DNF

Not for me. Did not enjoy book 1 and requested this before I had finished it. So my bad.

Didn't enjoy the main character or the idea of the story, like I originally thought -sadly.

This was not a book for me. I was not a fan of the characters or the plot. I think this just a case of my type of book.

The book had an interesting premise. I don't think I have read anything like this before. It was an interesting world and while I loved the plot, I wasn't really cinnecyed to the characters.

I am reading this Author for the first time and I am literally amazing that how she has written this book. I read this type of book after soo long. Quite Amazing read for me. Highly recommended!!

Received in exchange for a honest review
So there is good and bad to this book. The world building is good in some areas.The building on Keystone is good. The one involving Influencers and the social network could use more fleshing out. The look at Ella’s past is good but her distrust hurts her. Our look at Garrett could use more fleshing as well. Personally I don’t think he is what people in the end are labeling him as and that things aren’t as they seem. I also believe that with the hints left he was part of Ella’s past. I also think Ella should have followed her instinct and trusted Adam. I don’t think he was as bad as she made him out to be as she remembered her past. Her influencer friends yes they were wretched but I think Adam was key to so many things.

The heist concept and the plot was interesting. It kept you drawn to the story as a whole to see where the heist was going and how this new society played a role in the total picture of what was going on and why Keystone did what they did. The character building was good for some of the characters but needed work on others. On Ella we saw her grow some and learn to trust herself. She still needed to learn to trust her instinct more to me. I felt she jumped to conclusions to fast at some points. I think her growth was in letting herself forgive herself for her past and to see people can be friends and not have an agenda. Her group of friends were quirky and interesting. I think Ella is learning to trust more and I think even though it seems Garrett isn’t what he appeared to be she is trusting him and that he is what she always believed him to be.

The character I felt needed more fleshing out is truly Garrett. He is still a mystery to us. There are clues about him and what he has done but not alot. He is not as he seems and neither is the situation and what happened to him at the end. I believe this and that he left clues to show this to others he wanted to let know and let in to his world. He trusted so few and when he did let someone in they didn’t know if he truly did. He kept himself at a distance and the question is why? Was this because of the rules of Keystone? Was it to protect himself? He felt a connection with Ella and did allow her in but not completely and I believe at the end he left clues for her to not believe what is seen that there is more to meet the eye and he isn’t what everyone believes he is now. I think he let her in and wanted her to see beyond and that there is more going on than anyone knows or sees. There is more to him and the author has you wondering what more there is. I think that is good and bad. It’s good because it has you intrigued and wanting to learn more about him but bad because you don’t get a connection with him as much as you would like. So him I would like to know more about and what is truly going on with him I would like to know.

the romance part was iffy. It wasn’t really there but alluded to. I think her and Garrett could really be something but it needs to be played out. I believe this was on purpose so that the heist part could be focused on and so could the story of why the Keystone existed could be seen. Hopefully this will be built upon more and we will see where the romance is going.

The plot is interesting and draws you in. The story fleshes out well and has you coming back for more. The story is told in the eyes of ella. It is her story of how she came to Keystone, what she sees Keystone as, how she lets go of her past and comes to embrace the future and where she feels she belongs. It’s interesting and intriguing and the ending leaves you with questions and wanting answers..

Wow I'm just stunned with how good this title was. I just had so much fun reading this title and getting to along for the ride with these amazing characters. I'm so excited to see what's next from this author.

Katie Delahanty's Keystone follows Ella Karman, a high level influencer, who lives in a future where influence isn't just celebrity, but actual money and power. If you aren't an influencer, you're nothing. Seeing through things, Ella manages to escape into an underworld trying not to survive but to thrive and take down the corporation run government. However, she also has to do her part. I was provided a copy of Keystone by Entangled Publishing in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The premise Delahanty kicks off is so out there, at first it's a bit confusing. Ultimately, though, when I stopped trying to figure out what was going on and just went with it, I ended up having all my major questions answered and loving the adventure. This is great for fans of the Heist Society and All Fall Down series. You're introduced to a world from top to bottom and then there's also a fun adventure to go on. This is quite honestly my favorite kind of book.

