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Embassy Row #3
Take the Key and Lock Her Up
The princess is dead. Long live the princess.
Centuries ago, the royal family of Adria was killed…or so everyone thought.
Now Grace Blakely knows the truth: There was one survivor, and that survivor’s blood runs through her veins. This simple fact could cause a revolution—which is why some people will stop at nothing to keep it from coming to light.
There is only one way for Grace to save herself, save her family, and save the boy she loves. She must outmaneuver her foes, cut through the web of lies that has surrounded her for years, and go back to the source of all her troubles, despite the risk.
If she wins, she will inherit a throne.
And if she loses, she will inherit the fate of all the dead princesses who came before her.
Centuries ago, the royal family of Adria was killed…or so everyone thought.
Now Grace Blakely knows the truth: There was one survivor, and that survivor’s blood runs through her veins. This simple fact could cause a revolution—which is why some people will stop at nothing to keep it from coming to light.
There is only one way for Grace to save herself, save her family, and save the boy she loves. She must outmaneuver her foes, cut through the web of lies that has surrounded her for years, and go back to the source of all her troubles, despite the risk.
If she wins, she will inherit a throne.
And if she loses, she will inherit the fate of all the dead princesses who came before her.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published December 27, 2016
226 people are currently reading
7,322 people want to read
About the author
Ally Carter
50Ìýbooks17.6kÌýfollowersAlly Carter writes books about sneaky people and movies about Christmas. She is the New York Times Best-selling author of the Gallagher Girls, Heist Society, and Embassy Row series for teens as well as WINTERBORNE HOME FOR VENGEANCE AND VALOR for younger readers. Her books have been published all over the world, in over twenty languages.
She encourages you to visit her online at allycarter.com and embassyrowbooks.com.
She encourages you to visit her online at allycarter.com and embassyrowbooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,077 reviews
December 23, 2016
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Like everyone else who's read this series, I was desperate to get my hands on book 3, Take the Key and Lock Her Up, after the shocking revelation and cliffhanger at the end of See How They Run. Grace now knows she's descended from the lost princess of Adria, and more to the point, her and her brother, Jamie, are in danger from either the Royal Family, the Society, or both. She only has her friends to rely on, and she can't risk putting them in any more danger.
First things first, I adore this series, and love Ally Carter's world building and characters. I knew reading this book would be somewhat bittersweet, due to the fact it's the last in the series, but I needed to know how Grace's story ended. Over the past two books, she's been through so much, and uncovered what would give most people nightmares, and she's still fighting. Now that Jamie has been shot, and she's on the run to save everyone she cares about, she finds herself thinking that she is the only one who can fix everything, and may just have to sacrifice herself to do so.
Grace is one of the best characters I've ever seen. She's so strong, considering she's been through so much, and she doesn't let her problems stop her. Her love and loyalty for her friends and family is one of the best things about her. She'd rather die than let anything happen to someone she cares about, and throughout this book, her wish might just come true.
Throughout the series, there's been a budding romance growing between Grace and her brother's friend, and neighbour on Embassy Row, Alexei. From the start, Ives loved seeing their chemistry, and relationship blossom, and this book was perfect for my shipper feels. There were some ups and downs, but it wouldn't be a YA contemporary if angst wasn't a big player.
All in all, I adored this book, just like I have the entire series, and though I'm sad to see the series end, and having to say goodbye to Grace, I couldn't have asked for a better end to the series. Ally Carter is one of the best YA authors I've ever read, and if you haven't picked up any of her books, you definitely should.
Like everyone else who's read this series, I was desperate to get my hands on book 3, Take the Key and Lock Her Up, after the shocking revelation and cliffhanger at the end of See How They Run. Grace now knows she's descended from the lost princess of Adria, and more to the point, her and her brother, Jamie, are in danger from either the Royal Family, the Society, or both. She only has her friends to rely on, and she can't risk putting them in any more danger.
First things first, I adore this series, and love Ally Carter's world building and characters. I knew reading this book would be somewhat bittersweet, due to the fact it's the last in the series, but I needed to know how Grace's story ended. Over the past two books, she's been through so much, and uncovered what would give most people nightmares, and she's still fighting. Now that Jamie has been shot, and she's on the run to save everyone she cares about, she finds herself thinking that she is the only one who can fix everything, and may just have to sacrifice herself to do so.
Grace is one of the best characters I've ever seen. She's so strong, considering she's been through so much, and she doesn't let her problems stop her. Her love and loyalty for her friends and family is one of the best things about her. She'd rather die than let anything happen to someone she cares about, and throughout this book, her wish might just come true.
Throughout the series, there's been a budding romance growing between Grace and her brother's friend, and neighbour on Embassy Row, Alexei. From the start, Ives loved seeing their chemistry, and relationship blossom, and this book was perfect for my shipper feels. There were some ups and downs, but it wouldn't be a YA contemporary if angst wasn't a big player.
All in all, I adored this book, just like I have the entire series, and though I'm sad to see the series end, and having to say goodbye to Grace, I couldn't have asked for a better end to the series. Ally Carter is one of the best YA authors I've ever read, and if you haven't picked up any of her books, you definitely should.
March 21, 2017
yes i am very disappointed. so insanely disappointed.
this book gets two stars for at least being an entertaining read that made me forget about university.
it looses a star for the woman hating.
it looses a star for the fact it felt like every friendship and relationship other than alexei and grace had been forgotten (where were my bestie dynamics that i adore so much?)
and it looses a star for frankly feeling like a hastily written draft.
i didn't feel like i was reading the finished book of a finished trilogy here and it was disappointing bc i was expecting more and wanting more.
this book felt like two books stuck together, hastily written and frankly there were so many issues.
and i am sad.
this book gets two stars for at least being an entertaining read that made me forget about university.
it looses a star for the woman hating.
it looses a star for the fact it felt like every friendship and relationship other than alexei and grace had been forgotten (where were my bestie dynamics that i adore so much?)
and it looses a star for frankly feeling like a hastily written draft.
i didn't feel like i was reading the finished book of a finished trilogy here and it was disappointing bc i was expecting more and wanting more.
this book felt like two books stuck together, hastily written and frankly there were so many issues.
and i am sad.
