Thank you to Netgalley, Kelsey Sutton and Entangled Teen for my ARC of Smoke and Key. I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Synopsis: She wakes in the darkness and falls, when she comes too, she finds herself underground. She doesn't know who she is or how she got there and has no memories from before. All she knows is that she is dead and the clue to who she is lies in the key that hangs around her neck. As Key begins to get to know the other people of Under, dark secrets emerge and she finds herself and those she cares about in terrible danger.

I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I was drawn in initially by the beautiful cover but felt the synopsis meant the story would either be really good or really rubbish. It was definitely the former. It was a fairly short and easy read with a mystery at its centre, some romance, some magic and plenty of the paranormal. I enjoyed following the storyline as Key began to discover more about herself and her past and the way it connected with other people in Under.
All in all this was a great read that I'd recommend if you've got a craving for fantasy without it being heavy stuff.

4,5 star
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I liked this book from the first page, I felt connected to it like it happens sometimes with people that you meet for the first time and now after reading it I still want to reread some parts because I don't want to let it go.
I loved the setting, the idea of the names and Key's personality, a girl that uses her brain. I like that even if they do not remember their names and what they did in life they somehow know who they are.
Black magic is a powerful thing but love is more powerful. Smoke and Key's bond survives death, she can feel him since the first time their eyes meet.
I am sad that it was a stand alone book, I would have loved to read more about Under and Smoke and Key's love.

loved this book! Could not put it down. I can’t wait for the sequel to be released. So grateful to Net Galley for the Advanced Reader Copy and the chance to review. Thank you!!!

The residents of Under are dead, uncertain of who they were or why they were unable to pass on as the dead are intended. They are named by the item that they fell with (Ribbon, Doll, Journal, etc.). Key, the most recent to fall, is unlike the others. She begins to have flashes or memories or her previous life and finds herself inexplicably drawn to the boy known as Smoke. Key is certain that her returning memories hold the answers to her untimely death. As Key tries to piece together the fragments of her past, others begin to remember...and someone doesn't want that secret revealed. Someone in Under is murdering the residents, burning their bodies, a final end to their existence. Key must solve the mystery and discover the murderer before she becomes the next victim.

Smoke and Key is a exciting and fresh new YA fantasy/mystery. I loved the cover and the plot sounded interesting so I was pretty excited to get an early look at this new novel. The story takes place in the late 1800's-early 1900's and begins with our main character, Key, falling from her grave into the world of Under. She is immediately welcomed by an interesting set of characters that are in all levels of decay. The characters and world had a very "Corpse Bride" feel to them which I absolutely loved. As soon as Key arrives in Under someone begins murdering the residents. Although they are dead, there are certain levels of injury that they can't survive...in this case burning. The mystery of the killer unfolds as Key begins to experience flashes of memory and discovers that there is more to the residents of Under than meets the eye. A lot of the YA novels start to feel similar sometimes but this was a refreshing and unique story that I really enjoyed.

This book was received as an ARC from Entangled Publishing, LLC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Such a thrilling and enticing YA Novel that will leave readers on the edge of their seats wanting more. I absolutely love the names of the characters and how each of them symbolize an object that is crucial to the story. Each page was a different conflict with so much drama and resolution that my eyes were just glued to the page and I could not stop reading. Each page was a new twist and turn and went in unexpected directions that nobody saw coming.

We will consider adding this book to our YFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

3.5 Stars

This was definitely a strange book for me, but I was definitely digging it.
I've never read anything even close to this book before and the whole plot was so odd and intriguing I was there flipping pages over like crazy. Imagine one of those silly comedy sitcoms where someone is sitting and reading a book and every 10 seconds is saying things like 'oh my gosh', 'I didn't see that coming' and about 100 other things that don't need to be said out loud - that was me.
Also I feel a little cheated. You know why? Because I hate historical fiction and this kind of tricked me into reading it because I didn't realise until at least half-way through when it was set. However, I don't regret reading this at all. In fact I am now super curious to read more from Kelsey Sutton because this concept, guys. THIS CONCEPT. It was just so very different, and I'm not kidding when I say I have never read anything like it before. I desparately need to find someone else who has read this book so I can deal with all of my complicated feelings.
This was such a bittersweet book that part of me is screaming YESSS whilst the other part is a complete wreck.
Would I recommend this book? YES. This is a book that just needs experiencing. Read this and lets chat!

