Keeper of the Lost Cities

xxpish - Sophie Foster is not a normal twelve year old girl. She is a telepath; she can hear the thoughts of everyone around her. Then one day she meets Fitz, another telepath whose thoughts she can’t hear. He tells her that she’s an elf and changes her life forever. She is forced to leave the human world and live with Grady and Edaline in their mansion in the elf world. As Sophie learns to feel at home both at school, and at the mansion, she has to start all over in school and learn the true meanings of things and to discard everything she learned in the human world. As Sophie struggles with her classes, she is also being manipulated by an organization that wants to land her into big trouble-and possibly exile her. In this suspenseful and magical debut,Shannon Messenger is sure to win fans with her incredible storytelling. What I thought about it: Keeper Of The Lost Cities was a very enchanting read. The magical world of the elves that Shannon Messenger created seems so realistic, with all types of magical creatures, subjects and powers. She paints a bold picture in your head so you can really visualize it. Telepathy seems like an awesome skill but would be quite a burden in the human world. Also, once again, I judged this book by its cover. It is SO epic. It just makes you want to read it. This book was so jam-packed with action and suspense and manipulation that you are on the edge of your seat waiting to see what is going to happen next. Shannon Messenger writes with so many visuals, and her writing is very fluent. I am looking forward to more wonderful books written by her.

January 1, 2013

Gr 5-8-This debut novel is a powerful and appealing package of skillful world-building, fantasy, suspense, mystery, and middle-school relationships. Sophie Foster, a friendless 12-year-old high school senior with a photographic memory, is plagued by the hubbub of other people's thoughts in her brain. She has always known that she is different, but her life changes profoundly when she learns that she is an elf with telepathic and other magical abilities. She is transported away from her human family forever to the elvin world, where the Lost Cities (Atlantis, Shangri-la, etc.) exist and extinct animals are thriving. As Sophie starts at her new school, her concerns about friendships, midterms, crushes, and grades in subjects such as "the Universe," "elementalism," and "alchemy" will hook readers. While navigating her new life, Sophie must solve two mysteries: First, who is setting all those magical-seeming fires in the human world? And second, who could be leaving items in her locker that repeatedly put her in serious danger? The more she learns, the more her memories return, uncovering secrets about her past. The suspenseful climax leads to a satisfying resolution, although Messenger leaves just enough threads hanging for a possible sequel. A slew of interesting and well-drawn characters, careful plotting, and just plain good storytelling will have readers racing through the pages.-Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City

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