Book Review: Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Ally Carter

*** This is the third book in a trilogy. If you have not read All Fall Down and See How They Run be careful of spoilers. Also read those, they're great. ***

Title: Take the Key and Lock Her Up Series: Embassy Row Written by: Ally Carter Published: December 27, 2016 by Scholastic (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: THE PRINCESS IS DEAD.  LONG LIVE THE PRINCESS.  Centuries ago, the royal family of Adria was killed . . . or so everyone thought. Now Grace Blakely knows the truth:  There was one survivor, and that survivor’s blood runs through her veins. This simple fact could cause a revolution — which is why some people will stop at nothing to keep it from coming to light.  There is only one way for Grace to save herself, save her family, and save the boy she loves. She must outmaneuver her foes, cut through the web of lies that has surrounded her for years, and go back to the source of all her troubles, despite the risk.  If she wins, she will inherit a throne.  And if she loses, she will inherit the fate of all the dead princesses who came before her.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher at BEA in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

This was a pretty good conclusion to a good YA political thriller. I really like Ally Carter and she has shown yet again that she can write a fantastic and subtle thriller with this book.

Over the course of the two books I have definitely become attached to these characters. One of the things I like most is the fact that they are all so complex and interesting, especially the main character. Grace is far from perfect. She is the kind of character who makes tons of mistakes and is constantly having to live with the consequences of her actions. She's such a good hero for this kind of story because not only does she make things interesting but she is someone that you want to see succeed.

But she is not the only complex character. This is a political thriller so it is jam packed with political types, royalty, and diplomats who are constantly changing allegiances and keeping things interesting. There are some really odious characters here and I always love that. Throughout the course of three books I have loved seeing figuring out who to trust and who cannot be trusted. The characterizations here are really fantastic.

Every book in this series continues to escalate the plot and change the game when it comes to the overarching story. Take the Key and Lock Her Up did that as well, reading as much like it's own story as a conclusion to the series. And while I did really enjoy that it felt a little odd at times. Like there was a disconnect between the books. It didn't feel much like a cohesive story despite the fact that it did have a solid and satisfying conclusion.

So much of what made this book interesting was the political thriller aspects. There are not a lot of these kinds of YA reads and I really wish there were more because I always enjoy them so much. This was one that was full of twists and turns and things that caught me totally off guard. Not to mention there was so much scheming and plotting that went along with those twists. It was totally shocking but it was really engaging.

Take the Key and Lock Her Up was a good ending to a fun and compelling YA political thriller. It has great characters and a plot full of surprises. I was really happy with this series from start to finish and feel like even though it's a subtle thriller, it's a great read.

I give Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Ally Carter 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. If you liked the first book in this series then you should absolutely pick this one up. It's not perfect but it was a good ending to the series. I would also absolutely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for more YA political thrillers. It's a pretty good one.

Waiting on Wednesday: Take the Key and Lock Her Up by All Carter

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Take the Key and Lock Her Up Series: Embassy Row #3 Author: Ally Carter Published: December 27, 2016 by Scholastic Press (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: THE PRINCESS IS DEAD. LONG LIVE THE PRINCESS. Centuries ago, the royal family of Adria was killed . . . or so everyone thought. Now Grace Blakely knows the truth: There was one survivor, and that survivor’s blood runs through her veins. This simple fact could cause a revolution — which is why some people will stop at nothing to keep it from coming to light.  There is only one way for Grace to save herself, save her family, and save the boy she loves. She must outmaneuver her foes, cut through the web of lies that has surrounded her for years, and go back to the source of all her troubles, despite the risk. If she wins, she will inherit a throne. And if she loses, she will inherit the fate of all the dead princesses who came before her.

Why I'm Waiting 

I'm definitely a fan of Ally Carter's work. I really liked The Gallagher Girls series even though I did not finish it. But I am going to finish this Ally Carter series. I'm kind of excited about finding out how this will all end.

The way the two previous books have been ending is totally changing the game. Ally Carter has managed to craft a really interesting narrative that is unfolding the more we read. It's not really a mystery but there are mystery elements. I'm really excited to see where it leads and how it ends.

But I am also really interested to see the character development here. Grace is not really what I would call an unreliable narrator but she is kind of unreliable. She's also not someone I would call a reluctant hero but she is pretty reluctant. It's a fun combination of the two and I'm excited to see her overcome that here. Plus I think there is going to be some really fun twists on the hidden princess trope.

Last year I spent Christmas vacation reading an Embassy Row book and my plan is definitely to do that again this year. I haven't preoreer it but I will need to get my hands on a copy.

