I “DNF’d” this book- I was intrigued with the synopsis, but found it to be too haunting, especially for YA, and it was hard for me to connect with the main character.

Smoke and Key was weird, y’all. In the curious world of Under, your past is a mystery, and you take your name from whatever belonging you managed to bring with you into the new world. No one is sure how to get out, but Key thinks it has to do with discovering the truth about her past. She can’t do it alone, but she doesn’t know how to tell friend from foe in this mysterious community, especially after the murders begin. Who could be evil enough to kill someone who’s already dead?

I’m trying to think how to explain what makes this book so strange, and I think the best way is to say that it starts out with a palpable sense of tension and uncertainty, but there’s so much convoluted, complicated stuff going on in people’s minds and memories that the tension just kind of ends up dissipating, not satisfied, just kind of drifting away. That’s a shame because the other thing that makes the book so strange is its weird imagination, which had me hooked early on and could have carried the book to a really satisfying finale. I feel like this was an awesome effort to do something really different — but one that ultimately just kind of fell short for me.

A solid YA novel that was a good purchase for my library. Students have read and enjoyed it, and I purchased it because of this review copy.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

The story begins with our MC – Key waking up in darkness, then falling and landing in the ‘Under’, where she meets Smoke, Ribbon, Journal, Doll, Handkerchief and some other inhabitants of this dark and strange place. The first murder happens after she arrives and the murder mystery starts intertwined with other puzzles. Many questions have to be answered, secrets unearthed and memories recovered.

I liked Smoke, he was mysterious and sweet. My feelings towards Key are a bit more complicated as I liked that she was brave and curious, she wanted to find out what was really happening and why, even if it put her in danger, she wasn’t going to give up. However, at times she a bit frustrated me.

This was a plot driven story with few mysteries, bit of romance and magic. The world is intriguing, however, the pace at times felt slow as I wanted to discover faster some more answers. The memories came in flash backs, which I enjoyed. But I wasn’t a fan of the love triangle. Also the magic wasn’t fleshed out enough for me, the ending left me with desire for something more and a tad bit of sadness.

Overall this was a unique, intriguing, mysterious and a bit dark young adult historical fantasy story that I enjoyed, so I gave it 3.5 stars.

I enjoyed the slow reveals and the mystery. The storyline was engaging, but the writing felt clunky and not edited well.

Smoke and Key was exactly what I hoped it would be. It was spooky, it was mysterious, and it was creepy. It kept le guessing the whole way through. If you're a fan of paranormal mysteries, this book should definitely be on your to-read list!

This book has one of the most intriguing first chapters I've ever read! The mystery, tension and danger are there from the first page, and best of all, they don't let up! I think it made the mystery of the characters extremely interesting that their names are based on the objects they have with them - it's a great starting point to learn more about them. In the beginning, it's hard to imagine how these characters are linked to one another, but it becomes clear as the story goes on, with twists and turns I wouldn't have guessed. That's all I'll say about the plot, anything more would be spoilers, and the more you can avoid - the better!
I know I won't be the first person to say it, but if you enjoy Tim Burton's films, you'll love this book! I wouldn't have thought that style could be conveyed in writing as well as it is on camera, but this proved me wrong. The tone and style feel close to Corpse Bride and I wouldn't be surprised if that was an influence here!
Also I must comment on that cover, isn't it beautiful?! A perfect fit for this story.

The idea of it was fantastic – our MC wakes up dead, underground, with no idea who she is or how she died. All she has is a key for a hint. So cool! They mystery surrounding this story was definitely the driving point. It’s what kept me going.

I didn’t really care about any of the characters, sadly. They didn’t seem to have much depth, therefore I wasn’t invested in them. Even when characters were dying I couldn’t summon an ounce of feeling. I think that was one of the main things that killed this story for me, because it honestly had great potential.

I enjoyed the little twist at the end! I found the story to be original, and intriguing because of the mystery – and it was a fairly quick and easy read, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression. It’s one of those books you enjoy while you’re reading it, but don’t really think about it again once you finish.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

This new book by Kelsey Sutton will certainly grab some attention. Think zombies, but they aren’t actually brain dead. The story starts off with a girl falling to an unknown place called the Under. It’s all dirt and grime, and also under a cemetery. With the item she fell with, she is called Key and meets other strange undead such as herself. No one seems to know how they got there and what their past was. Key seems to be what’s missing as everything slowly unravels to reveal their deaths. 

Like most of the books I read, I like to go in without knowing anything to be more surprised and not really have any expectations. I was sooo intrigued already by the first few pages as I was just as confused as Key, when she falls in the Under and immediately starts to reason and understand what the heck was happening. Key is not necessarily a complex character but she’s more level headed than some protagonists, and I really enjoyed her side of the world she’s in. She has flashbacks and memories that no one else in Under ever has, but since her arrival, people seem to recall more and more.   

The romance is somewhat sudden when a good-looking fellow named Smoke comes along and helps Key unravel what has been done to them. Key knows he has to do with what’s going down there, as their attraction to each other has a sense of deja vu. When Key sees a mysterious girl from her memories, she has to figure out how the girl relates to all their initial deaths while everyone of the Under is slowly being killed off.

