The Key to Fear

The Key Series, Book 1

By: Kristin Cast

Narrated by: Dascha Polanco

No touching today for a healthy tomorrow.

For 50 years, the Key Corporation has defended humanity against a deadly virus that spreads through touch. Lovers don’t kiss, or even hold hands. Personal boundaries are valued above all. Break the laws, and you’ll face execution.

Elodie, a talented young nurse, believes in the mission of the Key and has never questioned the laws that control her life. But Elodie is forced to break the rules when she sets out in search of a terminal patient who goes missing while under her care.

From the outside, it seems like Aiden was given everything he could want from the Key - a purpose, an education, and a future. But Aiden knows more than he’s letting on, and the dark secrets he’s keeping could tear the Key’s strict society apart.

When Elodie and Aiden’s lives collide, the fallout will be devastating. What do you do when the brutal system that once kept you safe hunts you down?

Run.

©2020 Kristin Cast (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

Not a fan of the Narrator

The story line was appealing, however, the narrator was not. She could have done so much more with the story. Had more energy, changed her voice for each character. Might have made it easier to follow. She took breaths in the weirdest spots and words were not pronounced the way they should be. Made getting into the book harder.

story was good

The story was good but the narration was a bit lackluster for my taste, still will listen to the next book.

Good story, annoying narration

I almost stopped listening to this several times. The story is interesting enough that I would read a written sequel. I wish the cursing had been left out since it’s more of YA fiction and it’s unnecessary. But there’s no way I would listen to another audiobook by this reader. Some mistakes I could overlook like the time “O nine thirty hundred”. But she repeatedly emphasizes the wrong words in a sentence and inappropriately inserts her own periods mid sentence. This drove me crazy.

Great dystopian story

Highly recommend if you like dystopian stories such as Hunger Games or the Divergence series. Relatable given the pandemic we are going through

Takes some getting into

It has a bit of a slow start but once you get into it it’s really good and the ending was awesome.