Book review: "Keeper" by Kim Chance

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  Keeper

I received an ARC of "Keeper" from the author during the giveaway on Twitter and promised to provide a free and honest review in exchange.

Description

 

Magic always leaves a mark.

 

When the ghost of a 200-year-old witch attacks her on the road, sixteen-year-old bookworm Lainey Styles is determined to find a logical explanation. But even with the impossible staring her in the face, Lainey refuses to buy in to all that “hocus pocus nonsense”—until she finds a photograph linking the witch to her dead mother.

After the library archives and even Google come up empty, Lainey gives in and consults a psychic. There she discovers that, like her mother, she’s a Keeper: a witch with the exclusive ability to unlock and wield the Grimoire, a dangerous spell book. But the Grimoire is missing, stolen years ago by a malevolent warlock who is desperate for a spell locked inside it—a spell that would allow him to siphon away the world's magic.

 

​With the help of her comic-book-loving, adventure-hungry best friend and an enigmatic but admittedly handsome street fighter, Lainey must leave behind her life of books and studying to prepare for the biggest test of all: stealing back the book.

 

Review

 

I have been following Kim Chance on social media, and especially YouTube, for a while, so I knew of "Keeper" way before the release date. It is Kim’s debut novel that she spent years working on. So, I was very pumped to read the book. However, my opinions are all mine and are unaffected by the fact that I like Kim Chance as a person and fellow AuthorTuber.

 

Allow me to start my review by stating that for a debut novel - and I was given an ARC, so not the final version - it is a very well put together book. The writing flows well, and the plot has enough twists and turns to keep you on your toes.

 

However, I struggled with Lainey’s character. She is very likeable, but I found it hard to like her myself. She seemed to be very all over the place and very gullible, especially when it came to the sudden reveal of her powers. Her relationship with her uncle is, however, wonderfully written, and I adored it.

 

Maggie was my favourite in the book. She is very “no-nonsense” and stands by Lainey’s side through thick and thin. And this type of friendship is really precious.

 

I liked the character of Ty too, although his character development did not go the way I expected it to. The romantic attraction and the first meeting between Lainey and Ty were very cliched, although well executed if you are into contemporary romance, but the big twist that came at the end of the book was hardly surprising. Although Kim did a great job with inserting a couple of red herrings. The ending saddened me, as I felt that it went against the nature of the story but it was a bold move, so I approve it from the writing perspective.

 

There are a lot of dreams and flashback scenes in "Keeper" that add an atmosphere of southern gothic to the story - those were my favourite parts of the book. I wish there had been more elements like that and that they had led to a darker type of a story. I have a feeling as if the author wanted to both write this story and not hurt her characters way too much. I definitely would have preferred "Keeper" to be darker as it had a lot of promises of dark urban fantasy, but failed to deliver it to my taste. (When I think of southern gothic, I think of Anne Rice and Poppy Z. Brite - so, yes, my expectations of it are rather high.)

 

Like I said already, "Keeper" is a well put together novel. However, it has way too many cliches and tropes for my liking. Its saving grace is rather solid prose for a debut novel and the aspects of southern gothic which is not too common in YA literature. It is a very easy read with some lovely humourous dialogues between Lainey and Maggie, but while reading, I had trouble fully grasping the concept of Grimoire or why the Master wanted it so badly, and how come some of the magic folk obeyed him, while others defied him. I felt that it was a bit too jumbled in the narrative, and made it difficult to follow. I think that the aspect of the supernatural world existing in parallel with our world should have been explained and developed better.

 

"Keeper" has an absolutely stunning cover. And I am saying this as someone who dislikes green colour! Kim has a video on her channel, in which she talks about the development of the cover, and I recommend you watch it.

 

As it stands right now, "Keeper" is a stand-alone novel. However, the ending is done in the way that it offers a possibility of a sequel. I hope that Kim gets an opportunity to write and publish the sequel, as it would wrap up some loose ends left. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of book Kim will write next.

 

In spite of my opinion regarding "Keeper" and writing style, I am very grateful to Kim for providing me with an opportunity to read and review her book.

 

Rating: 3 stars

 

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