two years ago, Sam Carville's normal life was entirely upended. he survived the so-called Lake Priest Massacre, a terrible event that killed two of his friends and grievously wounded his boyfriend. most importantly, it was the night that changed Sam forever -- in a last ditch attempt to save his boyfriend Eli, Sam grappled with the attacker and ended up killing him.

Sam has struggled with PTSD and generalized anxiety ever since, and largely withdrew from society in the aftermath. he has no friends and isolates himself even from his family; he's homeschooled because he can't handle returning to public high school. his estranged mom even wrote a fictional bestselling book out of his trauma, rewriting the man who killed Sam's two friends into a figure called The Freak, a killer that wears an eerie smiling mask.

in an effort to 'normalize' himself (and with his therapist's enthusiastic support), Sam decides to go to college. he moves into the dorms and quickly determines that attending rush week at a local frat might speed run him to this whole 'normal life' thing he's desperate to find. this is where he meets Oren as well, the cute boy who's a catalyst for Sam's decision to join the frat and his eventual love interest. unfortunately, things begin going sideways when one of the frat brothers is found brutally murdered.

overall this book was a fun story and a wild ride. I'm reluctant to admit it but I absolutely loathed Sam; he rubbed me the wrong way the entire book and it was difficult for me to ever feel genuinely worried for him because I simply didn't like him. there were multiple instances where things worked out in a way it never would in real life (the cop scooching back so Sam can unmask the killer ?? that was truly hilarious) but I did really enjoy the murder mystery, "who's the killer" aspect and eventual reveal.

I rounded up because I'm desperate to see more queer horror on the scene so I'm happy to support it wherever I can get it. also slashers are one of my favorite genres and this one taking place on a college campus with frat boys being the targeted victims? lovely tonal shift from the constant "hot blonde woman" that most fictional serial killers aim for.

(I will say that the very end scene, the weird third person epilogue, was phenomenal. loved the "good luck" throwaway line to someone threatening Sam's life. it was truly ten outta ten and elevated the rating of this book singlehandedly lol)

thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC 🔪

**3.5 Stars**

I really enjoyed this book. It was basically an amalgamation of Scream and Scream 2. I've never seen Clown in a Cornfield, so I honestly can't say how it compares to that one. However, the Scream movies are my favorite so I figured I'd like this one.

The book was entertaining and predictable which is pretty much how most, if not all, slasher films are. While you may not figure out who the actual killer is, the motive is fairly easy to figure out. That being said, I was still completely into it and didn't have any issues reading the whole thing. I was definitely entertained and even found myself feeling a little paranoid at night.

The romance aspect of this book was just okay. I honestly didn't feel chemistry between Oren and Sam, which is probably because we have zero build up. It felt more like two people just finding each other physically attractive and not so much being romantically attracted to one another. There's one fade to black moment and that's it, so if you want spice this isn't going to be for you. So honestly, I could take or leave the romance part of this book.

My only other complaint is the switch back and forth from 1st person POV to 3rd person POV. It would have been somewhat okay if it would have been 3rd person just for the characters who weren't Sam, but the prologue and epilogue were 3rd person from Sam's POV, so it was just a bit confusing. There were also moments where you knew it was a dream, but it wasn't italicized like most dream sequences are and there were also some scene switches with no page breaks or mentions of how they got there. I'm hoping that that will all get flushed out in editing before it's released.

Overall, it was a good, entertaining read. Expect it to be exactly what you think a standard slasher film is like and you'll enjoy it!

<i>ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>

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

This was everything I needed it to be. Slasher is my favorite genre of horror, and Cale Dietrich shows that they can absolutely nail the suspense and terror of it all. The Scream 2 vibe of it was perfect.

The characters were brilliantly written, believable and flawed. I do think the beginning of the story, the flashback, was jarring and didn't really have much of an impact because we knew nothing about any of the characters. The plot was a bit predictable (of course it was it's a slasher) and yet I still thoroughly enjoyed everything about it.

This is a story about a final boy.

I enjoyed this! It was a perfect spooky season slasher novel & there’s a delightful queer romance! I didn’t see the twist coming- the author definitely threw me off the trail (which is an A+ thing). I’m very much hoping for a sequel.