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on A Million Worlds With You along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: See How They Run by Ally Carter

*** This book is a sequel so if you haven't read All Fall Down by Ally Carter, proceed with caution. Here's my review, check that out first. ***

Title: See How They Run Series: Embassy Row #2 Written by: Ally Carter Published: December 22, 2015 by Scholastic (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Inside every secret, there's a world of trouble. Get ready for the second book in this new series of global proportions--from master of intrigue, New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter.  Grace's past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.  The twists get twistier and the turns get even more shocking in the second thrilling installment of Embassy Row.

I enjoy Ally Carter's writing a lot despite never finishing The Gallagher Girls series. And while this book has the same action and adventure it's a very different series. I read the first book, All Fall Down in January and really enjoyed it so I was really excited to get a copy of this one from my Secret Sister waiting for me right before the holidays. This book did not disappoint. See How They Run was a fantastic sequel to an engaging YA political thriller.

I absolutely loved the way that Ally Carter escalated the plot development in this book. If you read All Fall Down then you know how it ended and really changed everything. But that was only the beginning. This book is bigger and the stakes are even higher. The first book was only an introduction to the world and now that that has been established, we can take things to new heights. That's exactly what Carter does here. Everything really built to a huge and thrilling conclusion. As the synopsis says, the twists were even twistier and the big reveal at the end, Carter changes the game again and left me totally reeling. But because she did change things so much she had to rebuild the world. There was a lot more exposition for a typical second book. This led to a little info dumping and some muddled plot development. But the plot was engaging and extremely readable.

In book one I was expecting more of a typical murder mystery but I got something much more psychological and political. In this book however those were all tuned down a little bit. I already mentioned that there was a lot of new exposition in this book. Because of that it felt more like a big picture book that acted like a bridge between the first book and what I'm sure will be a great conclusion to the trilogy. But the book did have a lot of really great mystery. It wasn't quite a murder mystery but there were those elements. And because the setting of the book has political implications, so does the plot and the mystery. I usually like my series to resolve the mystery with each specific book but here it ended up just setting up more mysteries despite a few twists and reveals, some I solved and some I did not.

And once again, See How They Run was populated with complex characters with strengths and weaknesses. They're honestly very refreshing because they aren't the type that figure everything out on the first try and can do no wrong. The main character Grace is not your usual protagonist. She gets things wrong more often than she gets them right but that's what makes her so likable and sympathetic. In book one she is plucky and sarcastic but here that is really tuned down as well. The events of the first book really took their toll on her so now Grace is in an even more vulnerable place. But she doesn't let that stop her from figuring things out and coming to the aid of those she cares about. In this book we also got to spend more time with some favorite secondary characters from the first book especially Alexei. Jamie was also a big part of this book which was really fun as well. He's so different from Grace and is very protective but also has so much respect for her. You can tell it all comes from a place of love. But that's what it's like for so many of these characters. They're really complex and far from perfect but that's what makes them so interesting.

On the whole See How They Run was a fun and engaging read with a plot that really escalated into a thrilling adventure, a mystery full of crazy twists, and complex characters who are likable for their weaknesses. I'm really excited with the way this series is going and after that ending I can't wait to see how everything goes in the next book. It's going to be amazing I'm sure.

I give See How They Run by Ally Carter 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. If you liked the first book in this series then definitely pick up this one as well. It takes things to a whole new level and really builds on the ending from the last book. If you are into mysteries and political thrillers, especially YAs then I would recommend this series.

Have you read See How They Run? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Waiting on Wednesday: See How They Run by Ally Carter

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: See How They Run Series: Embassy Row #2 Author: Ally Carter Published: December 22, 2015 by Scholastic (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Inside every secret, there's a world of trouble. Get ready for the second book in this new series of global proportions--from master of intrigue, New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter.  Grace's past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.  The twists get twistier and the turns get even more shocking in the second thrilling installment of Embassy Row.

Why I'm Waiting 

I'm sorry. Did the synopsis just say that the twists get twistier? *grabby hands* I MUST HAVE IT! No but seriously, the twist at the end of All Fall Down was pretty out of control. I saw the author, Ally Carter, say on twitter that it isn't a cliffhanger, it was a game changer. SO obviously I need to see how the game has changed. I need to see the twists and drama of this book.

I really enjoyed All Fall Down. I liked it so much more than I expected. I enjoyed the Gallagher Girls series that Ally wrote and this has the same humor and mystery but it's much more serious with higher stakes. It's such an interesting psychological thriller. Plus the setting is so unique with a lot of focus on politics which I love, and the characters are complex and I'm excited to learn more about them and their pasts.

