I received an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Title Smoke and Key
Author Kelsey Sutton
Release Date April 2, 2019
Description from Amazon
She has no idea who or where she is. Or why she’s dead. The only clue to her identity hangs around her neck: a single rusted key. This is how she and the others receive their names―from whatever belongings they had when they fell out of their graves. Under is a place of dirt and secrets, and Key is determined to discover the truth of her past in order to escape it.
She needs help, but who can she trust? Ribbon seems content in Under, uninterested in finding answers. Doll’s silence hints at deep sorrow, which could be why she doesn’t utter a word. There’s Smoke, the boy with a fierceness that rivals even the living. And Journal, who stays apart from everyone else. Key’s instincts tell her there is something remarkable about each of them, even if she can’t remember why.
Then the murders start. Bodies that are burned to a crisp. And after being burned, the dead stay dead. Key is running out of time to discover who she was―and what secret someone is willing to kill to keep hidden―before she loses her life for good…
Initial Thoughts
I thought the concept of this book sounded really interesting. It was unlike anything else I had seen before. I was definitely intrigued by the mystery concept of the main character investigating her own identity.
Favorite Part
The best part of this book was the setting. I loved the time period that the story takes place in (no spoilers, so I can’t tell when that is 😉).
Final Thoughts
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I read it all in one shot and found it to be quite enjoyable. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending because it was a bit underwhelming. But all in all, I liked the setting, the plot, and the characters.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recommendations for Further Reading
- Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon – references are made in Smoke and Key to Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, so this seems like a fitting recommendation
- The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill – mystery, time period, references to an American. If you like Smoke and Key, check this book out.
Links
Books Over Everything 
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