3 stars

This book really didn’t live up to the touted comparison (scream, clown in a cornfield). I am a huge fan of both and this just didn’t give off those vibes. It wasn’t terrible, it just wasn’t that good either. I suspect there are plenty who will enjoy this one though.

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!

In general, I think Dietrich's writing style just isn't for me, so that is likely part of why I didn't enjoy this. But I also didn't find the resolution to the mystery very interesting, and I wasn't rooting for the romance (it was weird that a freshman's RA immediately latched onto him like that, and I didn't love how Oren handled all the stuff with the killer). What really killed this for me though was all the pop culture references - I think they can make books feel dated in general, but I especially hate pop culture name drops in YA books, because it is always clear it is an adult mentioning things they think are cool for teens, which makes it feel extra uncool?

Thanks NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for this eARC. These opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book so much and I couldn’t put it down! I’m a big fan os slasher horror films and Scream is one of my favorite franchises! The Pledge definitely gave me vibes of that series! Sam is out with his boyfriend and some friends, their attacked and the friends die, but same manages to get help and kill the attacker before he or his boyfriend die. Two years later and Sam is dealing with so much trauma that he rarely leaves the house and he hasn’t talked to his now ex-boyfriend since shortly after that night. Sam’s about to go to college and once there he meets Oren, who invites him to a party at his Frat. Shortly after Sam becomes a pledge for the Frat people start dying and the killers is leaving messages for Sam. Can Sam survive once again? Is something happening between him and Oren? Who can he trust? I think one of my favorite things about this book is it really discusses the trauma that’s person can go through after surviving! I think that movies like Scream don’t always capture that very well! Even though this was a story about a killer you still get to see depth and growth of individual characters outside of that particular storyline! I also liked most of the Frat boys as well! One of my favorite things is that is LGBTQ+! Another thing that seems to always be missing or sidelined in slasher films. It was front and center in this book and I absolutely loved it! If you like slasher films you’ll love this book! I can’t wait till it comes out!

THE PLEDGE is a near-perfect LGBTQ+ Horror/Suspense/Thriller!! For immediate character evolution and bizarre Coming-of-age, there's not much more intense than becoming a Final Boy. That's super-guaranteed to alter one's outlook on Life...and Death. Ask Sam Carville, who undergoes terrifying experiences not just once, but over and over and over again.


It's odd to call a Horror novel delightful, but THE PLEDGE is jam-packed with engrossing entertainment and edge-of-the-seat breathtaking suspense [sometimes literally]. No easy solution here, lots of Trauma, lots of love, loyalty, and friendship. I didn't see the revelations, and I thank the author. This is a novel I can readily reread!