Very mysterious and enjoyable book. I liked how Key was just clueless as the reader was, while we went along with her journey. It does have one of those bittersweet endings so be prepared, overall really enjoyed the situations and will definitely be reading more from this author.

Smoke and Key is a unique standalone fantasy novel from Kelsey Sutton that is full of magic and mystery.

When she awakens and falls to the ground from her casket, Key has no idea who she is or how she came to die, only that she’s dead and the only clue to her identity is a rusty key that lies on a chain around her neck. With no memories of who they are, those who exist in Under obtain their names thanks to the items they are buried with—Ribbon, Journal, Doll---and are content with their existence in the dark shadow world they live in. But Key is curious and determined to discover who she is. As memories from her past begin to return, Key soon finds herself drawn to the dark and enigmatic Smoke yet this is only the beginning as people begin to turn up dead. Burnt to a crisp, the dead now stay dead and with the possibly linked to their former lives, Key will need to discover the truth about her past before she herself winds up a victim.

Written as a standalone tale, Smoke and Key offers readers mystery and murder in this YA tale. An easy read that concludes solidly, I was of a mixed mind where this novel was concerned. I think the concept Kelsey Sutton has come up with was a great one—individuals in various stages of decomposition with no memories of who they are find themselves in an underground world---but I feel like the execution could have been a bit better.

Don’t get me wrong; Smoke and Key was in no way a bad novel, but I feel like the story could have been fleshed out a bit better and the ending—and subsequent “big reveal” seemed anti-climactic and too easy. Maybe the limitations of it being a standalone novel let Smoke and Key down, but I was just wanting it to reach that next level and I don’t think it even really did.

I appreciated that the novel was set in Colonial times and liked the mannerisms and attitudes of the characters. Protagonist Key was easy to follow and I liked the glimpses into her past and who she was in life. Her romantic connection with Smoke plays a large role in the storyline but while I liked the significance of their romance, I just couldn’t connect the way I really wanted to. They were sweet but didn't completely blow me away.

Different and unique, Smoke and Key was an enjoyable and easy to read novel. Readers will be guessing as to who the killer is until the end and trying to piece the clues together. Not a bad novel; it just needed a little fine tuning to take the brilliant concept and really make it really shine.

Smoke and Key is worth a read for fans of Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore and those who like their old world tales brimming with magic and undead mysteries.

Smoke and Key is a young adult paranormal by author Kelsey Sutton. First off, I have to just point out how crazy beautiful the cover is. I was immediately drawn in because of it, but then the mysterious summary really hooked me. I had to know what Smoke and Key was all about. And talk about starting the book off with a bang. The first chapter was completely creepy and spooky and set the stage for a haunting and mysterious story that I simply could not put down. Smoke and Key was fascinating and something wholly different than I was expecting. If you are a fan of gothic style mysteries, I think you will absolutely love this novel. 

In Smoke and Key we start out with Key finding her way into the Under. The Under is a world where some  individuals find themselves after death. It is named the under because it is literally the ground underneath their graves, and the only way to enter it is to fall into by bottoming out your grave. Totally creepy, right? No one in the under has any memories of their life on earth. Our story starts out with our main character waking up in her grave and falling into the Under. She can't remember her name, but she quickly learns that no one can. Each of her new inhabitants picks their own name from whatever belongings they had with them when they fell out of their graves. Key enters the under with a Key hanging around her neck. Key is determined to get her memories back. I really loved Key right from the start. She was an immediately engaging character for me, and actually so was Smoke. 

I loved the world of the Under that Kelsey Sutton created. I loved all of the curious characters, and I loved meeting them through Key's eyes and deciding together who we could trust and who we couldn't. Take this fascinating world and couple it with a really creepy mystery, and you have a paranormal read that felt totally fresh and unique to me, which is no easy feat. The mystery was excellent as well. Murders in the under! Who would kill so many people that are already dead? And why? Smoke and Key's twisty plot is sure to keep you turning pages in anticipation for the entire novel. I really applaud Kelsey Sutton on what she has created in Smoke and Key. It is a fascinating world with intriguing characters and a mystery plot that kept me guessing and engaged until the very end. This is a book that I would easily recommend to anyone looking for a creepy paranormal mystery.

I’m a huge fan of Kelsey Sutton’s writing, that’s no secret at all. Each time a new book from her comes out, I eagerly grab a copy and curl with it. Smoke and Key was no exception to this rule and I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy. That made me one happy bookworm. Alas, the first time that I read this book I was in a weird time in my reading world and I didn’t click with it. Thinking that it was probably only fair to give it another shot, I read this again only a few weeks ago. This review is of that second read through.

First, credit where credit is due, Sutton’s gorgeous writing is just as vivid here as her last books. From the moment that Key falls into Under, I could picture the space around her. Dark, damp, full of twists and turns. Likewise, I could instantly picture the inhabitants of that world. People woken from their eternal sleep in various stages of decay. People who have lost their memories, and little pieces of themselves along the way. People clinging together to try and create a new home where they fit in. Key snugged into that space just perfectly and, since she was immediately likable, I had a great time following her through this story.

