Customer Reviews

The Pledge

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

This is a fine debut novel from an an author I hope we see more from. Rob Kean has given his readers a gripping story on how power corrupts and things that people will do to maintain that power.

Being a young man not too far removed from his own college days has also permitted Mr Kean to keep his details current, lively and informative. This is a book that could be read by college students AND their parents and both groups would be able to enjoy it. In addition to a deftly paced plot, the author also provides a morality play within the courtroom and murder subplots that co-exist within the pages of this great read.

While set on a fictional college campus, this is primarily a murder mystery with some really well done courtroom drama thrown in for amplification. Kean does a fine job of building his characters as well and by book's end, I am sure every reader will have found a new level of respect and admiration for Kean's hero, Mark Jessy.

I really enjoyed this book and can heartily recommend it to to college aged folks and their parents with equal fervor. Pick it up and read a great debut novel. I don't think you'll be sorry you did.

Simply written, with the pace of a James Patterson, the story line of a Sydney Sheldon and the plot of a Pat Conroy (Lords of Discipline) - this book held my attention for the three nights it took me to read it. Though reviewers seem to worry about whether it could happen or not, I'm thinking "who cares?" It's a good read, there are NO slow parts, and Mark Jessy is a hero, a la Will McClean of Conroy fame. Good for you Rob Kean, good for you. I eagerly await your next syllable.

It's not often that I can't finish a book; usually if I can't it's due to a lack of plot interest. This is the first book I haven't been able to finish because I disliked every single character, even the two so-called good guys. The first hundred pages had nothing but evil characters manipulating and getting away with everything. I disliked the main good guy (can't even remember his name) for ever being involved in such a disgusting frat, and his girlfriend for going out with him; for someone who was so against frats, it seems strange that she should be going out with a former frat member.

One hundred pages into the book, and there was not even a glimmer of hope that the evils of the frat would be punished. All of the actions of the characters were infuriating and just depressing to read.

Thanks goodness I didn't buy even the paperback version of this book; it would be one that I couldn't even display on my bookshelf.

I picked up this novel as a way to spend some time at the pool and while I wasn't disappointed, I was surprised at how predictable the plot line was written. It is a novel that explores that element of what makes frat houses and their inhabitants "connect" to one another, but this frat house, Sigma Delta Phi, not only expects psychological support from their members, they expect a kind of pseudo/robotic loyalty. Naturally, this enslavement comes with an incredibly high pricetag-namely being willing to forego any comfortable moral or ethical considerations. A subplot, involving the interactions of males versus how women interact, is, again, interesting yet shallow. The females that inhabit the book are either heavyset, hateful lesbian types or the sultry, intellectually vacuous ones. The only positive female of Rob Kean's novel is a blonde(naturally), yet brilliant and serious student whose first goal was to make Mark Jessy fit her preconceived ideas of what "frat boys" are really all about. This gorgeous protagonist, Shawn Jakes, then learns more of the human side of Mark Jessy (after convicting him on a date-rape charge as a member of the school disciplinary team). This relationship seems quite contrived--a man's pov that men perhaps don't view this crime in quite the same way that women do and perhaps don't wish to. All-in-all a pleasant read, although not enough to make me hope for a sequel.

As a national officer of Alpha Epsilon Pi, the last remaining Jewish fraternity, I picked up this book on a lark. Hazing is still a large issue in today's fraternity world, much to the dismay of most responsible participants.

This is obviously a work of fiction. There are horrendous cases of hazing but nothing like the sadistic brand written about here. Also, while I recognize this was fiction, the absolute stretches made in this book, strained my ability to believe in the characters and the story.

Yes, there are other flaws (how many people can be killed, bought off, etc. without anyone raising an eyebrow) and why isn't a Sigma on the board of directors if they donate so much and dominate the campus?

But, it was a fun book that was a little escapist, a little scary and more than a litte silly.

This book is probably one of the worst and unrealistic things I have ever read. The characters (especially Shawn) are unrealistic, as is the portrayal of a fraternity full of murderers, rapists, and thieves. Sometimes I wish someone would write the truth about what fraternal organizations do...this kind of trashy libel is getting old.

This book lacked any factual representation of Greek organizations and seemed to be simply out to get a rise from people who have sons and daughters in those organizations. The plot was weak and unfounded, the portrayal of the fraternity members ridiculous and stereotypical. Perhaps Mr. Kean should do that thing called "background research" before he writes another novel.

I had seen this book on the bargain table a few times and thought I might like to read somebody's perspective on fraternity life, as I had been in one myself. After finally buying it, I read the jacket and realized it was Rob Kean's first book and that he went to Bowdoin and lived in Boston and I was anticipating reading it just to see what kind of writer he was to get such a lucrative book deal. Before I got a chance to read too much, being the Amazon junkie that I am, I ended up checking out reviews, and found that, sure enough, some people loved it, and some hated it. By this time I was dying to see why the reviews were so mixed. So, I finally finished the book I had been reading and focused on The Pledge. I would like to share my views by reviewing the reviews.

Here are my thoughts regarding the negative reviews. This guy wrote a book while working full time, and he did a good job. It was something that kept me reading to the end. I personally thought that most of the plot was farfetched. I had to keep reminding myself that this was a work of fiction. If you are reading this book to find out how a fraternity operates, then you are going to the wrong place. I know that some of the elements are true, but there was just too many things that I couldn't buy. Oh yeah, this is a work of fiction! To think this is how a real fraternity operates is like thinking that you can bury your pets in a Pet Semetary and they will come back to life.

My thoughts on the 5 star reviews. I wonder what other books these people have read. I'm not sure how this book can receive the highest available rating. My impression of Rob Kean is that he is an imaginative and talented writer, but the talent is raw. If he writes or has written another book, I would hope he took the time to improve his writing skills. I will read him again, but I can't really compare this to the best books I've read in terms of overall reading pleasure.

All in all, this book has some quality, depending on what your reading tastes are. If you can't stomach plots that seem quite unrealistic, then don't read it. If you are the parent of a fraternity child, understand that it has more fiction than truth. If you are looking for a great work of literature, don't get your hopes up. If you are looking to be entertained for a week or two, give it a shot.

I read the first chapter of this book at the bookstore one night and it was pretty catchy. I then decided to buy the book and was extremely disappointed. This kind of prose would never make it past any self-respecting college professor. How it got past an editor at a major publisher is beyond me. The writing is so childish and predictable. The author seems to have a vast knowledge of adjectives and somehow feels that no noun is complete without one. The story is filled with many subplots that take far too long to develop and only serve to annoy, not add suspense. Obviously the author never learned one of the golden rules of creative writing: more words (700+ pages for a murder mystery/thriller??) does not always equal better.

I'd heard this book was really hot ... And I'll admit, there were some good "hazing" scenes, but overall, I found Kean's writing pretty tame. Not nearly as good as Alan Dickson's _The Greek Way_ or Michael Nambla's _Barely Brothers_.