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Summary: I knew there was a reason I dont date frat boys!
Review: Being a young sorority girl myself, this book was both interesting and a page turner for me. The author is amazing in the way he writes this story. I could hear and feel every moment of the book. I would read it at work, on the bus, at home, i couldnt wait to finish it...kinda... i found myself NOT wanting the book to end! I cant wait until he has another book out!
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Summary: Couldn't put it down...
Review: I'll be the last to describe this as a classic, it's much more of a page turner than anything else, but for a light read, especially when you're on vacation, you could hardly do better.Set on fictional New England college campus, The Pledge is about a Godfather-ish fraternity that controls everything at the college and in the surrounding town, as well as having their teeth sunk into many things nationally as well. The fraternity accidentally kills one of their pledges during a hazing stunt, and the book details the acts the chapter undertook to cover it up as well as just how ruthless they can be. As a Greek myself, I can say that very little of what is written in this book is true. But if you can suspend your disbelief, you'll have a book that you won't be able to put down until you're finished.
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Summary: Grand Slam On the First Pitch
Review: Maybe it was because I am currently a pledge for a fraternity. Maybe it was because I have a love for nature, boats, and costal villages, as do the two main characters. Maybe it was because I hadn't read a novel for pleasure in 10 years. I can't quite put my finger on what endeared me to Rob Kean's first ever novel, The Pledge, but I really liked it. I had heard about the novel while my pledge brothers and I were cleaning up the dining room at our fraternity house one evening after the actives had finished dinner. Two of the actives had hung around after dinner and were talking about some book called the Pledge and that it was one of the best books that they'd ever read. I got on-line, read some reviews and without much hesitation clicked on the "Confirm Order" icon. The Pledge delves into a fictious fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi, at a fictious New England, Ivy League school, Simsbury College. It chronicles the events that occur following the death of a pledge at Simsbury's most prestigous, most revered fraternity, known to all simply as "Sigma." The main character, a former brother himself, is torn between loyalty to his "brothers" and his obligations as a member of Simsbury's "D-Squad," which is charged with investigating the death of Sigma pledge Chad Ewing. As I became more and more engrossed in the story it became increasingly more difficult to put this book down; to the extent that I actually skipped a class because I didn't want to stop reading. I finished the final 500 pages in 5 straight hours. I would recommend this novel to anyone interested in college life, anyone interested in fraternity life, and anyone who believes that just because a man graduates from college and becomes a successful businessman he is honest, just, ethical, and possesses a clear sense of what is right from what is wrong. If you've read this review, you WILL LOVE this book.
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Summary: Mr. Kean, Please Give Us Another Book...Soon
Review: I picked up The Pledge just to read the cover summary. I knewthis was a must read. I'm not going to go into an overly detailed account of the book. I read a review on this website which said the plot was unbelievable and too complicated. On the first, isn't that why we escape into the world of fiction? Secondly, the plot was complicated, but that's part of what made it so wonderful. The book had more twists and turns than a scenic road on a mountainside. It thoroughly held my interest. Like any book it had certain slow spots, but it would quickly pick up. The review I read stated the characters were not well developed. Nothing could be further from the truth. All the reader doesn't know is the characters' blood types. It's a 718 page roller coaster that's better than any amusement park ride. I could go on, but if you have a strong affection for your college days, enjoy surprises with the turn of a page, and want to be completely consumed by a book....READ THIS BOOK!!! If it were a car, it would be the ultimate driving experience.
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Summary: Great book
Review: The Pledge was one of my favorite reads of the year, and I have read a lot of books. It is the type of book that just grips you and has you looking forward to reading every chance you get. After you read a chapter you are always left saying well maybe just one more, and then another. It is quite long, but reads very fast. The characters are well developed and likeable, and there are numerous interesting subplots weaved into the main story. There is also some humorous moments, especially involving the dean. The main plot is very compelling, and the plot twists are numerous. I hope Rob Kean has another book this good up his sleeve. I highly recommend this one.
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Summary: It had a lot of potential....
