THE PLEDGE

Scream gets a gay romance makeover.

Sixteen-year-old Sam survives the Lake Priest massacre by doing the worst thing he can imagine—killing someone in self-defense. In the process of coming to terms with these violent events, Sam loses part of himself, no longer playing lacrosse or writing. His life includes a supportive, divorced father with a new fiance, Peter (whom Sam does not like); little brother Gus; and mostly absent mother who exploited Sam’s tragedy for her latest novel. Two years after the tragedy, Sam is entering college, hoping that joining a fraternity will lead to friendship. He finds a mutual attraction with charming resident adviser Oren, a sophomore journalism student. Before long, students start to die at the hands of a masked figure dubbed The Freak. All too quickly, Sam finds himself in the center of another massacre, and suspense grows around who might be hiding behind the mask. Sam and Oren try to unravel the mystery while the body count rises and the killer closes in. Kill chapters are spliced with their investigations as the boys explore their connection, yielding odd narrative diversions that sometimes hinder the pace of this queer-affirming narrative that will appeal to readers who appreciate stories propelled more by action than character development. Most main characters read White.

A blood-soaked, heart-filled homage to slashers.