Ella is continuously unsure of herself, but she's not stupid and she's not blinded by the hot guy who keeps catching her eye. She also desperately wants to succeed. She's my kind of hero, not too full of herself, but also not a miss klutz can't do anything. She's realistic. To be influencer perfect, her family dyed her hair, gave her collagen injections, and made her wear contacts. When that is all taken away and she's finally herself, she's able to embrace it and not feel broken by it.

The main premise of the story is the heist, but there are a couple heists happening here. The first heist is Ella, as she's taken away from the influencer world, while there are interesting layers to it, she truly is part of her own heist, taking herself out of the known and jumping headlong into the unknown. Throughout, we watcher her train and prep and get ready for a lifelong future of trying to make a dent in a world that might already be too far gone.

I can't wait to see what happens in the next part!

Thank you for an advance copy of Keystone! The concept of the Social Exchange and a society trying to essentially protect history was so fascinating. The pressure of social media to this extreme had just enough reality to be scary. I am all for this book from the dystopian world to the romantic tension, heist and a great group of friends. I am a fan! Definitely will read more from this author.

I enjoyed the book a lot!
I would like to thank the publisher for giving me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm new to the world of Katie Delahanty, and I have to say that I'm duly impressed that she got me so invested in a dystopian world, which is something that I don't read much of for whatever reason. Different strokes for different folks & all. Let me tell you, it was one hell of a ride for real! Its the story of Ella Karman, who's a social media "influencer", until her best friend destroys it all for her when she betrays Ella. And this is how she got to Keystone, which is simply put, a spy school in my opinion. Now, there are new dangers all around her, and she has to learn to trust herself, so she isn't taken in by those who want to do her harm, and there are plenty. This is where she meets Garrett Alexander, a dude with plenty of his own secrets, but boy do they have an attraction for each other, though he may or may not have a girlfriend already. Man, there were so many twists that I stopped dropping f-bombs for a bit because my mouth was tired. Yeah, I'm that kind of reader, the type who talks at her stories that she's captivated by. Then, the ending comes, and all of those f-bombs started dropping like crazy, as it's a HUGE cliffy, which honestly, has me dying inside a bit because I NEED TO KNOW MS. DELAHANTY! So, just one click on this action packed story which will keep you guessing long after the end! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

While reading KEYSTONE, I kept getting thoughts of the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld, which I loved and am in the process of re-reading. This novel had me mixed at the beginning, as it caught my interest as soon as I started reading, yet slacked soon afterward. It even got to the point where I was seriously considering as marking it DNF (Did Not Finish). I try not to do that, but hey - there are some books you just can't get into, no matter how much you try to force yourself to. Am I right?

The whole premise of this book, using social media influencers, and society rating every person based on how "popular" they are and how high they're rating, was absolute genius. It was almost eerie in that I could actually imagine this happening in our not too far off future. The author's choice to use social media influencers and also putting in issues influencers (both highly rated and those trying to gain followers) actually showed issues similar to today's society and today's social media craze.

What made me unable to put Keystone down was Ella's journal entries, which were her Social Exchange days that lead up to her current predicament. That's what I was most fascinated with - especially how the author hid current social issues within the story. Unfortunately the parts in between for the first third or so of the book made me seriously question if I was even going to be able to finish the book. Thankfully I am glad I pushed through, as the rest of the book I quickly devoured and mostly made up for the slow parts towards the beginning. I did end up giving Keystone 5 out of 5 Stars, not just for how the story was but because even after a month going by, this novel is still on my mind and has me wondering what could possibly happen next.

I really liked this one! The synopsis reminded me of the episode of Black Mirror where her social score affected her day to day life, but the characters made this one feel fresh and unique. Would pick up this author again!

This was in no way what I was expecting. I loved the synopsis and at the start of the book I was more confused that excited. For the first two chapters I wondered if I was reading the right book. An influencer who has her whole life ruined and then goes to a school for thieves. It was awesome right up until it wasn't.
The characters felt flat for me and I just found myself skipping ahead.

Katie Delahanty is an amazing author and has a way with words. I loved her new adult series, In Bloom, and couldn't wait to read this new YA book from her.

