).
I love queer horror and I have a soft spot for Greek Life, so I was hoping this one would be a personal hit. However, right from the beginning I couldn't get into it. I think Dietrich is going for a slasher vibes, but the jerky, jump-right-in pacing and the thin characters makes this too difficult to get invested in. I couldn't take it seriously enough to care of get immersed in the danger of a serial killer, and I really just didn't enjoy the experience.
October 21, 2024
Rush Week? More like rushed ending—am I right?
Didn’t think a fraternity with that many gay men was realistic, then remembered how many were in mine. Personally think sleeping with your big during the pledge process is a little dicey, but to each their own, I guess!
Didn’t think a fraternity with that many gay men was realistic, then remembered how many were in mine. Personally think sleeping with your big during the pledge process is a little dicey, but to each their own, I guess!
Want to read
February 15, 2022I don't like his other books much, but when I saw SLASHER, FRAT BOYS DIE and GAY?? Hell yeah. I'll give it a shot
January 12, 2025
Whenever I read a book like this that’s so obviously not meant for me (aka, the simplistic writing style aggressively screams young adult) I always give it a little leeway because I think “if I read this when I was 13-15 I would have liked it” but there comes a time when the book is SO mediocre that you just have to give up that pretence and acknowledge the fact that the book is kind of shit…
Anyways… if I had a dollar for every time the author DIDN’T give me a meaningful description of what any of these characters looked like (which wasn’t just “he’s cute”, “he’s hot”, “he’s attractive”) I’d have enough money to buy a Coach bag 🫰🏻
Anyways… if I had a dollar for every time the author DIDN’T give me a meaningful description of what any of these characters looked like (which wasn’t just “he’s cute”, “he’s hot”, “he’s attractive”) I’d have enough money to buy a Coach bag 🫰🏻
October 18, 2022
3.5 stars
The Pledge instantly sucked me in and boy what a ride!
RTC
The Pledge instantly sucked me in and boy what a ride!
RTC
November 14, 2022
Ooffffff what a book.
A gay horror slasher book, count me in.
Good story like how I had a great flow and had a great mix of people.
Netgallery copy
A gay horror slasher book, count me in.
Good story like how I had a great flow and had a great mix of people.
Netgallery copy
February 14, 2023
Real Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
It’s so unfair that I have to give this book (which is by all rights an entertaining slasher film romp where the frat boys are the ones in danger and not sorority girls for once) 3.5 stars. I would’ve loved to have rated it higher; but as it was, if it weren’t such a fun book to read (and I didn’t even manage to guess whodunit!) I would’ve rated it lower because this book has enough plot holes I felt like I might need to send for a work crew to come patch them all for author Cale Dietrich.
Why didn’t I guess who did it? Well, because it didn’t make any sense. If anyone else who has read this book can look back at any point in the book and tell me there was any hint that made you realize in hindsight the murderer was at least slightly suspect, then I’d like to know, because it’s driving me nuts.
And as for the leading suspect for the murders for the majority of the book: If Sam (our MC) was so skeptical, why didn’t he find a way to contact that person’s family and find out if they knew anything about where he was or what happened to him? Moreover, if said person had indeed disappeared suddenly, wouldn't law enforcement have contacted Sam as a matter of course, considering their shared history? I just felt like I kept stumbling into plot holes and if I was watching a horror film I’d be asking Sam out loud as I was watching the television, “Why don’t you make one simple phone call?”
I loved that this was a YA horror novel in the slasher genre with prominent LGBTQ representation and a LGBTQ main romantic relationship but that Dietrich never made this book about being queer. This wasn’t a slasher novel about being gay, this was a slasher novel that just happened to have a heavy amount of queer representation that was presented in a positive light. These young men are simply fresh meat in the college market, trying to find their people and their way in life. Yeah, they’re gay, but that’s never the point. And that’s not the motive for the murders, either.
It really is an entertaining, diverting, fun, and slasher-iffic read that’s good for when you just want to take some time to sink into a book that has the feel of a 90’s slasher film.
