Smoke and Key by Kelsey Sutton

Smoke and Key

by Kelsey Sutton

A sound awakens her. There’s darkness all around. And then she’s falling…

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. None of them remembers who they used to be. Under is a place of dirt and nightmares, and Key is determined to discover the secrets 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. There’s Smoke, the boy with sharp words and a fierceness that rivals even the living. And Journal, the boy who stays apart from everyone else and loses himself in books and science. Key’s instincts tell her that 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. 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 becomes the next victim.

Reviewed by Baroness Book Trove on

5 of 5 stars

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I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the YA Bound Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.



Will Key be able to figure out why they died but not truly dead?


Smoke and Key by Kelsey Sutton is a book that I fell in love with from the cover to the plot summary and to the story itself. Ms. Sutton has a great way with words, and this book is proof of that. I felt like I was Key trying to remember my life from before and knowing that I need to be able to put a stop to someone or something.

What I like:



  • Written in the first-person with our main character being Key. I felt like I was getting into the character and understanding her way of thinking. Key is trying so hard to remember throughout the story since she knows that she needs to do something.

  • I love the memories and the way that she remembers those along with others involved.

  • The whole book is great especially the way that she starts to remember other people around her and how Key is trying not to let anyone know that she is remembering.

  • Ms. Sutton makes this adventure seem so realistic. I adored the characters, especially Key, Smoke, Ribbon, Doll, and Journal. Even the other people that weren’t so into it either. Key is trying to save everyone.

  • The villain is great, and I can’t believe that I didn’t realize who it was at the beginning.


What I don’t like:


There are some things that I didn’t like about the book. Most of it has to do with how Key keeps somethings to herself, it's almost as if she doesn't trust the friends she has made in Under. Some of the other dislikes have to deal with spoilers from the book but let’s just say that Smoke and Key is excellent.

Five Star


Smoke and Key by Kelsey Sutton is a spectacular book; it kept me guessing and entertained. It’s definitely a fantasy and a love story type of book. Kelsey Sutton is a master storyteller; she never dropped a beat, the world and characters were so realistic, such a fabulous story. I wouldn’t mind being friends with Smoke and Key.

I am giving it a five-star rating and recommending it to anyone that likes young adult love stories and fantasies.






Tour Giveaway


Prize:  Prize Pack (Signed copy of Smoke and Key and a key necklace- a $20 gift card will be substituted if the winner is international)

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Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Smoke and Key by Kelsey Sutton. Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Until the next time,



Happy Reading!

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 3 April, 2019: Finished reading
  • 3 April, 2019: Reviewed