Want to read
June 4, 2016UPDATE: THERE'S A COVER!!!!!!!! AHHHH IT IS GORGEOUS GIMME GIMME GIMME! *sees release date* *whimpers and curls up in dark corner to wait for 2017*
Old review: Why do I have to wait till 2017??? That's more than 365 days! That's more than 8760 hours! That's more than 525,600 minutes! That's more than 31,536,000 seconds! I'm a shriveled soul...
Old review: Why do I have to wait till 2017??? That's more than 365 days! That's more than 8760 hours! That's more than 525,600 minutes! That's more than 31,536,000 seconds! I'm a shriveled soul...
December 30, 2016
ONE WORD. ALEXEI.
April 18, 2017
It is over. It is finished. It incites madness. It is repetitive as a toddler asking you why.
Know is used 558 times.
Think is used 220 times.
Feel is used 141 times.
Run is used 138 times.
Need is used 116 times.
I do appreciate that Ally Carter draws attention to PTSD and mental health issues. She does break down that wall and makes it approachable to readers who may not have come into contact with it before. However, the execution of Grace’s experiences was more off putting and frustrating than helpful for me as a reader. Throughout this series, I have found Grace to be obnoxious, selfish, and rude to those in her inner circle. Noah, Megan, Rosie, and Alexi deserved a better friend. I hoped with this last installment, that Grace would change, that she would grow up. She didn’t, and it was maddening. How does she still have friends?
Noah, Megan, and Rosie were lacking hardcore in this. They were the only thing that made me want to continue reading.
Where was Jamie and Grace’s dad throughout all of this?
Grace knows what it's like to be treated like she is crazy, so riddle me this, why is she treating Karina like a piece of wadded up trash?
How did Grace’s grandfather stay in the dark all of these years?
Why didn’t Ann, burn them all down and end the book 200 pages ago?
Know is used 558 times.
Think is used 220 times.
Feel is used 141 times.
Run is used 138 times.
Need is used 116 times.
I do appreciate that Ally Carter draws attention to PTSD and mental health issues. She does break down that wall and makes it approachable to readers who may not have come into contact with it before. However, the execution of Grace’s experiences was more off putting and frustrating than helpful for me as a reader. Throughout this series, I have found Grace to be obnoxious, selfish, and rude to those in her inner circle. Noah, Megan, Rosie, and Alexi deserved a better friend. I hoped with this last installment, that Grace would change, that she would grow up. She didn’t, and it was maddening. How does she still have friends?
Noah, Megan, and Rosie were lacking hardcore in this. They were the only thing that made me want to continue reading.
Where was Jamie and Grace’s dad throughout all of this?
Grace knows what it's like to be treated like she is crazy, so riddle me this, why is she treating Karina like a piece of wadded up trash?
How did Grace’s grandfather stay in the dark all of these years?
Why didn’t Ann, burn them all down and end the book 200 pages ago?
February 9, 2017
Just don't bother. The most interesting angle of this series (though always handled poorly - still, anything can happen!) was the mental health angle. That's totally dropped in this novel with regard to the protagonist, though there are badly done elements of it cropping up elsewhere. In between the drugs and the murders and the complete lack of trial-by-jury. Then there's most predictable resolution, to both the mystery and the overall plot, that could possibly be written.
And then there's this writing:
And then there's this writing:
Most of all, now I know. Not everything, but the list of people I can trust just got a whole lot smaller. The good news is that the list of people I can depend on is growing, too.*sputters* THAT IS THE SAME LIST. THE SAME LIST! WHERE IS YOUR EDITOR?
August 9, 2017
This was an awesome conclusion to the series. I will admit when I read book one I was not totally sold on the series. Book two got me ready for book three right away because I did enjoy that installment. This installment sold me on the series. It was intriguing and fast-paced. I do still find Grace a bit obnoxious but hey, we aren't going to thoroughly love every protagonist we come across as readers!
In conclusion, this series was interesting and had some great twists and turns throughout the trilogy. If you like mystery with an international flare, pick up the three books to read in close succession for full enjoyment!
In conclusion, this series was interesting and had some great twists and turns throughout the trilogy. If you like mystery with an international flare, pick up the three books to read in close succession for full enjoyment!
December 31, 2016
** EDIT: After reading **
Rating: 3.7 of 5 stars (Totally made that up.)
I don't know what's wrong with me but I found myself in the first half of the book totally annoyed with Grace. I felt like she was constantly being overly dramatic about everything. She could have solved all her problems a lot faster if she just stopped being thoughtless and unnecessarily taking risks for just a second. Yeah. Like I said, there was something wrong with me. (Don't shoot me please.)
But since this is Ally Carter we're talking about, I just couldn't help myself but be completely absorbed in the story and devouring the book in a day nevertheless. Rosie, Noah, Lila and Meghan were still such a delightful bunch. And Alexei just got more swoony if that's even possible. I liked Thomas too. I wish we got to know him more though.
I am equally thrilled and sad to read this trilogy's ending. But that could only mean new book/s for Ally, right? Right? Pretty please say I'm right?
Looking forward to more books from the author this 2017!
-------------------
Before reading:
HOLY FREAKING WOW.
I have never been this overly attached and emotional witha book cover anything EVER but damn it I CANNOT STOP STARING.
Look at Grace. Look at ALEXEI. That's Alexei right? RIGHT?! I am SWOONING just looking at him (whoever he might be).
I LOVE YOU ALLY CARTER. (And all of you whoever you are who continue to make all these breathtaking covers for Ally's books. THANK YOU.)
Damn. Waiting for this book to come out is gonna be EXCRUCIATING.
Rating: 3.7 of 5 stars (Totally made that up.)