I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley in conjunction with the author. All thoughts, views, and opinions expressed in this review are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: LGBTQ Romance/YA Romance/Contemporary Romance/YA Fiction/LGBTQ Friendly/Coming of Age/Horror/YA Horror/YA Thriller/Young Adult
It’s so unfair that I have to give this book (which is by all rights an entertaining slasher film romp where the frat boys are the ones in danger and not sorority girls for once) 3.5 stars. I would’ve loved to have rated it higher; but as it was, if it weren’t such a fun book to read (and I didn’t even manage to guess whodunit!) I would’ve rated it lower because this book has enough plot holes I felt like I might need to send for a work crew to come patch them all for author Cale Dietrich.
Why didn’t I guess who did it? Well, because it didn’t make any sense. If anyone else who has read this book can look back at any point in the book and tell me there was any hint that made you realize in hindsight the murderer was at least slightly suspect, then I’d like to know, because it’s driving me nuts.
And as for the leading suspect for the murders for the majority of the book: If Sam (our MC) was so skeptical, why didn’t he find a way to contact that person’s family and find out if they knew anything about where he was or what happened to him? Moreover, if said person had indeed disappeared suddenly, wouldn't law enforcement have contacted Sam as a matter of course, considering their shared history? I just felt like I kept stumbling into plot holes and if I was watching a horror film I’d be asking Sam out loud as I was watching the television, “Why don’t you make one simple phone call?”
I loved that this was a YA horror novel in the slasher genre with prominent LGBTQ representation and a LGBTQ main romantic relationship but that Dietrich never made this book about being queer. This wasn’t a slasher novel about being gay, this was a slasher novel that just happened to have a heavy amount of queer representation that was presented in a positive light. These young men are simply fresh meat in the college market, trying to find their people and their way in life. Yeah, they’re gay, but that’s never the point. And that’s not the motive for the murders, either.
It really is an entertaining, diverting, fun, and slasher-iffic read that’s good for when you just want to take some time to sink into a book that has the feel of a 90’s slasher film.
I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley in conjunction with the author. All thoughts, views, and opinions expressed in this review are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: LGBTQ Romance/YA Romance/Contemporary Romance/YA Fiction/LGBTQ Friendly/Coming of Age/Horror/YA Horror/YA Thriller/Young Adult
January 22, 2024
I found it amazing the twist I wasn’t expecting at all I would highly recommend it
May 7, 2023
I finished this book in one setting. I was hooked from the first scene, where the reader is thrown into this scary situation with a serial killer on the loose and how our main character handles the situation, after that I just couldn’t stop reading.
This whole book gave me these 90’s slasher-movie vibes which I always love in books and I’m always looking for more books like that. It was a fun and scary read.
The writing itself was a little weird at first. There were some unexpected switches between first person and third person narration and that felt a little rough at first. I got used to it, but it wasn’t my favorite thing.
Overall a great book and I’ll definitely read more by this author.
This whole book gave me these 90’s slasher-movie vibes which I always love in books and I’m always looking for more books like that. It was a fun and scary read.
The writing itself was a little weird at first. There were some unexpected switches between first person and third person narration and that felt a little rough at first. I got used to it, but it wasn’t my favorite thing.
Overall a great book and I’ll definitely read more by this author.
April 6, 2023
Fun! The horror elements were very strong, the YA/NA elements were cute and heartwarming, I think the author is trying to do a bit more than is needed at the end but it’s hard to end a thriller so I’m always forgiving of that - overall, a very entertaining read.
March 11, 2023
3.5 stars!
Full review will be on my channel at the end of the month
March selection for Not Your Mom’s Boozy Book Club!
Full review will be on my channel at the end of the month
March selection for Not Your Mom’s Boozy Book Club!
November 14, 2024
fun(ish?) plot, writing so meh that I'll have forgotten everything that happened in this book by the time I've finished dinner
February 7, 2023
3.5 Stars Rounded Up
I was excited to receive an ARC of this book from Netgalley as Cale Dietrich is an author I have read before and enjoyed. This book was no exception, though I did feel that it fell short in a few places.
Let's start with what I loved:
1) I really liked the overall plot. It had lots of good spooky, thriller vibes while mixing in a good dash of every day life and even a bit of romance. It had a good balance of everything.