And if you didn't know, this book is coming out a month earlier than expected. Instead of coming out in January it will be out just before Christmas. So I know what I will be reading when I am on vacation visiting family for the holidays.

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting for See How They Run with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Audiobook Review: All Fall Down by Ally Carter

Title: All Fall Down Series: Embassy Row #1 Author: Ally Carter Published: January 20, 2015 by Scholastic (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible) Synopsis: A new series of global proportions -- from master of intrigue, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter.  Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:  1. She is not crazy.  2. Her mother was murdered.  3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay.  As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believes her -- so there's no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door, who is keeping his eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands.  Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can't control Grace -- no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do. Her past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.

WOW! This was another book that was not at all what I expected and I mean that in a good way. I haven't read much Ally Carter but I do have a frame of reference. I enjoyed the first two books in the Gallagher Girls series but didn't continue reading them for no particular reason. I loved how lighthearted and fun the writing was. I loved the quirky and likable characters. I loved the action and adventure. And while this book was full of action and adventure with quirky and interesting characters it was far from lighthearted and fun.

All Fall Down is a YA Psychological Thriller, it's a serious book. It handles serious and complex issues that I was not at all expecting. I went into this book expecting a murder mystery. A teenage detective determined to find out the truth about her mother's mysterious death. But what I got was a broken girl trying to put her life back together and find answers to questions that she seems to be the only one asking. Grace is not the strong female protagonist that seems to populate most Young Adult novels these days. Sure she is plucky and sarcastic, tough and intelligent but she there is so much more to her than that. I connected with Grace right away and her sass and her hunt for justice. But she can be best explained by her weaknesses. She spends a lot of the book telling us she's not crazy despite what everyone thinks. But actions speak louder than words and Grace tends to be reckless and rash. She acts without thinking and puts herself and others in all kinds of danger. Maybe it's been awhile since I read a book with a heroine who is incredibly far from perfect but I found this aspect of her character to be incredibly refreshing. And I also found her character development to be shocking, which I seriously loved.

Another aspect of the book that I wasn't expecting but really enjoyed was the political intrigue or should I say the threat of political intrigue. All Fall Down takes place in this part of the world called Atria, a Mediterranean principality with historical and strategic significance. Ally did a great job of setting the scene for this beautiful and historic locale. It seemed like a place I would want to visit. The city that Grace is in is populated by international embassies and the majority of it's residents are diplomats and their families. In Atria Ally Carter creates a world that perfectly fits with the mysterious plot of the book. It's a place where you have to be careful what you say and do because there can and will be consequences not just for you. And if you just read what I said about Grace you know how hard that is for her.

If that sounds vague, that is because I'm trying to be as vague as possible. I cannot say much about the plot without giving a lot of the book away. And I wouldn't want to do that to you because that would really ruin a lot of the books charm. Just know that I was incredibly blown away by the twists in this book. I really thought I had it all figured out. The mystery seemed to be obvious and basic but it definitely is not. The book is full of action and adventure and an amazing ending that I'm still not 100% over. I had to take a minute to process it all and I really did come up with many answers. I need the next book in the series stat!

I really loved this book and was incredibly blown away by it but it wasn't perfect. In particular I had issues with the pacing. It didn't hook me immediately and then built to some really exciting moments that had me on the edge of my seat only to drag me back down again. I was starting to feel like things were dragging again only to be suddenly thrust into a shocking twist that came completely out of left field. The pacing was choppy and irregular. It was a roller coaster ride that added to the confusion and suspense of the book in a way that I didn't totally enjoy. But it didn't totally ruin the story for me, which a lot of times the pacing can.

On the whole I really enjoyed All Fall Down. It was a captivating read with interesting characters and tons of suspense. It perfectly lent itself to the audiobook format and I couldn't believe how quickly I listened to this audio. The narrator captured Grace's brash attitude, her stubbornness, and her uncertainty as the book developed. She also did an excellent job of making Atria seem realistic and visual. But my favorite part is that she really captured the voice of the different cast of characters. These characters are cosmopolitan and international and she captured it perfectly.

I give All Fall Down by Ally Carter 9 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. This was a great read and a first book in a series that I enjoyed more than I expected to. Fans of Ally Carter should check this out. I'd say her books are maturing with her audience as this one has her trademark adventure but is much more serious in tone. Fans of YA Thriller will also enjoy the twists and turns that Ally takes us on.

Have you read All Fall Down? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!