I don't know what's wrong with me but I found myself in the first half of the book totally annoyed with Grace. I felt like she was constantly being overly dramatic about everything. She could have solved all her problems a lot faster if she just stopped being thoughtless and unnecessarily taking risks for just a second. Yeah. Like I said, there was something wrong with me. (Don't shoot me please.)
But since this is Ally Carter we're talking about, I just couldn't help myself but be completely absorbed in the story and devouring the book in a day nevertheless. Rosie, Noah, Lila and Meghan were still such a delightful bunch. And Alexei just got more swoony if that's even possible. I liked Thomas too. I wish we got to know him more though.
I am equally thrilled and sad to read this trilogy's ending. But that could only mean new book/s for Ally, right? Right? Pretty please say I'm right?
Looking forward to more books from the author this 2017!
-------------------
Before reading:
HOLY FREAKING WOW.
I have never been this overly attached and emotional with
Look at Grace. Look at ALEXEI. That's Alexei right? RIGHT?! I am SWOONING just looking at him (whoever he might be).
I LOVE YOU ALLY CARTER. (And all of you whoever you are who continue to make all these breathtaking covers for Ally's books. THANK YOU.)
Damn. Waiting for this book to come out is gonna be EXCRUCIATING.
December 22, 2016
I'm always a huge fan of the hidden princess plot, and I love a good group of five diverse teens, both of which featured heavily in this finale. Yippee!
But the actual story telling made me roll my eyes a lot for being overly dramatic. It turns out there's only so many times you can read variations of the sentence 'I'm going to end this.' There was a lot of back and forth between Grace deciding to work as part of a team or to go it alone which grated against me.
At least I finally got the romantic scenes I was desperate for in See How They Run, and everything was wrapped up in a nice little bow!
But the actual story telling made me roll my eyes a lot for being overly dramatic. It turns out there's only so many times you can read variations of the sentence 'I'm going to end this.' There was a lot of back and forth between Grace deciding to work as part of a team or to go it alone which grated against me.
At least I finally got the romantic scenes I was desperate for in See How They Run, and everything was wrapped up in a nice little bow!
May 2, 2017
It is not secret that I did not enjoy the first two books in this series. In fact, I rather loathed them for their irritable protagonist, overly simplistic writing style, and nonsensical plotlines. You can see why I'd be surprised to find myself feeling rather meh and okay about this series ender, rather than flat out disliking it.
I will admit that pretty much all of the things I had trouble with in the first book are still present in this finale, but there was something - an intangible, undefinable something - that made Take the Key and Lock Her Up incredibly easy to fly through. While I was often rolling my eyes at some of the character’s decisions, I cannot say I was ever bored while reading this book and that is a definite improvement over the first two books. The story was fast-paced and plot-driven with short, sharp sentences and plenty of dialogue so it was very, very easy to read. I find myself genuinely knowing wanting to know how the series would wrap up� even if that was probably more to do with the fact that I could not stand reading anything more about Grace, our protagonist, than anything else.
My problems:
� The romance incredibly cringy. It felt forced. Grace and Alexei had no chemistry so it was impossible to understand what Alexei saw in Grace. Their ship was just so meh and their kissing scenes were so overly bland that it actually bugged me, a lot.
� There was so much dialogue. Dear God.
� I hated how almost every sentence was short and sharp. There was very little variability.
� The secondary characters were so undeveloped; even though they were often present in the scenes, they didn’t really feel present. I wanted more from Noah and Megan in particular, and less from Rose, who drove me bonkers. I couldn’t remember if she was meant to be a lot younger than the other characters or not but she was so clingy and childish that I hope she was.
� The plot holes and general unreasonableness of this story were definitely the two most irritating aspects of the story. At one point, the characters broke out of a secret Russian mental hospital/prison and it was just� it was not even remotely believable. There were so many moments when I was frustrated by the plot or the characters� decisions that I found it incredibly off-putting. Although, it did motivate me to finish the book as quickly as possible so that’s a bonus...
� Grace. I cannot stand her. I won’t get into it now since I talked about in my last two reviews but golly gracious, she is not the type of protagonist I like to read about.
� I really enjoyed the portrayal of Grace's PTSD in the first two books but in this book, Grace literally just rocked back and forth whenever she got reminded of her mother and it wasn't.... enough at times. I think the rep. just lost its way in this book in favour of the plot and that made me a little sad.
� The ending. Why couldn’t they have done that in the first place�? I don’t get why it needed to turn into a massive problem. It was so easily resolved!
� On a happier note, Thomas was beautiful and I wanted more of him. Noah’s humour was also a saving grace.
I will admit that pretty much all of the things I had trouble with in the first book are still present in this finale, but there was something - an intangible, undefinable something - that made Take the Key and Lock Her Up incredibly easy to fly through. While I was often rolling my eyes at some of the character’s decisions, I cannot say I was ever bored while reading this book and that is a definite improvement over the first two books. The story was fast-paced and plot-driven with short, sharp sentences and plenty of dialogue so it was very, very easy to read. I find myself genuinely knowing wanting to know how the series would wrap up� even if that was probably more to do with the fact that I could not stand reading anything more about Grace, our protagonist, than anything else.
My problems:
� The romance incredibly cringy. It felt forced. Grace and Alexei had no chemistry so it was impossible to understand what Alexei saw in Grace. Their ship was just so meh and their kissing scenes were so overly bland that it actually bugged me, a lot.
� There was so much dialogue. Dear God.
� I hated how almost every sentence was short and sharp. There was very little variability.
� The secondary characters were so undeveloped; even though they were often present in the scenes, they didn’t really feel present. I wanted more from Noah and Megan in particular, and less from Rose, who drove me bonkers. I couldn’t remember if she was meant to be a lot younger than the other characters or not but she was so clingy and childish that I hope she was.
� The plot holes and general unreasonableness of this story were definitely the two most irritating aspects of the story. At one point, the characters broke out of a secret Russian mental hospital/prison and it was just� it was not even remotely believable. There were so many moments when I was frustrated by the plot or the characters� decisions that I found it incredibly off-putting. Although, it did motivate me to finish the book as quickly as possible so that’s a bonus...