My biggest problem with this story was the pacing. There were portions that flew by, as Key uncovered part of the mystery surrounding her past life. However the majority of the story just took a long time to really get around to what it wanted to show the reader. Add in the fact that the magical aspects of this story weren’t quite fleshed out as well as I would have liked, and that essentially explains why this book and I didn’t click. As sweet and brave as Key was, as dreamy and mysterious Smoke was, I needed that link between them to be a little clearer so I could really soak it all in.

Overall, I loved the concept of this story! I loved the characters, and the little romance that was brewing. I just needed the rest of it to be hammered down a little more. I needed footing that was a little more solid. That’s why I’d give this book a three star rating.

This was a fantastic read, a little slow in some spots but overall pretty good. I am looking forward to more from this author.

I loved this book immensely. I read and reviewed it for a FFBC blog tour, and I am so glad I was able to participate! This book is fantastic, and you can read my full review here!
https://somebooksandramblings.home.blog/2019/04/11/book-review-smoke-and-key-by-kelsey-sutton-blog-tour-giveaway/

I literally just finished this book and my mind refuses to leave Key's world and come back to reality. I knew I had to read this as soon as I saw the description - it couldn't be more up my alley. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect - but I definitely didn't expect how much I would end up loving this book. I was immediately sucked into the story and into Key's world. The author does a fantastic job bringing the Under to life to the point where I felt like I was right there alongside Key throughout the entire novel. There were tons of detailed descriptions and vivid imagery that made it all jump off the pages and into my mind. I loved learning everything I could about the Under, the residents there, and of course - the huge unraveling mystery of it all.

Key was an incredible main character who I connected with and loved right from the start. She was very realistic and the author made her even easier to empathize with because of all the hurt, guilt, and wrenching pain that was constantly eating away at her. She was brave and fierce, determined to find out the truth no matter how awful or painful it was and to stop whatever madness was going on around them. I can't go into very much detail about the other characters or the plot because I don't want to do any spoilers, but I will tell you that I adored every bit of it. There were parts of the story that I had figured out before it was revealed in the book, but I was still completely invested in putting all the pieces together and to figure out the truth of what happened. I will mention that there was more romance involved in the story than I thought there would be and normally I would hate this. I think that when the main character has any kind of romantic ties to another character, that this small part of the plot overshadows the main story line. There was definitely a romantic aspect to this story - a big one - but instead of annoying me and turning it into a negative experience, it only made me love it more. I don't ever normally do the whole "book boyfriend" thing, but I absolutely loved Smoke and I was rooting for my theories about him and Key throughout the entire novel. I loved each second of it and I think it plays a huge part in the plot, which only made my heart cry for it more. It sounds weird, but I don't know how else to explain it without giving anything away.

Overall, this was a phenomenal novel that blew my expectations and hopes out of the water and hit me hard on a personal and "all the feelings" type level. Not many books do that for me anymore, so it's always a nice surprise and a wonderful gift when it happens. I highly recommend this novel for fans of any genre - there's something in there for just about everyone to enjoy. Seriously - you need to read this book now.

Smoke and Key is a dark yet intriguing tale set in an magical world that the reader will not be able to get enough of. The story revolves around the character of Key, a young woman, who has recently died and the only thing left to identify her is a key that she wears around her neck.  As she navigates her way around this strange new place, she quickly learns that she must protect herself against an unknown assailant that is killing of members of the Under.  With a handsome young man by her side, Key must put the pieces of her identity back together before it is too late.

Ms. Sutton has created this rich magical world that I absolutely got lost in.  I was intrigued by Key and Smoke and this new place between Heaven and Hell.  Smoke and Key is one of my favorite books this year and it is one that I will go back and read to see all the clues that I might have missed.  Amazing story and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Smoke and Key was better than I expected it to be. It was like all of Tim Burton's movies were combined into this book (or that was the feeling I was getting - deal with it). This also sort of spoke to my own super dark soul because I just loved everything about it.

Enter a world, where dead people are kind of alive. Kind of like zombies.. but not really. They are alive in the form of their body that they died in - sounds kind of cool right? YES! While being alive again, they basically have zero memories of what happened before they die. So what do the good people of this dead world do? Well they create a new identity for themselves - mostly with the token they died with.

This is where we meet Key - cute and unique name so I give my girl mad props. I probably would've named myself shoe if I was wearing one. Well this Key is super mysterious because.. who the heck dies with a damn key necklace. While being alive and shit, she starts to make friends - one of them is named Smoke (hence the title guys).

Now before I end up deep diving into spoiler territory, I'm just going to cute this review mad short and say it was amazing from start to finish. Whenever I see this beautiful book at B&N, I will for sure buy it. Also, low-key wishing for another book because this can't end as a freaking stand-a-lone.

AHHHH! So cool. I loved the concept and the world of Under was refreshingly interesting. 

I found the entire story to be refreshing, in fact. Even though there are some pacing issues, I still found myself wanting to read more.

The romance is subtle, but definitely present, which I also enjoyed.

Highly recommended for those who want something new and unique.