Review: The reason I picked this book up was because I'd heard it had been compared to The Secret History by Donna Tart in some review or other. That alone had me excited to dive into it, but left me quickly disappointed. While Kean obviously borrows some of Tart's style from her astonishing debut novel, he doesn't have the writing skill that she displayed in The Secret History. Now, comparisons aside, I found the plot at first to be pretty interesting. I thought the writing style was fairly skillful. That was during the first 6 chapters or so. Then, as they say, it went downhill fast. My main criticisms? Far too many characters introduced which led to very vague character development. I didn't really understand some of these characters and definitely didn't relate to any of them. Also, although this is a fictional account, the plot was WAY too unbelievable. It ended up like some kind of science fiction story taking place on present day Earth. I mean, if the plot is going to slowly develop in a realistic style, I'd much rather see that realism carried through for some continuity. It just got way too crazy during the middle and I almost didn't finish the book. Eventually, I labored through to the end, rather disappointed. I liked the beginning. I liked the timecoded writing style. I liked the fact that there weren't a lot of popular culture references in it. It's just that as the web of the plot branches out more and more, there were some inconsistencies and way too many unbeliebable mishaps that occurred. I think if Kean had stuck to his first few characters, instead of introducing a new one every so many pages, it would have been more concentrated, effective and enjoyable. As it stands, it seems like the author was trying to show how complicated that he can write a plot; how involved it can get and how it can all flow about and become intertwined at the end. To me, it doesn't seem he pulled it off and in the process left a lot of unfinished seams in the overall effect. Not a bad read...and certainly not a bad effort for a first novel. Just a few things I couldn't swallow in that story which ruined it in the end for me. I'm sure that frat boys and frat alumni will enjoy the stroll down memory lane.That's just something I can't really relate to.
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Summary: PLEDGE TO READ THIS BOOK!
Review: This psychological thriller is multilayered. Simsbury College, a fictional school in a small town in Maine is controlled by a Mafia-like fraternity. Members are forced to undergo painful, degrading humiliations as pledges and the next level is unflagging allegiance to the Sigma Delta Phis. This fraternity consists of the cream of the university's crop, the movers and shakers that will one day dominate the business world. Whenever anyone crosses the Sigmas, they are either killed or intimidated into lifelong silence. The college dean is an especially sinister man who sanctions the fraternity and even has established a kangaroo court on campus to make sure the fraternity's agendae are carried out. One student named Mark Jessy, a former member and an enemy of the dean and his girlfriend, Shawn C. Jakes stand to lose a lot by taking a stand against the Sigmas. Both have been set up by the fraternity and both are in grave danger because of it. One pledge has already lost his life and others have...it has a Watergatian feel to it! Reading about the far reaching tentacles of the fraternity, which date back for 200 years is a spine tingling roller coaster ride. Graduates of the university who were Sigmas are set up in the graduate schools and businesses of their choice. Free rides are pretty much guaranteed. Until... This taut thriller will remain several steps ahead of the reader. Rob Kean is a master at creating a very compelling story and his plot twists will keep you turning round for more. A first rate thriller!
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Summary: Cathy's review
Review: I was very disappointed with this book. I hate reading a book and having questions about what happened to the characters at the end. The author had way too many things going on in this book. It is almost as if he wanted to included every idea he has ever had in his life in one book. Additionally, the verse was way too poetic. The subject matter was not beautiful, so it was unneccessary to use the imagery that he did. In my opinion, there were just too many things going on in this book and its a shame that they went unresolved. This book would have been just as good if it was half the length.
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Summary: Best Book I've Read This Year
Review: An excellent novel. Believe the 5 star reviews, it's all true.
Rating: 
Summary: The Pledge
Review: Good captivating charactors. There are enough plot twists and charactors to keep the suspense through the entire book. It was set in a college, and the students were quite believable. Looking at the descriptions, I could just about find someone from my college days to fit each of Kean's charactors. Some of the "alumni" weren't as believable, however, this may be due to my pre-set convictions. It was a page-turner to the very end. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys best sellers.
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