� Grace. I cannot stand her. I won’t get into it now since I talked about in my last two reviews but golly gracious, she is not the type of protagonist I like to read about.
� I really enjoyed the portrayal of Grace's PTSD in the first two books but in this book, Grace literally just rocked back and forth whenever she got reminded of her mother and it wasn't.... enough at times. I think the rep. just lost its way in this book in favour of the plot and that made me a little sad.
� The ending. Why couldn’t they have done that in the first place�? I don’t get why it needed to turn into a massive problem. It was so easily resolved!
� On a happier note, Thomas was beautiful and I wanted more of him. Noah’s humour was also a saving grace.
May 7, 2021
Review to come 😊
August 7, 2017
Interesting.
This series took off and ended in a way I wasn't expecting it to just by reading the back of the first cover. Had I known there was royalty, though...
While the overall plot was interesting, and I did enjoy it better than the Gallagher Girls series (much cleaner than that series even bought this one still had some questionable content), I remember enjoying the humor and friendships in both previous Ally Carter series. This series did not have much of that.
However, like I've said in my reviews of the previous two books: This really isn't a happy read--or series.
While bombshell after bombshell is dropped on Grace, I understand her reasoning at some times. But, Grace does have a "devil may care and I just made a bargain with him" attitude. There were times I was a bit concerned that her "whatever" attitude might sound like she was suicidal at times.
While, yes, Ally Carter can come up with interesting plots and characters (spies, thieves, & other countries), I just wish that her books had more of a hopeful message in them.
This series took off and ended in a way I wasn't expecting it to just by reading the back of the first cover.
While the overall plot was interesting, and I did enjoy it better than the Gallagher Girls series (much cleaner than that series even bought this one still had some questionable content), I remember enjoying the humor and friendships in both previous Ally Carter series. This series did not have much of that.
However, like I've said in my reviews of the previous two books: This really isn't a happy read--or series.
While bombshell after bombshell is dropped on Grace, I understand her reasoning at some times. But, Grace does have a "devil may care and I just made a bargain with him" attitude. There were times I was a bit concerned that her "whatever" attitude might sound like she was suicidal at times.
While, yes, Ally Carter can come up with interesting plots and characters (spies, thieves, & other countries), I just wish that her books had more of a hopeful message in them.
August 25, 2024
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! That has literally been my reaction while reading this entire book. WHAT?!?
Yeah, it's been quite the ride.
If I'm being completely honest, I liked the first two books better than this one. But still, I feel like the series was wrapped up nicely and in the end everything worked out beautifully. (Well, not beautifully... 😂 But it was done well.)
If you haven't read this series yet then WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!? Run, don't walk. You need these books in your life.
Yeah, it's been quite the ride.
If I'm being completely honest, I liked the first two books better than this one. But still, I feel like the series was wrapped up nicely and in the end everything worked out beautifully. (Well, not beautifully... 😂 But it was done well.)
If you haven't read this series yet then WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!? Run, don't walk. You need these books in your life.
December 31, 2016
This needs to come out now. 2017 is way too freaking far away. I need this. I'm dying.
March 10, 2018
This book was hella messy. The other two were all over the place but this one fell all the way apart. Prep yourself for aggressive all caps.
GRACE, OH MY HEAVENS GET YOURSELF TOGETHER. You know that friend that we all had in middle school or high school that conveniently has a meltdown at the exact moment that someone else is going through something? Person B’s grandmother died, yet person A is the one who suddenly starts sobbing about one thing or another. Then everyone drops everything to comfort person A, leaving person B to deal with their actual troubles all by their lonesome. GRACE IS PERSON A. SHE IS LITERALLY TAKING AND TAKING AND TAKING FROM HER FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND IS NEVER THERE FOR THEM. On multiple occasions Grace starts crying right when one of her friends is actually the one experiencing a crisis. And then she thinks to herself “Wow. I should be the one comforting them not them comforting me.� NO SHIT, GRACE! PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER AND TRY TO BE A DECENT PERSON FOR ONCE.
Grace is soooooooooo self involved. You may be deceived into thinking that she cares about her friends and family because she tries to figure out how to keep them safe but NO. It’s literally all about her and her not wanting to lose them and how that would affect HER. It’s not about them losing theirs lives but about her losing them and whatever comfort they bring her. Not to mention, almost every shred of inner dialogue she has (WHICH IS A LOT BTW) is centered on her and what she is feeling and so on and so forth. Even her worry about how Jamie is doing is centered around her thinking, “I can’t lose him.� When it's her supposed fault that someone dies, again, it’s not that they lost their life it just becomes another tool for her to beat herself up with and force the universe to center around HER.
That’s another thing, you might think, “How could someone who hates themselves so much, still be so selfish.� WELL IT HAPPENS. She’s selfish because she is CONSTANTLY focused on her faults, her bad decisions, etc etc etc. The entire series is basically this girl’s dramatic inner dialogue about what a terrible person SHE is.
Grace is a terrible terrible character who did not improve even one inch the entire series despite going through a lot and making really solid friends (WHO ARE LITERALLY ALWAYS THERE FOR THIS BUM). She is a terrible role model for young girls reading this book because she disguises her self-involvement with self-hate.
Also, her depiction of psychological help is ridiculous. She harbors bitterness towards her family for getting her psychological help AFTER Oh em gee, your family thought you may need therapy after facing a trauma?? How dare they!!! What terrible people!!!
Okay, I think I’m done yelling about Grace now, let me move on. What else did I hate...
The writing is stupidly retrospective. Grace is CONSTANTLY making huge retrospective statements in the middle of something important happening as if it’s supposed to be poetic or something.
Also, what’s it called when you constantly make statements and then follow them by big sweeping analogies or vague comments paired with "maybe," "but," or a colon? Example:
It's not safe out there," he says, too close to my ear.
"Yeah...well..." I look at him. "Maybe it's not safe in here either.
