Keeper

By: Kim Chance

Narrated by: Katie Schorr

Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

When a 200-year-old witch attacks her, 16-year-old bookworm Lainey Styles is determined to find a logical explanation. Even with the impossible staring her in the face, Lainey refuses to believe it - until she finds a photograph linking the witch to her dead mother.

After consulting a psychic, Lainey discovers that she, like her mother, is a Keeper: a witch with the exclusive ability to unlock and wield the Grimoire, a dangerous but powerful spell book. But there’s a problem. The Grimoire has been stolen 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 best friend and an enigmatic but admittedly handsome street fighter, Lainey must leave her life of college prep and studying behind to prepare for the biggest test of all: stealing back the book.

©2018 Kim Chance (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

Vampire Diaries Sprinkled with Harry Potter

I think this is a novel that perfectly fits into a YA or new magic readership. The characters are easier to navigate and everything is kept pretty PG while diving into a little world that sort of reminds me of a Vampire Diaries mixed with Harry Potter vibe.

Bland

There wasn’t anything I loathed about this book. However there wasn’t anything that I loved. This was yet another story about an ordinary 16 year old girl who discovers she’s super special when the forces of darkness track her down (ala Mortal Instruments, Beautiful Creatures, etc etc). This was low on action or magic scenes, and high on teen angst (i can’t be a witch, I just want to get into university and have a normal life, etc etc). The characters were flat, except for BFF Maggie whose comic book fandom started out fun but got old quickly as she has to tell Lainey which comic book plot or superhero character matches every single situation they experience. Even the Big Bad was a two dimensional caricature with no redeeming qualities (and he doesn’t even come face to face with Lainey until the end of the book).
I appreciate the lack of cussing, sex, or graphic violence. I might possibly get book 2, if it goes on sale, and mostly to appease my OCD to see how it ends. Or not. I’m just not sure I care.

Random annoyances:
-The narrator’s nasal voice works for 16 year old Lainey, but there are some sound-editing issues and
I found it hard to differentiate most of the other characters.
-There’s no good reason to raise Lainey without telling her about their history or the target on her back.
-There’s a lot of repeated phrases and thoughts, especially how many times he quirks his mouth or
she looks into his blue eyes.
-The author’s go-to cliche whenever gals are in the clutches of the bad guys is to have the guys threaten to have their way with said gals (or fade to black with the suggestion they followed through with said threats). This happens. A lot. Seriously. Hmmm, maybe there is one thing I loathed about this book.