Love! Perfect combination of romance, mystery, and suspense! Readers of Caraval series would love this!! This is great for teens and adults.

I received an ARC of this book and feel like it had so much potential to be very good. While the concept of this story is compelling, the writing lacks follow through. It is stated why Key wants to figure out the curse, we never feel like she does. The problem stems from being told a lot but never feeling anything from the characters. The curse and Under are not fleshed our well, and I was halfway through before I even really understood what the book was trying to accomplish.


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2696810756

<b> 3 Stars!! </b>

Smoke and Key begins with a girl falling out of her grave into a dark bottomless pit. As she struggles to come to terms with where she is, she starts to meet a group of others who share her fate and with no knowledge of what caused them to fall below into what they call "under".

She comes across a boy claiming to be no one, which makes her head spin. He then tells her that's she's dead. But she cant be dead. She sets off to uncover the secrets of the past with the hope of finding lasting peace for the afterlife.

The atmpsphere was dark and oh so creepy.
How does one function underground??

I really enjoyed this book!! I had a hard time putting it down the first time. I kept flipping pages, feeling as desperate as the heroine to get answers! I thought the story line was unique and different. The pacing was perfect. We get flashbacks and present time Povs, along with a group of interesting characters.

While I really enjoyed the read- there were some things that could have been done a little differently. I felt the writing was great and simple which made for an easy read. My biggest issue was the ending. It felt too rushed and I still had some questions that I needed answers for :( Besides that issue- I think its a great dark and interesting read and I would recommend it.

<I> Thank you to netgalley for this arc. Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. </I>

Thank you to netgalley for this arc.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
What an intriguing tale! It got me hooked right from the start! I really really enjoyed it!
It's a mix of murder mystery, paranormal, horror and historical fiction. It's dark and creepy with just the right amount of romance. It's hard to summarize this story because of all the different elements in this book. It was a bit shaky in the beginning and I found characters' "names" silly but it all made sense in the end.
Writing: it's a well written story, Kelsey's writing was quite vivid and I could practically see the story unfold right in front of me. I could feel all the characters' emotions. They were some dialects that were kind of hard to understand but it added to the story's atmosphere.
Characters: there were a lot of characters, four main and a lot of secondary ones. All had their backstory that we learn as the story unfolds. I do wish that there was more. Some characters like Doll and Splinter didn't really have any explanations to who they were "before".
World building: this is the part that lacked development in my opinion. Like how does the magic system work? Where exactly does the story take place?
Story line: it's so different, I don't think I've read anything similar to this book. Such an interesting premise and so many different "ingredients" that made a very great story. It was a bit predictable towards the end but I still enjoyed it. I wish there was just a bit more. Like an epilogue or something. It feels a bit unfinished.
Overall it's a great, interesting story that keeps you intrigued till the very end and I definitely recommend it!

A tragic love story kept alive by a curse that refuses to let the dead rest in peace.

“Smoke and Key” begins with a girl falling out of her grave into what’s known as the Under as she struggles to come to terms with her new reality, she soon meets a group of others who met a similar fate and with no knowledge of what caused them to wander below she sets off to uncover the secrets of the past with the hope of finding lasting peace for the afterlife.

This book is such an interesting almost Tim Burton kind of story that has this back and forth between the past and the present as we uncover who everyone was prior to their death but it’s told in such a way that at first I had no idea we had switched between those times and this happens over and over again without any real sort of break or fade with italics to let us know it’s happening so if you blink you miss it making some the reveals a little confusing.