2) It had a good dash of queer happiness. That's not to say that it was all sunshine and roses (it is a book filled with murder after all) but there weren't large doses of trauma due to the characters being queer. It was nice to have a book with queer charters and a queer romance at the center without their queerness (and trauma attached to that queerness) being a major player. The queer charters were allowed to simply exist in this world. Also, it wasn't like many horror books where just the queer charters get killed out or attacked. In this story, everyone was fair game.
3) I liked the romance part. There was immediate attraction, but it wasn't an insta-love situation. The romance happened fairly quickly, or at least the two characters showed interest in each other early on, but the relationship itself developed at a fairly normal pace. They didn't just jump in and immediately fall in love. It was a "Hey, I like you. Wanna date?" type situation, which I appreciated.
4) The characters were relatable. The way they reacted to each other and the situations in the book seemed realistic, and I was able to easily connect with and understand why the characters did what they did.
Okay, so now for the things I wasn't a fan of:
1) When you read a murder mystery or thriller with a mystery at the center, you want to be constantly guessing "Who done it." That's part of the fun. And it's awesome when you get to the end and the murderer is revealed and you have that "Oh! I knew it it!" or "What?! Oh! I should have seen that coming!" moment. This book didn't deliver that. Sure, there were moments where you were left wondering who really did it, but when the big reveal came it was more of a "What? Huh? Are you sure?" moment. There wasn't any definite foreshadowing that you were made to forget by red herrings pointing to other characters. It felt like the author got to the end of the story and drew a random name from the characters who were still alive. Honestly, the reveal was disappointing. And while this wasn't necessary a plot hole, it felt like the master part was weak. It was almost as if the author spent all his time focussing on the romance aspects and simply forgot to add in the clues to solve the mystery.
2) Every few chapters, the POV switched to the killer. While this worked in a way and I enjoyed seeing the murderer hunt down the victims, it was always a bit of jolt when it shifted because it wasn't always immediately obvious. The first time it happened was serval chapters in and I was thoroughly confused for several paragraphs. Some indication the POV was switching would have made these transitions smoother.
3) The writing style in this book switched between what felt like a middle-grade novel and a typical YA novel. I love reading middle-grade books, so I don't mean that as an insult in the slightest, but what bothered me was the inconsistency. Some parts were just so well done and appealed to an older YA audience whereas other parts felt overly simplistic and geared to the younger YA/middle-grade audience.
4) The side characters were underdeveloped. There were a lot of side charters to keep track of, and while this choice does make sense since a lot of them are killed off or attacked, it made it hard to care about them or keep track of who was who. I simply didn't feel emotionally attached to any of the characters who got hurt or murdered. There were even a couple characters who I wasn't even sure who they were because they simply weren't memorable, but I guess its sad they got offed? I honestly just wasn't very invested in what happened to most of them.
Overall I did enjoy this book! It was a quick, easy read and I finished it in one sitting. If you're looking for a YA thriller/murder mystery with queer charters and a gay romance, this may very well be the book for you. I look forward to what this author will write next!
I was excited to receive an ARC of this book from Netgalley as Cale Dietrich is an author I have read before and enjoyed. This book was no exception, though I did feel that it fell short in a few places.
Let's start with what I loved:
1) I really liked the overall plot. It had lots of good spooky, thriller vibes while mixing in a good dash of every day life and even a bit of romance. It had a good balance of everything.
2) It had a good dash of queer happiness. That's not to say that it was all sunshine and roses (it is a book filled with murder after all) but there weren't large doses of trauma due to the characters being queer. It was nice to have a book with queer charters and a queer romance at the center without their queerness (and trauma attached to that queerness) being a major player. The queer charters were allowed to simply exist in this world. Also, it wasn't like many horror books where just the queer charters get killed out or attacked. In this story, everyone was fair game.
3) I liked the romance part. There was immediate attraction, but it wasn't an insta-love situation. The romance happened fairly quickly, or at least the two characters showed interest in each other early on, but the relationship itself developed at a fairly normal pace. They didn't just jump in and immediately fall in love. It was a "Hey, I like you. Wanna date?" type situation, which I appreciated.