It was a book that was supposedly my cup of tea book. Dystopian world, ya, mysteries, spy school and rescuing the past.
It seems cool, right? Well, it is, but in the middle of everything that felt lost. I have no problem with retrospective (past) in chapters when it's clearly signed like that, but here I felt like it's too entangled and I had to remind myself in what time I was now in.
Characters were rather likable and worked their role there so I count them on the plus as I was intrigued by them. Plot... Hmm... It was good and had potential that was supposed to keep my attention and at first, it worked, but later I started losing interest in it gradually.
I think this book will have its fans and you can like it, but for me, it had not worked as it should IMO.

This story is full of twists, romance and thieves. Ella is haunted by her past so she’s trying to start a new life with the purpose of learning to become a thief so that she can help steal and preserve important historical artifacts. I found Ella to be relatable and a character I wanted to know more about. Garrett is a bit mysterious at first and quite full of himself so he and Ella push each other’s buttons and fought a lot. I loved the spark between them.

It did take me a while to get into the plot and understand the world fully. However, once Ella reached Keystone and there was more focus on her mission I found the book harder and harder to put down. I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

After the big dystopian boom, we all got kind of burnt out on the genre and they largely disappeared from the landscape. Now they're starting to make a slow return with far more focus on quality writing and innovative ideas. The new focus, thematically, is on the negative influences of social media and complacency. How we allow ourselves to e oppressed in the name of convenience or social power. Delaharty points some blame at social media, saying that people are inclined to sell their souls in the name of influence. It's not an especially unique take though the approach has a unique spin. It takes some extreme views but uses those extremes to open our eyes to the dark sides of our own society.

Keystone was a sweet techie futuristic read that I got sucked into, right from the start. I really liked Ellie, she was a heroine that was conflicted but also brave and definitely goes through some emotional growth during her journey.⁣
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The whole idea of a future where being online and connected becomes all consuming and technology is being used to manipulate, re-write and sometimes completely wipe out moments in history pretty much blew my mind.⁣

Memorable Moments:
I loved the whole heist scene. It was suspensful, exciting and it was when I really started to feel the chemistry between Ellie and Garrett. Seeing how all the puzzles fit together in the bigger picture was pretty cool
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The love triangle romance between Ellie, Adam/Nash and Garrett was a bit much for me the rest of the time. Still, I think I ship her with Garrett more the the other guy 🤣

Would I recommend?
The cliffy of the ending has me super hopeful that there will be a reunion between these love birds sooon! And I really want more of Ellie with her possie! ⁣
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4.5 rating

“When Ella Karman debuts on the Social Stock Exchange, she finds out life as a high-profile influencer isn’t what she expected. Everyone is consumed by their ranking, and the lengths they are willing to go to to stay on top. So when Ella is betrayed by her best friend, she loses everything. Leaving her old life behind she joins Keystone, a secret school for thieves, where students are being trained to steal everything analog and original because something- or someone- is changing history. Partnered with the annoyingly hot Garrett Alexander, who has plenty of his own secrets, Ella is forced to return to the Influencer word, while unraveling a conspiracy that began decades ago.”⁣
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The first chapter is kind of confusing (at least for me) and kind of dumps you right into a specific moment in this dystopian futuristic world. I had no idea who Allard was, or how Ella knew her or how she got to that point. BUT, the author did an amazing job with the flashbacks that put all the pieces together throughout the story and how she was led to that specific moment at the beginning. I wish it was done a little differently at the beginning. If it was, I would have given it a 5! ⁣
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This book reflects on how things could actually be in the future with the advancement of technology and social media. Influencers have live feeds and people buy stocks. The more popular you are, the more money you make. Except everything is a lie. Keystone is a secret society of thieves that steal items to preserve their memory. Instead of “Goonies never say day” it was changed to “Goonies always say live” and only the Thieves knew what the correct line was. There were quite a few funny iconic movies lines that were referenced at one point and what it was “changed”. ⁣
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Even with the futuristic setting, it wasn’t too focused on the actual technology portion, so it reads more like a fantasy novel. And of course.. the romance was such a good slow burn! Ella’s romance from her Influencer world with Adam, and then the tension with Garrett who is a keystone student and thief. I want a sequel! The ending was satisfying yet left a lot of questions!

