Author picture

Kelsey Sutton

Author of Some Quiet Place

6 Works 280 Members 38 Reviews

Works by Kelsey Sutton

Some Quiet Place (2013) 177 copies
The Lonely Ones (2016) 33 copies
Where Silence Gathers (2014) 31 copies
Gardenia (2017) 20 copies
Smoke and Key (2019) 18 copies

Tagged

Common Knowledge

There is no Common Knowledge data for this author yet. You can help.

Members

Reviews

This book was a lovely excuse to not get out of bed all afternoon, though I did have Nickelback's Savin' Me stuck in my head the entire time...
 
A delightful mystery, I found myself in suspense through most of the book, which was quite realistic despite the supernatural elements. Ivy's bitter cynicism was ironically a breath of fresh air and I found her voice to be quite unique, for YA. She showed herself to be secretly, underneath it all, optimistic, and I felt like she'd be someone I'd really want to get to know in real life.
 
The romance was thrilling. I didn't analytically think it would be good due to my detesting of instalove, but the way Ivy talked about her significantly-more-off-than-on boyfriend Myers had my stomach in butterflies. Their history comes out slowly, but it's clear that the emotions Ivy feels are incredibly deep.
 
I loved the setting of this book. I loved that Ivy lived in a trailer park. I loved that her sister ran a website for men in order to have an income. I loved the nitty gritty elements of the family struggling yet, in one scene, each taking a day off to go bowling together. (Also, they have a parrot. Many kudos to the parrot.) I loved Ivy's art and the role it played.
 
A true suspense, I didn't see the ending coming until it happened. This was a mystery alongside a coming-of-age story and I was intrigued to read about how Ivy found clues and eventually came to the conclusion she did.
 
This was solid. Not spectacular, and I felt like there were some deaths that were glossed over, but a solid way to pass an afternoon, and I recommend for YA fans.
 
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
… (more)
 
Flagged
whakaora | 5 other reviews | Mar 5, 2023 |
 
Flagged
Litrvixen | 19 other reviews | Jun 23, 2022 |
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this wonderful title by Kelsey Sutton! Wow, I really enjoyed "Gardenia"! I think what stayed with me most of all as I was reading, was how mature Ivy was, and how collected she managed to be, despite knowing what was going to happen when her clock ran out. It's a story about science fiction, sure, but it's something that translates poignantly I think to so many other topics because there's a lot of other teens out there who may be facing a grim diagnosis, or may have a family member in a similar position... that death isn't always a far off idea isn't something that's discussed often enough. Ivy always thought so much outside of herself, even when she had those inner concerns of what the future would hold for her after her time on Earth was done. Just really well written.

And I also liked the exploration of her friendship with Vanessa and Ivy's other female friends, as well as her various relationships with the three boys. Very delicate and confusing blend of emotions there (trying not to give away any spoilers) that was well handled. Will definitely look for more by this author in the future.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author.
… (more)
 
Flagged
KatKinney | 5 other reviews | Mar 3, 2022 |
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.
… (more)
 
Flagged
roses7184 | 5 other reviews | Aug 13, 2020 |

Awards

You May Also Like

Statistics

Works
6
Members
280
Popularity
#83,034
Rating
½ 3.7
Reviews
38
ISBNs
18
Languages
1

Charts & Graphs