Thank you so much Netgalley & Feiwel & Friends for the eArc.

This was a great #spookyseason read! A masked killer that targets frat guys is the premise to this one. Sam is the lone survivor of a murder spree and he figures the best way to move on is to join a frat….that is until people start getting murdered.
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This would make an awesome movie! Even better it ended in the perfect way to set up another book!
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Huge thank you to Macmillan and netgalley for an advanced copy is exchange for an honest review.

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 more deepened, I would have loved the story more. Of course, you might feel different.

Being engrossed in the plot, I finished the book in one sitting. Almost from the beginning to the end, it was action-packed.

Some of what happened I was able to predict, but overall I thought the book was great. Without a doubt, I'll read more from this author.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

***

The Pledge is a fast paced slasher. I enjoyed the main character, Sam, and felt like his emotions and relationships were authentic. Having been through a heap of trauma, he's quite resilient and I like that he puts himself out there.

I read the book in one sitting, drawn into the story. It was action packed, pretty much from start to finish.

I was able to guess some of what happened, but overall the book was a win. I will definitely read more by this author.

The Pledge follows Sam who is a freshman in college and is pledging a fraternity. However Sam has a crazy past. Sam survived a murder spree where a masked killer attacked Sam and his friends. The case has become very well known. But Sam is ready to put all that behind him and start fresh. Escaping from his past is better said than done. Because soon people in his fraternity start getting killed and there is another killer out there. Sam is determined to find the killer and save his friends and live a normal life. 

If you are a fan of slasher movies particularly Scream then this is the book for you. This was a very good horror book without too much guts and gore. This book also had a little romance sprinkled in. I really enjoyed this one. I can see how it may not be for everyone espically if you don't like slasher or horror movies. But this book made me want to keep reading to see what was going to happen. I would highly suggest this one. I think it is perfect for the spooky season. So far I have really liked both of the books I have read by Cale Dietrich. The other book being If This Gets Out which was one of my favorite books of 2021. I can't wait to read more Cale Dietrich books. 

Thank you NetGalley, Cale Dietrich, and Macmillan for the ARC of this book.

Scream meets Clown in a Cornfield in this story about a masked killer, frat boys, and bad exes. One night while on a vacation with his boyfriend Eli they are attacked by Eli’s ex whom Sam killed, next thing he knows he is in therapy, he’s completely retreated into himself and broken up with Eli. He’s not the same since killing the serial killer... but now he’s about to start college and as a way to restart himself and make new friends he decides to join a frat, it doesn’t hurt that the first boy he meets is a cute guy named Oren who is also part of the frat. Sam wants a new start and he wants to get back to being someone other than the guy who killed a serial killer.... except bodies start dropping again and now Sam’s friends are being hunted down by a serial killer who is out to get Sam in particular. Now he’ll have to figure out who this new killer is and why he is after him. Can Sam save his new friends before it’s too late or will the new killer finally kill Sam. This was such a fun read! It definitely lived up to the Scream vibes and I am here for it. I absolutely adore Scream so when I heard about this book I was so excited to read it. It did not disappoint! Plus LGBTQ Rep??? Hell yeah! Seriously, if you’re looking for a fun Halloween read, this is for you!

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up to four stars.

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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This is a really fun, quick read. It'll be perfect for fans of the Scream franchise especially - that sort of sweet spot between mystery and slasher horror. I really liked the opening - I wasn't expecting us to be thrown right into the gore and horror with murders right away. I almost would have liked to see more flashbacks to that night throughout the rest of the book, to get more of a sense of the trauma it caused. I also would have liked more explanation of the mother-son dynamic, more exploration of that special form of betrayal - it would have made the mother the mother's arc a bit less abrupt. I did like the vignettes of the killer interspersed throughout. Overall, a fun quick read that could benefit from expanding on some of the characters to develop them and raise the stakes.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Pledge was absolutely perfect for the Halloween season. It was fast paced and entertaining.