“But that's the thing about being the girl who's spent years convincing the world she's not afraid of anything: At some point, someone is going to find out you're afraid of everything.�
"I'm not myself, I think, bu then I realize something even scarier: I am exactly myself.�
“No! I need to go home," I say, but then the realization comes: My mother was my home. My mother is dead.�
If I see one more colon I'm going to: die.
Okay, real question...How do Grace and Alexei even know they like each other when they’ve had next to zero conversations and their whole relationship is apparently based on giving each other looks and Alexei consistently stepping in to save Grace because she, for some unknown reason, cannot save herself (honestly, the productivity level of this girl is -76%).
On another note, I think authors should have their writing licenses revoked for depicting mental hospitals as horror dungeons. This is 2018. Hospitals work extremely hard to get people the best help they can and make them as comfortable as possible while keeping them and others safe. Please, for the love of all things holy, stop with this trope that makes people terrified of seeking help. It can also make people embarrassed for having gone to a hospital for mental health issues. So please stop (looking at you Teen Wolf).
Really though, so many things happened in this last book. Things were all over the freaking place. It was hard to follow and exhausting. Also, where the heck did Jamie go? And the premise WAS SO GOOD. Which made this 10000x more disappointing. Plus, I LOVED Carter's spy books so I expected to love these too...Alas.
I think it is hilarious that I consistently like every other character (minus the designated bad guys) in this book EXCEPT GRACE. Literally, everyone else is pretty solid except her.
P.s Can we talk about how dumb and long this book title is.
GRACE, OH MY HEAVENS GET YOURSELF TOGETHER. You know that friend that we all had in middle school or high school that conveniently has a meltdown at the exact moment that someone else is going through something? Person B’s grandmother died, yet person A is the one who suddenly starts sobbing about one thing or another. Then everyone drops everything to comfort person A, leaving person B to deal with their actual troubles all by their lonesome. GRACE IS PERSON A. SHE IS LITERALLY TAKING AND TAKING AND TAKING FROM HER FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND IS NEVER THERE FOR THEM. On multiple occasions Grace starts crying right when one of her friends is actually the one experiencing a crisis. And then she thinks to herself “Wow. I should be the one comforting them not them comforting me.� NO SHIT, GRACE! PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER AND TRY TO BE A DECENT PERSON FOR ONCE.
Grace is soooooooooo self involved. You may be deceived into thinking that she cares about her friends and family because she tries to figure out how to keep them safe but NO. It’s literally all about her and her not wanting to lose them and how that would affect HER. It’s not about them losing theirs lives but about her losing them and whatever comfort they bring her. Not to mention, almost every shred of inner dialogue she has (WHICH IS A LOT BTW) is centered on her and what she is feeling and so on and so forth. Even her worry about how Jamie is doing is centered around her thinking, “I can’t lose him.� When it's her supposed fault that someone dies, again, it’s not that they lost their life it just becomes another tool for her to beat herself up with and force the universe to center around HER.
That’s another thing, you might think, “How could someone who hates themselves so much, still be so selfish.� WELL IT HAPPENS. She’s selfish because she is CONSTANTLY focused on her faults, her bad decisions, etc etc etc. The entire series is basically this girl’s dramatic inner dialogue about what a terrible person SHE is.
Grace is a terrible terrible character who did not improve even one inch the entire series despite going through a lot and making really solid friends (WHO ARE LITERALLY ALWAYS THERE FOR THIS BUM). She is a terrible role model for young girls reading this book because she disguises her self-involvement with self-hate.
Also, her depiction of psychological help is ridiculous. She harbors bitterness towards her family for getting her psychological help AFTER Oh em gee, your family thought you may need therapy after facing a trauma?? How dare they!!! What terrible people!!!
Okay, I think I’m done yelling about Grace now, let me move on. What else did I hate...
The writing is stupidly retrospective. Grace is CONSTANTLY making huge retrospective statements in the middle of something important happening as if it’s supposed to be poetic or something.
Also, what’s it called when you constantly make statements and then follow them by big sweeping analogies or vague comments paired with "maybe," "but," or a colon? Example:
It's not safe out there," he says, too close to my ear.
"Yeah...well..." I look at him. "Maybe it's not safe in here either.
“But that's the thing about being the girl who's spent years convincing the world she's not afraid of anything: At some point, someone is going to find out you're afraid of everything.�
"I'm not myself, I think, bu then I realize something even scarier: I am exactly myself.�
“No! I need to go home," I say, but then the realization comes: My mother was my home. My mother is dead.�
If I see one more colon I'm going to: die.
Okay, real question...How do Grace and Alexei even know they like each other when they’ve had next to zero conversations and their whole relationship is apparently based on giving each other looks and Alexei consistently stepping in to save Grace because she, for some unknown reason, cannot save herself (honestly, the productivity level of this girl is -76%).
On another note, I think authors should have their writing licenses revoked for depicting mental hospitals as horror dungeons. This is 2018. Hospitals work extremely hard to get people the best help they can and make them as comfortable as possible while keeping them and others safe. Please, for the love of all things holy, stop with this trope that makes people terrified of seeking help. It can also make people embarrassed for having gone to a hospital for mental health issues. So please stop (looking at you Teen Wolf).
Really though, so many things happened in this last book. Things were all over the freaking place. It was hard to follow and exhausting. Also, where the heck did Jamie go? And the premise WAS SO GOOD. Which made this 10000x more disappointing. Plus, I LOVED Carter's spy books so I expected to love these too...Alas.
I think it is hilarious that I consistently like every other character (minus the designated bad guys) in this book EXCEPT GRACE. Literally, everyone else is pretty solid except her.
P.s Can we talk about how dumb and long this book title is.
January 15, 2019
Galley provided by publisher
Rep: mc with PTSD, half Brazilian side characters
If I'm honest, I'm a little underwhelmed by this one. I had high hopes, because it's Ally Carter and she always writes good last books, but this one just didn't quite have me as hooked as the others.
