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Keeper of the Lost Cities (Keeper of the Lost Cities #1)

Keeper of the Lost Cities (Keeper of the Lost Cities #1)

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Keeper of the Lost Cities (Keeper of the Lost Cities #1)

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Author(s)

Shannon Messenger

Publisher

Aladdin Publishing Company

Genre(s)

Fantasy Adventure

Age Range

10+

Release Date

October 02, 2012

ISBN

978-1442445932

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Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret. She's a Telepath--someone who hears the thoughts of everyone around her. It's a talent she's never known how to explain. Everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who appears out of nowhere and also reads minds. She discovers there's a place she does belong, and that staying with her family will place her in grave danger. In the blink of an eye, Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a place that is vastly different from anything she has ever known. Sophie has new rules to learn and new skills to master, and not everyone is thrilled that she has come “home.” There are secrets buried deep in Sophie's memory—secrets about who she really is and why she was hidden among humans—that other people desperately want. Would even kill for. In this page-turning debut, Shannon Messenger creates a riveting story where one girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world, before the wrong person finds the answer first. Coming October 2, 2012 from Simon and Schuster (Aladdin).

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Amazingly Fantastic

May 02, 2013

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5.0

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I may be a little late to the party but I loved Shannon Messenger's debut middle grade Keeper of the Lost Cities.

What I loved: Can I say everything? I was hooked right from the very beginning by the world Messenger created. The characters were all well-developed and had a sweet innocence to them. There are true friendships in this book and I cannot wait to see how they develop as the series continues. Sophie takes the lead as one of the best main characters I have ever read. Her sweetness mixes just perfectly with her smarts as she learns about the new world she has found herself a part of.

I cannot rave enough about this book. Every school and library should do themselves a favor and have multiple copies of this book available. I have a feeling once readers discover Keeper of the Lost Cities it won't stay on the shelves for very long!

Claire Johnson, Staff Reviewer Top 50 Reviewer 238 reviews

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One Amazing Debut - Absolutely Enchanting

September 27, 2012

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Shannon Messenger is going to take the world by storm with her debut in Keeper of the Lost Cities. Everything about this book was just so awesome. The world, the characters, the story, and so much more. I was absolutely captivated and am already counting down for another Shannon Messenger book!

The originality behind everything with Shannon Messenger‘s world was mesmerizing. I loved the blend of the world, the new spin on a fantastical creature everyone knows, and all the abilities. It really set the groundwork for the plot to just take off. Pair that with Shannon Messenger‘s gorgeous prose and I was completely on board.

The story was so great. Keeper of the Lost Cities had one of those addicting plots that draws you in on page one and doesn’t let you go until you’ve turned the last page. I loved following the whirldwind of events that managed to find Sophie and her friends. This was the most fun I’ve had reading a book in a long long time. Really what it reminded me a lot of was back to the second grade when I started reading Harry Potter for the first time. Those emotions resonated similarly during Keeper of the Lost Cities. The wait for the second book is going to be long indeed, as this truly was one of the best books I’ve read in a very long while.

The characters may have been my favorite part of the book. They were so genuine and the focus on friendship had me smiling throughout the entire book. I loved Elwin – oh my gosh was he great. Grady and Edaline were so heart warming and I loved their development as characters throughout the book. Sophie was such a trooper. Her and her friends were just such a great bunch. I loved all the scenes with the group of them.

As one of the best books of the year, Shannon Messenger has written a true winner. This is fantasy as its finest. As a tale of adventure and true friendship, Keeper of the Lost Cities will be sure to captivate readers of all ages.

Erica Top 50 Reviewer 192 reviews

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These Elves are a "Keeper"

December 22, 2012 (Updated: December 04, 2013)

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Now don’t get me wrong, I love me The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I have been craving a good fantasy epic that gives a fresh, new take on elves. Yes, that’s a very specific want, but hey, I read a lot. Thank goodness for Shannon Messenger’s “Keeper of the Lost Cities,” giving me exactly what I’ve been wishing for.

“Keeper” follows Sophie, a twelve year-old girl who learns she is what else? An elf. But she’s not a pointy-eared, forest-dwelling guardian of rings. Instead she’s a child elf prodigy who has a special and rare talent for telepathy. Off she goes to Foxfire, a school for the magically gifted (which not all elves are) to hone her skills and discover the mystery of her past.

What I really liked about the world Messenger created is that there is a fusion of technology with magic. She doesn’t create massive details about one with the exception of the other, instead she has intricately woven magic into the workings of science. There’s even a special type of elf, a TechnoPath, who uses his or her magical ability to manipulate the ins and outs of technology. This gives the lost cities a decidedly futuristic feel but still containing all the magic and fantasy that Narnia, Middle Earth or Hogwarts has to offer.

The best thing that Messenger’s book has to offer is the Keeper herself, Sophie. She’s a delightful protagonist who just seems sweet, but not naïve. She’s realistic about what she has to do to get things done, and she isn’t your typical angsty magical main character. I love Harry Potter and all, but sometimes he just gets so whiny and acts as if the world is working against him. Sophie never does that. She accepts the challenges that come her way with grace and strength, and even when things are drastically unfair, she doesn’t nag on us that life is unfair. Life is unfair and Sophie gets it, and she’ll do whatever it takes to get things back on track. I can’t wait to see her grow into her own as the series progresses, and reach the thousands of years-old age group when pointy ears do finally manifest for Messenger’s mythical characters.

Good Points

Fantastic new take on elves.
Great protagonist who takes life's challenges like a champ.
A fun magical world that has a great blend of fantasy and technology.