The Order of the Key by Justine Manzano
Genre: YA Fantasy
Blurb (on back of book):
Jacklyn Madison never expected to be attacked by a beast on an evening snack run. Add a rescue mission enacted by a trained regiment of teenaged warriors, and her night officially becomes just like a scene from one of her beloved comic books. Turns out, her parents were once members of the Order of the Key, gifted humans that protect humanity from creatures spilling through inter-dimensional rifts. Unable to control her newfound abilities, Jacklyn and her family rejoin the Order.
After an attack on their headquarters leaves Jacklyn questioning their leadership, Kyp--the boy who led her initial rescue--reveals a darker secret. The Order's leader may be corrupt, and Jacklyn's questions could put her family in danger. Drawn into the search for proof, Jacklyn must use her guts and magical brawn to protect her family, her friends, and herself from the monsters spilling from rifts, and those hiding within the Order.
MY OPINION: ***
I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review!
For some reason, this book took me forever to read. It's probably because I was reading about three other books at the same time. Nevertheless, I'm glad I finished it.
I personally found this book hard to get through because I wasn't too invested in the plot. It was fairly cliche, and I'm not the biggest fan of fantasy plots. I've been going through a fantasy binge lately and I think I've realized that it's just not for me.
Jacklyn is a normal girl living in the Bronx when suddenly one day she is attacked by demons out of nowhere. She is saved by a boy named Kyp and she and her family are brought to a regiment of trained warriors who combat the demons and save the world. It turns out that her mother already knew and was always a part of this group of people along with her father.
Lavinia is the leader of this organization and is also Kyp's mom. We soon find out she's a tough, brutish, almost cruel woman who rules with a firm hand. I felt an instant dislike towards her and for good reason. We soon find out the extent of her cruelty through a "punishment" that almost gets Jacklyn and her entire family killed.
Kyp and Jacklyn start a romantic relationship that I personally did not ship. I felt zero chemistry between them and I felt that they were better off as friends. Throughout the entire book, they learn more and more about each other, Jacks especially as she learns more about her new world. Kyp acts like a jerk a lot of the time when they're in front of others and I personally didn't like his character.
Besides the romance, I found the book sort of confusing. The world building was well-written but I would have liked a little more clarification as to what was going on. Half the time I had to go back and reread just to see what was happening and try to figure out what was going on. It followed a similar format to most other books where a seemingly-ordinary girl or boy finds out that they aren't as normal as they think and are suddenly introduced to a brand new world. I'm currently rereading Harry Potter which follows a similar format and there I can decipher what is happening because it is shown very well. However, there were times in this book where I couldn't figure out who was a Key or a Guardian, what their purpose was, what the demons looked like, etc.
I liked the writing style. It added enough description and details with just the right amount of humor and levity that makes a good young adult book. While there were a few errors here and there, it was mostly flawless in terms of structure and flow. I liked the pacing of the book and it was quite engaging. I wish it was a bit longer or slower towards the end because the ending felt rushed and disjointed.
I would recommend this book to readers looking for a fun, refreshing, interesting fantasy read with a little bit of romance and a little bit of action.
Main Character: Jacklyn
Sidekick(s): Kyp, Gana, Jaina, etc
Villain(s): Lavinia, etc
Fantasy Elements: This book was based in a fantasy world with fantasy characters and creatures.
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