It felt like the plot was a little all over the place, much like Grace appeared to be (how she didn't get jetlagged absolutely defeats me). One moment, they're in America, then Paris, then Russia, and all of this happens in the span of a few pages each time. It exhausted me just reading about it.
Perhaps the main problem was that, in this one, unlike the previous books, I found myself having trouble suspending disbelief. I mean, after the second one, I knew Grace was a lost princess, but I didn't have to deal with that beyond the reveal at the end. This one, it got brought up every few pages, and that, combined with the fact this is all taking place in a made-up country, just got to me eventually. I know, I know, it's funny I can suspend disbelief enough for a spy school (and the various, slightly far-fetched shenanigans going on there) and a group of teens committing heists, and yet I get stuck here. Maybe it's just that there were some plot points in this one (like the whole thing with Alexei's mum in that hospital) that really needed some serious disbelief-suspending.
And the whole thing with the prince? It kind of, for a bit at least, looked like it could be heading for a love triangle, which, no thanks. But it thankfully didn't. And I guess you could argue it was necessary in a way, but it also didn't seem that necessary, especially when it came to the fact that it put pressure on Alexei and Grace's relationship. Didn't need that thanks.
I mean, I did overall like the book. I was just somewhat disappointed by it.
Rep: mc with PTSD, half Brazilian side characters
If I'm honest, I'm a little underwhelmed by this one. I had high hopes, because it's Ally Carter and she always writes good last books, but this one just didn't quite have me as hooked as the others.
It felt like the plot was a little all over the place, much like Grace appeared to be (how she didn't get jetlagged absolutely defeats me). One moment, they're in America, then Paris, then Russia, and all of this happens in the span of a few pages each time. It exhausted me just reading about it.
Perhaps the main problem was that, in this one, unlike the previous books, I found myself having trouble suspending disbelief. I mean, after the second one, I knew Grace was a lost princess, but I didn't have to deal with that beyond the reveal at the end. This one, it got brought up every few pages, and that, combined with the fact this is all taking place in a made-up country, just got to me eventually. I know, I know, it's funny I can suspend disbelief enough for a spy school (and the various, slightly far-fetched shenanigans going on there) and a group of teens committing heists, and yet I get stuck here. Maybe it's just that there were some plot points in this one (like the whole thing with Alexei's mum in that hospital) that really needed some serious disbelief-suspending.
And the whole thing with the prince? It kind of, for a bit at least, looked like it could be heading for a love triangle, which, no thanks. But it thankfully didn't. And I guess you could argue it was necessary in a way, but it also didn't seem that necessary, especially when it came to the fact that it put pressure on Alexei and Grace's relationship. Didn't need that thanks.
I mean, I did overall like the book. I was just somewhat disappointed by it.
February 6, 2017
Why do I have to wait until 2017 for this book?!?! *grabby hands*
December 29, 2016
HI MY NAME IS EMMA AND I LOVE ALEXEI
March 21, 2018
It was a good finale. I liked it. But my annoyances from book 2 only increased in this one, so while I definitely enjoyed the read, I was also annoyed the whole time... :P
November 6, 2020
This review first appeared on .
The Good Things
+ Final book in the Embassy Row trilogy, a YA contemporary/ thriller trilogy.
+ This was what I'd been waiting for in the last two books! Twists and turns, centuries old secrets and deep betrayals! And a lot more death!
+ All my pressing questions have been answered!
+ I finished this in one sitting (more or less). I couldn't stop turning the pages.
+ Nice little bit of romance that's been slowly developing over the entire trilogy.
+ I always have fun with Ally Carter's books.
+ It's so hard to talk about the final book in a series without spoiling things. But this was a good conclusion, trust me.
The Not-So-Good Things
- I can't put my finger on exactly what was missing and stopping me from loving this. I enjoyed it overall but... idk, something was missing.
- We didn't get to spend as much time with the secondary characters in this one. I missed them.
- I still have a few small questions about the fate of some of the side characters (they're not important to the plot really, but I'm curious to see what happened to them).
TLDR;
Overall, Take the Key & Lock Her Up was a good trilogy conclusion. It had the twists and turns I’d been waiting for, but also had less of my favourite secondary characters. Still, I enjoyed it overall.
The Good Things
+ Final book in the Embassy Row trilogy, a YA contemporary/ thriller trilogy.
+ This was what I'd been waiting for in the last two books! Twists and turns, centuries old secrets and deep betrayals! And a lot more death!
+ All my pressing questions have been answered!
+ I finished this in one sitting (more or less). I couldn't stop turning the pages.
+ Nice little bit of romance that's been slowly developing over the entire trilogy.
+ I always have fun with Ally Carter's books.
+ It's so hard to talk about the final book in a series without spoiling things. But this was a good conclusion, trust me.
The Not-So-Good Things
- I can't put my finger on exactly what was missing and stopping me from loving this. I enjoyed it overall but... idk, something was missing.
- We didn't get to spend as much time with the secondary characters in this one. I missed them.
- I still have a few small questions about the fate of some of the side characters (they're not important to the plot really, but I'm curious to see what happened to them).
TLDR;
Overall, Take the Key & Lock Her Up was a good trilogy conclusion. It had the twists and turns I’d been waiting for, but also had less of my favourite secondary characters. Still, I enjoyed it overall.
April 6, 2017
Centuries ago in the land of Adria, the royal family were killed in a siege. One member of the royal family escaped though, the youngest who was a baby at the time - Princess Amelia. Princess Amelia has been smuggled away and hidden, they changed her name, and people never knew she was alive. Sure there were rumors, but they were always squashed. Grace's mother knew Amelia was kept alive and spent her time along with Alexis's mother searching for the ancestors of Amelia as they would now be the rightful heirs to the throne of Adria. It turns out that the rightful heirs are in fact Grace and her brother. Now they are being hunted by people they thought they could trust as nobody wants the secret especially the Society of Amelia to come out. Grace's mother was killed by her discovery and Alexis's mother hidden. Will Grace and her brother be the next ones to be killed at every corner they turn, there is someone waiting in the shadows who doesn't want the truth to be revealed. I have to admit compared to Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls and Heist Society books; the Embassy Row is a bit slower but just as much adventure, murder and mayhem happening. Fans of the series will enjoy Book #3 as it answers many questions that have been left hanging in the previous two novels.