4) The characters were relatable. The way they reacted to each other and the situations in the book seemed realistic, and I was able to easily connect with and understand why the characters did what they did.
Okay, so now for the things I wasn't a fan of:
1) When you read a murder mystery or thriller with a mystery at the center, you want to be constantly guessing "Who done it." That's part of the fun. And it's awesome when you get to the end and the murderer is revealed and you have that "Oh! I knew it it!" or "What?! Oh! I should have seen that coming!" moment. This book didn't deliver that. Sure, there were moments where you were left wondering who really did it, but when the big reveal came it was more of a "What? Huh? Are you sure?" moment. There wasn't any definite foreshadowing that you were made to forget by red herrings pointing to other characters. It felt like the author got to the end of the story and drew a random name from the characters who were still alive. Honestly, the reveal was disappointing. And while this wasn't necessary a plot hole, it felt like the master part was weak. It was almost as if the author spent all his time focussing on the romance aspects and simply forgot to add in the clues to solve the mystery.
2) Every few chapters, the POV switched to the killer. While this worked in a way and I enjoyed seeing the murderer hunt down the victims, it was always a bit of jolt when it shifted because it wasn't always immediately obvious. The first time it happened was serval chapters in and I was thoroughly confused for several paragraphs. Some indication the POV was switching would have made these transitions smoother.
3) The writing style in this book switched between what felt like a middle-grade novel and a typical YA novel. I love reading middle-grade books, so I don't mean that as an insult in the slightest, but what bothered me was the inconsistency. Some parts were just so well done and appealed to an older YA audience whereas other parts felt overly simplistic and geared to the younger YA/middle-grade audience.
4) The side characters were underdeveloped. There were a lot of side charters to keep track of, and while this choice does make sense since a lot of them are killed off or attacked, it made it hard to care about them or keep track of who was who. I simply didn't feel emotionally attached to any of the characters who got hurt or murdered. There were even a couple characters who I wasn't even sure who they were because they simply weren't memorable, but I guess its sad they got offed? I honestly just wasn't very invested in what happened to most of them.
Overall I did enjoy this book! It was a quick, easy read and I finished it in one sitting. If you're looking for a YA thriller/murder mystery with queer charters and a gay romance, this may very well be the book for you. I look forward to what this author will write next!
August 13, 2023
The Pledge is a YA slasher thriller/horror tale that kept me on my seat for the short time I managed to binge it. I personally consider it one of the more enjoyable books I read recently, for all its simplicity and imperfection.
The plot isn’t much to write home about. Serial killer wreaking havoc on a fraternity/sorority is a pretty familiar premise to those seasoned in slasher horror tropes. However, that familiarity can be a blessing, serving as a primer for those still dipping their toes into the genre. The mystery element is made more intriguing since the story is from the perspective of a young adult who’s still working through his trauma, creating moments of doubt and suspicion throughout. The characters aren’t the deepest, with only a handful getting much spotlight and even fewer getting development, but that might be a shortcoming that comes with the genre. Sam and Oren’s romance is cute and a highlight of the book.
If there was anything about this book that really disappointed me, it would be the real killer’s identity and the ending. All throughout, the narrative is tossing hints left and right that someone—or multiple someones—in the fraternity is involved in the murders. I had a general notion that the motive would involve the killer being related to the Lake Priest massacre somehow, but there wasn’t enough information given that I could clearly connect anyone to it.
Among the things that got me suspicious were several moments with Oren, in which he seemed to have a bit too much in common with Sam and whose intimate backstory reveal could easily come across as distracting him while the killer committed murders in the time wasted. Motive wasn’t as much in the forefront when coming up with this theory, but I suspected his background as a journalism student, combined with Sam’s infamy, could be worked into him wanting a story worth writing about. It also makes sense if one throws in Beth’s podcast and Sam’s mother’s novel. Sadly, for all the shock and intrigue this potential twist could have made, it wasn’t the truth.
