The Pledge

College freshman Sam Carville’s life is upended when a masked murderer targets him and his fraternity brothers in this gripping horror novel by Dietrich (The Friend Scheme). Sixteen-year-old Sam is on vacation at a lake house with his boyfriend, Eli, and their friends when they’re attacked by a man wielding a knife. Sam manages to kill the assailant, but not before his friends are murdered and Eli is gravely injured. Two years later, Sam, now single, is eager to begin his first year of college, hoping that a fresh start will help him move on from his traumatic past and the guilt and fear he experiences daily. When he arrives at Munroe University, he immediately crushes on his RA, Oren Fisher, who invites him to a rush event for his fraternity. Sam is certain that his life has finally taken a turn for the better until a masked killer begins slaughtering Sam’s frat brothers, forcing him and Oren to investigate. Visceral descriptions of the perpetrator’s grisly killings and adrenaline-pumping mysteries—elevated by Sam and Oren’s earnest developing romance in the face of imminent danger—make for a bloody thrill ride that will appeal to fans of slasher movies. Protagonists cue as white. Ages 13–up. (Feb.)