Want to read
April 7, 2019
January 7, 2017
This was my favorite book in this series. Somehow all the pieces come together in the plot-twisting, mind-bending way of this series. Very good read!
February 23, 2017
Take The Key and Lock Her Up begins mere moments after the revelations of See How They Run, Jamie is injured, Alexei a fugitive and Grace is determined to carry her mother's legacy, finding evidence of the lost princess.
, a centuries old mystery that the government and Society of Ardia are determined to protect. Since moving into the embassy to live with her grandfather, Grace has been embroiled in controversy. Grace is relentless in her search to uncover her mother's findings, needing evidence as leverage against Adria and the royal family who occupy the throne. I admire Grace's tenacity as a character and enjoyed her relationship with her brother and love interest Alexei, who are now fleeing Adria with the assistance of Dominic.
While in previous installments, the murder mystery aspect added drama and intrigue, the focus is now placed upon on Grace, while the narration of friends and embassy residents were left unresolved. Grace is a character who has struggled with her mental health, placed within a health facility leaving her distressed. Her anguish and post traumatic stress disorder is now absent, apart from the occasional inner monologue reminiscing the death of her mother. Unfortunately, the storyline felt entirely repetitive. One aspect I found fascinating about the series were the ancient and secretive society of women, political puppeteers that seemed a convenient device of justification for the lawless Embassy Row, where adults in authoritarian positions maim and murder. Unfortunately it wasn't fully explored.
Suspension of disbelief was virtually impossible. Although entertaining, I wasn't immersed or as engaged as I've been with the previous installments but was surprised by the ending and a little disheartened by the vigilante justice imposed. The Embassy Row series has been wonderfully entertaining, secrecy and intrigue creating a narrative that will enthrall and delight readers but unfortunately the finale left me feeling disappointed.
, a centuries old mystery that the government and Society of Ardia are determined to protect. Since moving into the embassy to live with her grandfather, Grace has been embroiled in controversy. Grace is relentless in her search to uncover her mother's findings, needing evidence as leverage against Adria and the royal family who occupy the throne. I admire Grace's tenacity as a character and enjoyed her relationship with her brother and love interest Alexei, who are now fleeing Adria with the assistance of Dominic.
While in previous installments, the murder mystery aspect added drama and intrigue, the focus is now placed upon on Grace, while the narration of friends and embassy residents were left unresolved. Grace is a character who has struggled with her mental health, placed within a health facility leaving her distressed. Her anguish and post traumatic stress disorder is now absent, apart from the occasional inner monologue reminiscing the death of her mother. Unfortunately, the storyline felt entirely repetitive. One aspect I found fascinating about the series were the ancient and secretive society of women, political puppeteers that seemed a convenient device of justification for the lawless Embassy Row, where adults in authoritarian positions maim and murder. Unfortunately it wasn't fully explored.
Suspension of disbelief was virtually impossible. Although entertaining, I wasn't immersed or as engaged as I've been with the previous installments but was surprised by the ending and a little disheartened by the vigilante justice imposed. The Embassy Row series has been wonderfully entertaining, secrecy and intrigue creating a narrative that will enthrall and delight readers but unfortunately the finale left me feeling disappointed.
December 29, 2016
3 STARS FOR "TAKE THE KEY AND LOCK HER UP" BY ALLY CARTER
Out of all three Embassy Row books, I think this one was Ally Carter's strongest. There's a lot of development with Grace's emotional state. She's not "cured" or "fixed" of the trauma she's experienced, but there's quite a few times where she manages to keep it all under control. Grace's romance with Alexei felt less forced this time around, and I think that's because we got to see a little more background on him as a person, as opposed to just acting like her guardian. He's not my favourite of Ally Carter's love interests, but he does share some really sweet moments with Grace in this book that is bound to make fans of the Alexei/Grace pairing happy. Also, I'm really happy Carter didn't end up writing a love triangle between Grace, Alexei, and the prince. The prince actually turns out to be incredibly sweet, even if its apparent that he has a small crush on Grace. I really, really liked him, and I'm sad that we really only got to spend time with him in this 1 book. He and Grace had a natural friendship that I enjoyed reading about.
Unfortunately, if you're looking to find more of Jamie, Noah, Rosie, etc. you're going to be disappointed. Jamie, due to his injuries, is only in a couple scenes. Her friends have involvement in the final installment, but Grace tends to be isolated a lot in this book. Especially in the last half of the book, where Grace has to take matters into her own hands and distance herself from her friends.
I was really surprised with the ending! It definitely was not what I expected, and probably one of the "darkest" things I've seen in Ally's novels. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I think I like seeing different sides of our heroes and heroines.
Two hundred years ago, there was a palace coup and, in the chaos, a baby was smuggled free. The Society hid her among their own. She was raised in secret. Protected. Safe. And, eventually, she grew up, and her bloodline survived.
Until someone started trying to kill us.
Out of all three Embassy Row books, I think this one was Ally Carter's strongest. There's a lot of development with Grace's emotional state. She's not "cured" or "fixed" of the trauma she's experienced, but there's quite a few times where she manages to keep it all under control. Grace's romance with Alexei felt less forced this time around, and I think that's because we got to see a little more background on him as a person, as opposed to just acting like her guardian. He's not my favourite of Ally Carter's love interests, but he does share some really sweet moments with Grace in this book that is bound to make fans of the Alexei/Grace pairing happy. Also, I'm really happy Carter didn't end up writing a love triangle between Grace, Alexei, and the prince. The prince actually turns out to be incredibly sweet, even if its apparent that he has a small crush on Grace. I really, really liked him, and I'm sad that we really only got to spend time with him in this 1 book. He and Grace had a natural friendship that I enjoyed reading about.
