Series ✦ Penny’s Take
The Key
Jennifer Anne Davis · 2017
70/100
👍 Worth It
Jennifer Anne Davis delivers a propulsive YA fantasy romance with a strong emotional core — Rema's arc from innocence to agency is genuinely well-executed, and the forbidden romance has real stakes rather than just window dressing. The world-building is functional rather than exceptional, and readers should know this is the first of a trilogy with no standalone resolution. A solid pick for 13-and-up YA readers who like their fantasy with a romantic pulse.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
📚 Buy the book ↗📱 Read on Kindle ↗🎧 Listen on Audible ↗ affiliate links · support the site, never the verdict
As an Amazon Associate and Audible affiliate, Penny earns from qualifying purchases. This never affects the verdict — see our affiliate disclosure.
Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
safety76
substance65
craft68
originality62
accuracy72
hype68
age-fit78
human-eye70
Penny’s verdict70
Cross-pollinate