Sam survived the Lake Priest murders but he never really recovered from what it did to his life, even two years later. Longing for a sense of normalcy, he decides to go to college and actually live his life. Fraternity life…

Sam is finding his place. He is making friends and meets a guy whom sparks start to really fly with… but it doesn’t take long for his world to turn upside down. Another killer is after him and mowing down frat brothers in the process.

It was IMPOSSIBLE to go through this book without thinking that anyone could be a killer. The process of figuring out who it could be was so much fun. I loved Sam. He was such a good person. He cared for his friends and his family and he went through so much. I recommend this to any slasher fan.

The Pledge is a queer YA/New Adult slasher story that I completely devoured in one sitting. While the "horror elements" that make a story truly scary weren't all there in my opinion, it was definitely still strong as a slasher-thriller/whodunit type of novel. I loved the gay romance element and was rooting for the Final Boy the whole time. I love queer stories that do a spin on a classic trope and I think Cale Dietrich did an excellent job.

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If you’re looking for a quick, slasher book to get you in the mood for Halloween, look no further. The Pledge is about the “final boy”, Sam who was the survivor in a local legendary true crime. Sam was dating Eli at the time of the horrific murder spree and they both survived, but couldn’t make the relationship work.
Fast forward to a year later, where Sam is gearing up to go to college, except he doesn’t want to. To make the best of his collegiate efforts, he decides to join a fraternity and then the shit hits the fan.
I this this book is a unique work, I haven’t read too many slashers in the YA genre. I enjoyed the characters well enough, even though there were at least 15-20 different people.
The biggest problem with this book is the horribly bland writing style. It was bland, flat and emotionless, which inspired the 3 star rating.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This title publishes February 14, 2023.

This Queer YA horror is my new favorite slasher book.

The Pledge follows college freshman Sam as he pledges to a fraternity. While pledging, other frat members start getting killed off by a masked killer. The masked killer is similar to one who attacked Sam and his friend two years previously. Sam now has to figure out who the killer is in order to stop other frat bros from being killed.

Positives
-Quick read
-College and Greek Life setting
-The kill scenes all had variety in them; it wasn’t like I was reading the same thing over and over
-Emphasis on the MC’s internal and interpersonal struggles including both mental health struggles and familial relationship struggles. These struggles were balanced well with the slasher scenes
-Cute potential romance where the MC pines for his RA throughout. The sweet romance was balanced well with the slasher scenes.
-Contained multiple twists which contributed to the fast pace

Criticisms
-Why is this releasing in February? It would be a perfect fall release.

After reading this book I don’t think that it lived up to its comparisons. The writing itself felt juvenile and made it hard for me to connect to the characters. The initial murder spree fell flat and felt rushed.

I received and advance copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for a fair and impartial review.

The premise of this book is fantastic and sounds like something designed in a lab specifically for me. Inverting the usual slasher tropes by having a fraternity be the target of a masked killer? Gays in my horror story? Sign me up! The story elements are all there and largely deliver on their promise. Overall this was a neat, if slightly formulaic slasher style book with a compelling twist near the end.

However, The Pledge fails to live up to its potential in a few areas; mainly characterization (so many people were being offed left and right so soon after being introduced and with such little direct portrayal in the story that I found it difficult to keep them straight, even when you have your tried and true archetypes, The Horror Fan, The Murder Podcaster, The Gym Bro, etc.) and the connective tissue of the writing. The plot and action were good but the writing stringing them all together was sometimes dull and prone to leaning on uninspired word choice.

Overall I definitely enjoyed this one and would look forward to reading anything else this author might put out.

This book was not for me. I usually like Cale Dietrich books, but this one missed the mark. Too much going on for such a short book, I didn't really connect with any of the characters, and the "mystery" at the end was just confusing. I think Dietrich could use some additional eyes on his work, because there were so many small things that felt like they could have been fixed had another editor/reader looked over the book. I liked If This Gets Out much better.

Final boy is queer and joins a frat, then the murders start again. I loved this. It hooked me immediately. The main character was lovable. The love interest was sweet. I loved the idea of the brotherhood of a frat without some of the negative stereotypes that you think of. I didn't guess the killer.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an ARC in return for my honest feedback.