Unfortunately, if you're looking to find more of Jamie, Noah, Rosie, etc. you're going to be disappointed. Jamie, due to his injuries, is only in a couple scenes. Her friends have involvement in the final installment, but Grace tends to be isolated a lot in this book. Especially in the last half of the book, where Grace has to take matters into her own hands and distance herself from her friends.
I was really surprised with the ending! It definitely was not what I expected, and probably one of the "darkest" things I've seen in Ally's novels. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I think I like seeing different sides of our heroes and heroines.
October 21, 2017
Perfect easy read (4.5 stars)
So let me say first off, that I am kind of a sucker for Ally Carter books. Her Gallager Girls series was my first introduction, and Embassy Row certainly doesn't disappoint. Yes, there are cliches. Yes, there is teen romance and all that jazz, but for the most part it is just good, clean fun.
I read Take the Key and Lock Her Up in about 3 days, even while working and taking care of my family, so it is a nice relaxing read, while still keeping your interest and getting your blood pumping.
However, as I was getting closer to the end I found myself thinking it was going to be another cliffhanger ending. surpirisingly, that was not the case. Nor did it end abruptly. The story and plot line closed quite nicely, and I felt fairly satisfied.
I gave it 4.5 stars because the love interest was a little too cliche. And the whole, I'm Russian, so I have no emotions bit, kind of wore thin.
But still a good read that I would reccomend to my own teens.
For my clean readers:
Violence, emotional trauma, attempted murder, insanity, and light romance.
So let me say first off, that I am kind of a sucker for Ally Carter books. Her Gallager Girls series was my first introduction, and Embassy Row certainly doesn't disappoint. Yes, there are cliches. Yes, there is teen romance and all that jazz, but for the most part it is just good, clean fun.
I read Take the Key and Lock Her Up in about 3 days, even while working and taking care of my family, so it is a nice relaxing read, while still keeping your interest and getting your blood pumping.
However, as I was getting closer to the end I found myself thinking it was going to be another cliffhanger ending. surpirisingly, that was not the case. Nor did it end abruptly. The story and plot line closed quite nicely, and I felt fairly satisfied.
I gave it 4.5 stars because the love interest was a little too cliche. And the whole, I'm Russian, so I have no emotions bit, kind of wore thin.
But still a good read that I would reccomend to my own teens.
For my clean readers:
Violence, emotional trauma, attempted murder, insanity, and light romance.
January 26, 2019
Why?! Why did it have to end!!
I have absolutely no words! NO WORDS!!
Okay I lied. I may have a few words. XD
First off, I love Alexei and Grace so much!
This is a series that I will probably re-read at some point. the books kept me on the edge of my seat, and just when I thought I knew what was going on.....Bang! I was wrong, so very, very wrong. I highly recommend these books to anyone looking for suspense, action, mystery, romance, and fictional characters that you can fall in love with!
Ally Carter is a genius! And I can't wait to read more of her books!
WARNING: Light romance, medium violence, people restrained and drugged(because they are crazy).
I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR AGES: 14+
Hush, little princess, dead and gone. No one's gonna know your coming home.
I have absolutely no words! NO WORDS!!
Okay I lied. I may have a few words. XD
First off, I love Alexei and Grace so much!
This is a series that I will probably re-read at some point. the books kept me on the edge of my seat, and just when I thought I knew what was going on.....Bang! I was wrong, so very, very wrong. I highly recommend these books to anyone looking for suspense, action, mystery, romance, and fictional characters that you can fall in love with!
Ally Carter is a genius! And I can't wait to read more of her books!
WARNING: Light romance, medium violence, people restrained and drugged(because they are crazy).
I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR AGES: 14+
Hush, little princess, dead and gone. No one's gonna know your coming home.
February 7, 2017
*Source* Library
*Genre* YA, Action & Adventure
*Rating* 3.5
*My Thoughts*
Take the Key and Lock Her Up is the third and final installment in author Ally Carter's Embassy Row trilogy. 200 years ago, there was a coup and Adrian King Alexander's family was murdered. But, in the chaos, another baby, Amelia, was smuggled out of the castle, and protected by The Society. The Society is a group of women who have seen regimes come and and dictators fall over their one thousand years of existence.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews
*Genre* YA, Action & Adventure
*Rating* 3.5
*My Thoughts*
Take the Key and Lock Her Up is the third and final installment in author Ally Carter's Embassy Row trilogy. 200 years ago, there was a coup and Adrian King Alexander's family was murdered. But, in the chaos, another baby, Amelia, was smuggled out of the castle, and protected by The Society. The Society is a group of women who have seen regimes come and and dictators fall over their one thousand years of existence.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews
July 13, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down and ended up reading all of it in one day! It was a great ending to the series.
April 13, 2017
3.5 rounding up
I've been following this series from the beginning. I wasn't sure after the last book that I would come back for this one but I did. It's kinda crazy and a bit messed up, really, but I can't help but be sucked into the fast paced drama that unfolds on every single page. It's a bit far fetched and sometimes unbelievable but who cares? It's fiction! ha. The last book had me frustrated with all of Grace's internal dialogue and the repetition in that inner dialogue. Fortunately this book didn't have me feeling that way at all. There was just too much going on!
As with the last book, my favorite parts are when all the friends are working together for the same cause. I loved how the whole book had me feeling on the edge of my seat.
Content: kissing, violence
Source: Library ebook
I've been following this series from the beginning. I wasn't sure after the last book that I would come back for this one but I did. It's kinda crazy and a bit messed up, really, but I can't help but be sucked into the fast paced drama that unfolds on every single page. It's a bit far fetched and sometimes unbelievable but who cares? It's fiction! ha. The last book had me frustrated with all of Grace's internal dialogue and the repetition in that inner dialogue. Fortunately this book didn't have me feeling that way at all. There was just too much going on!
As with the last book, my favorite parts are when all the friends are working together for the same cause. I loved how the whole book had me feeling on the edge of my seat.
Content: kissing, violence
Source: Library ebook
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