Instead, the killer turned out to be Booker, one of the least-focused guys in the fraternity and among the least compelling of the cast overall. Seriously, the only way that “no one expects the stoner” is if the “stoner” was barely present in the narrative and had just a single throwaway line about getting high—which was exactly what happened. This “twist” was one of the worst I’ve come across in any story recently, yet the book tries to act as if it’s so clever for coming up with it. Like, bitch, no you ain’t! My theory may have been incomplete, but it’s way better than what the author ended up doing here.
The ending was… fine. Aside from the disappointment of the killer reveal, there’s not much worth noting. Sam and Oren are a couple, Sam’s mum pulled Pleasant House from publication and decides she wants to write romance instead of thrillers, the family is safe and happy, bluh bluh bluh, happily ever after. I think the ending would be a bit more fulfilling if it had more room to breathe and wasn’t literally crammed into the last couple of pages.
And really, I think that’s something I could say about the whole book. There are many instances of books being too lengthy or having excess meat that could be trimmed out. But in this instance, where a good chunk of the mystery relies on knowing enough about the characters to make connections, this book needs more meat on its bones. As a story, it’s passable. But YA is a booming market filled with fleshed out stories that have lots of appeal, and a book this lean on narrative details and characterization isn’t going to last long in the people’s consciousness. Don’t get me wrong, I still like The Pledge for its positives. I just think, in the long run, I’m not going to remember it for anything other than its lackluster ending.
The plot isn’t much to write home about. Serial killer wreaking havoc on a fraternity/sorority is a pretty familiar premise to those seasoned in slasher horror tropes. However, that familiarity can be a blessing, serving as a primer for those still dipping their toes into the genre. The mystery element is made more intriguing since the story is from the perspective of a young adult who’s still working through his trauma, creating moments of doubt and suspicion throughout. The characters aren’t the deepest, with only a handful getting much spotlight and even fewer getting development, but that might be a shortcoming that comes with the genre. Sam and Oren’s romance is cute and a highlight of the book.
If there was anything about this book that really disappointed me, it would be the real killer’s identity and the ending. All throughout, the narrative is tossing hints left and right that someone—or multiple someones—in the fraternity is involved in the murders. I had a general notion that the motive would involve the killer being related to the Lake Priest massacre somehow, but there wasn’t enough information given that I could clearly connect anyone to it.
Among the things that got me suspicious were several moments with Oren, in which he seemed to have a bit too much in common with Sam and whose intimate backstory reveal could easily come across as distracting him while the killer committed murders in the time wasted. Motive wasn’t as much in the forefront when coming up with this theory, but I suspected his background as a journalism student, combined with Sam’s infamy, could be worked into him wanting a story worth writing about. It also makes sense if one throws in Beth’s podcast and Sam’s mother’s novel. Sadly, for all the shock and intrigue this potential twist could have made, it wasn’t the truth.
Instead, the killer turned out to be Booker, one of the least-focused guys in the fraternity and among the least compelling of the cast overall. Seriously, the only way that “no one expects the stoner” is if the “stoner” was barely present in the narrative and had just a single throwaway line about getting high—which was exactly what happened. This “twist” was one of the worst I’ve come across in any story recently, yet the book tries to act as if it’s so clever for coming up with it. Like, bitch, no you ain’t! My theory may have been incomplete, but it’s way better than what the author ended up doing here.
The ending was… fine. Aside from the disappointment of the killer reveal, there’s not much worth noting. Sam and Oren are a couple, Sam’s mum pulled Pleasant House from publication and decides she wants to write romance instead of thrillers, the family is safe and happy, bluh bluh bluh, happily ever after. I think the ending would be a bit more fulfilling if it had more room to breathe and wasn’t literally crammed into the last couple of pages.
And really, I think that’s something I could say about the whole book. There are many instances of books being too lengthy or having excess meat that could be trimmed out. But in this instance, where a good chunk of the mystery relies on knowing enough about the characters to make connections, this book needs more meat on its bones. As a story, it’s passable. But YA is a booming market filled with fleshed out stories that have lots of appeal, and a book this lean on narrative details and characterization isn’t going to last long in the people’s consciousness. Don’t get me wrong, I still like The Pledge for its positives. I just think, in the long run, I’m not going to remember it for anything other than its lackluster ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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