The story itself is rather basic with a random and not fully explained magic element that ties all of these people and their fates together. There was no plot twist or surprise when it came to the ending and the reveal behind who was pulling the strings making the book as a whole rather one note all the way through which was rather disappointing.

This book is just short of being an okay read it’s just kind of there but I do think I’d like to follow the author onto something else she might write because for me the idea was great but the execution needed some work.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

I just was really confussed by this book. I tried so hard to get into it and for me it just never sparked much interest. Amazing and beautiful cover though, wish I could leave a better review but for me this book just didn't do it

I loved the premise and unique world of Under. We slowly learn of Key's life and death and the flashes are seamlessly woven in. Part mystery, part fantasy, I got sucked in and finished this in an evening. Highly recommended.

Smoke and Key
By Kelsey Sutton


If your looking for a good read that has darkness then this book is right for you.

This book literally takes place in the dark. Underground to be exact. In this small town 15 years prior something strange took place and the dead are finding themselves awakened in the underground.

With no memories, they take on names by what item were placed in their caskets. When the last person falls into the underground domain she finds a key in her possession and takes on the name “key”. But is that just her name or does that key mean something more?

Ribbon befriends her and takes her under her wing and begins teaching her about the underworld and the people there. When Key meets the others, two boys stand out to her, Smoke and Journal. Barely there and strange things begin to happen.

Can Key trust anyone? Can she make sense of the memories she’s been seeing after touching Smoke and Journal? Why are residents being murdered, and is she next?

The plot will keep you hooked from beginning to the end. The strange characters will intrigue you. This Mystery will keep you in suspense and the ending may surprise you!

This book is great for young adults and adults too.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#SmokeandKey
#NetGalley

2 STARS

TW: body horror/gore, suicide mentions, implied abuse, sex scene, death

If I had to describe this book in one word, I think I'd choose "underwhelming" before I went for anything else. I went in hoping to scratch the mystery itch I've had, and this just didn't do it for me. 

I think the biggest problem was that I wasn't engaged. Key, the main character, spends so much time in her memories, unable to control the situation, forced to watch it play out, and when she isn't steeped in memory, she's being herded around Under, where the unusual dead reawaken after tumbling down from their graves, not quite alive but not quite dead. She's the only one who can remember pieces of her life at first, and while the concept was interesting the first time it happened to her, by the end of the book, I was tired of the flashbacks and wanted her to take action and put the pieces together.

Another problem for me was the romance. It was bland, and even though it tried to set itself up as a love triangle, it kind of failed in that, and the only thing worse than a love triangle for me is a love triangle that doesn't even really keep up a triangle shape. The romance was flimsy, and it also focused mostly on connections made in the flashbacks. I would have been a hundred times more interested if there had been more forging of new relationships in the Under, if the romantic partners had found themselves growing closer and closer without memory to stitch them back together, but like Key and most of her characterization, it all depended far too much on what happened before Under.

Troubling too was the final confrontation, which was lacking in the tension I expected, as well as a sound explanation. The ending was almost flimsy in some ways, dull in a way that made me wish I'd put the book down sooner and moved on to something else. I finished it disappointed, which is never fun.

That said, I will admit that the concept was excellent, and so was the fact that this was a standalone (at least, I think it is; what else is there to do?). The dead tumbling from their graves, renaming themselves after whatever came with them, minds empty of their lives? The dead, building a new society from nothing, living half lives in the dark and searching for ways to feel halfway whole again? It was a great concept, one I wish had been explored more fully! But the execution fell far short in the end, too many characters left flat, too many potential threads left unexplored. It could have been great, but didn't live up to the expectation the summary set. 

Still, if you're looking for a quick read with romance and murder rolled into one, and if you want to see the world of Under for yourself, Smoke and Key is set to release on April 2nd this year. Now's as good a time as any to get your pre-orders or library requests in, and if you decide to get it, I hope you enjoy it more than I did.

[This review will be posted publicly on The Words Gremlin at approximately 10am EST on 4/1/19.]