Synopsis:
Ella Karman is a regular seventeen-year-old girl, as regular as can be in a dystopian world divided into factions based on popularity. She is an Influencer, the only daughter of her actor parents, who should have enjoyed her time at Intersection – the Hollywood high school. But the problem is that after years of home-schooling, she is disillusioned by the constant requirement of being "on" all the time.

She finds herself at Keystone, where there is as good as an uprising taking place – albeit in a hush-hush manner – to unravel the uber-connected world. Will it be the place where she finally finds herself, as well as finds someone who will love her for who she is and not for her ranking?

Review:
This story takes the concept of an "Influencer" to a whole new level. A term which in equal amount is the cause of envy among some and the reason for concern among others has got an excellent reimagining in a dystopian setting in the near future. And like in every dystopia, there are the ones at the bottom of the society fighting back against total control, known here as the Disconnects.

The story starts on 25 June 20X5 with a literally explosive beginning, where Ella Karman becomes Elisha DeWitt and starts a new life as a Disconnect in Keystone. Narrated in the first person, Ella takes us on a journey through what her life and the society around her looks like. A society where everyone and everything looks perfect, but sacrifices – ugly sacrifices – have to be made for that perfection in order to stay at the top of the game. A society which has been divided into four factions – the Corporates, the Influencers, the Laborers, and the Unrankables – followed by the Disconnects who are of the lowest order and not even worthy of mention.

"Your worth is measured by your number of followers, your Index trade amount, your engagement rate. If nobody's watching, nobody cares."

It has become an ugly world where Ella finds solace in the form of Adam, a surfer guy she meets at Intersection. But it is not what it seems when her world or what she thought was her world goes for a toss in the form of manipulative parents (and AI), devious friends, and the soon to be introduced Super Brain. Ella has a gift of superior intuition which is what leads her to Keystone in the first place. Some of her memories from her previous life are so frightening! And I loved the way the author revealed her character bit-by-bit throughout the story. The concept of the Super Brain is quite Terrminator-esque, where there is a real danger of machines taking over.

The story takes place within the span of roughly two years, from August 20X4 to June 20X6. Now, the years may seem vague at first but the author drops a hint in the form of Star Wars as to the exact year in which the story takes place. There are quite a few other pop culture references which strikes you as funny in the context in which they are used. It is scary to think about how in reality social media has inveigled itself into our lives. At Keystone, Ellie meets Garrett Alexander, a senior student and a master thief. She also finds friends – real friends – in Rayelle, Stewart, and Sophia.

"They don't want me. My whole life, all I ever wanted was to be theirs, but of course I wasn't, not really."

There are quite a few time jumps, as the author keeps the narrative tight. The students learn forgery, code-breaking, escape and evasion, which are actually names of subjects! A school where they teach you codes and cyphers, with the ultimate goal is of conducting real-world heists. There are so many revelations along the way, be it shocks or surprises. It kept me hooked with not a single dull moment.

If you know me then you know that I crave a little bit of romance in every story and this one had that too. Ellie and Garrett going head-to-head were too cute. It's been quite a few years since I last read sci-fi and this had me so excited! A world where debut means something entirely different from what it means today. It was at once eerie and fascinating to read about Ella's previous life. It is no longer live streaming but life-streaming.

"She thinks I'm a natural, but the truth is I've been deceiving since I could walk. My talents come from years of sneaking around pretending to be someone else."

There are quite a few unanswered questions, which if the ending is any indication may be tied up in a sequel. But what the author has done, the world she has built is stupendous. And sweet is the way she has connected us readers to the story in her Acknowledgements:

"You are the most important piece of the puzzle – the keystone, if you will – because without you this story would have no reason to exist."

P.S. The Voynich manuscript gets mentioned again here after I recently read it in the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. It seems like a sign that I should read books about it now.

The AMPs which the people use in this dystopia reminded me of Obsidian's augmented reality contact lenses as shown in Supergirl.

This book is in a sense relevant to what's happening now, what's been happening forever, all over the world. What with everybody trying to rewrite history.
"No information is safe."