Goodreads link for book:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12842828-keeper-of-the-lost-cities
Author's website:
https://shannonmessenger.com/
Genres:
Children’s fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy
Rating:
4.5 Stars out of 5
Mature Content:
1-2 (There is no sexual content, swearing, or extremely descriptive violence, but there is a kidnapping scene that contains threatening and painful burns that could be scary for younger readers)
Age Range:
8+
Interest level:
10-14 (This may differ depending on the reader’s preferences)
Background Knowledge:
Sophie Foster is a 12 year old high school senior that has been hiding the fact that she can read minds since the ability developed when she was 5 years old. Although Sophie's always known she’s different, her life is still thrown upside down when she is told she is actually an elf and is forced to move to the lost cities where the elves live. She meets many characters on her journey such as an elfin boy named Fitz, an elfin boy named Dex, and so many more!!
Review:
Ok, I’m not going to Lie, fantasy has never really been my thing. When I picked up this book I didn’t think I would like it at all since it was very obviously fantasy oriented. I ended up reading it anyway though because I didn’t have much else going on, and let's just say WOW. I was so surprised how gripping and exciting this novel was! All the characters were extremely relatable, the story line itself was very thrilling, and it was clean! It is very difficult to find good, clean books these days, and this one totally sets the bar high! It not only proved to me how amazing fantasy can be, but it also showed me how it's really possible for a book to be appropriate and interesting. It was so cool to hear about Sophie's tale, and personal growth that I think we can all relate to. It’s hard to fit in, and it’s always hard to feel like we have to catch up to others. Sometimes we all tend to focus on trying to be like everyone else. Sophie shows us how, though we can try to be like others and fit in, it’s also important to stay true to your own moral values and do the right thing even when it's hard.
Things I Loved:
-Ok first, I love the humor in this book. It honestly had me laughing out loud at some points, and I wasn’t laughing at some inappropriate humor that some screenwriters and authors tend to add in for laughs, no this book actually was funny!
-Second, I loved the fact that you got so many details and even though it’s not a first person point of view you still can tell Sophie's personal opinion, and heart during the novel.
-Third, I just love the fact that Sophie isn’t perfect. She has real character flaws that come back to bite her at some point, which really adds to the realism of the book!
-Last but not least, I love how you never really know what’s going to happen, there were so many times I was sure the story was going to go one way, and then it went another! It was extremely gripping!
Things I Didn't Love:
I am a total die heart fan of this novel, but there are still a few things that I didn’t like:
-First, even though I loved all the information I was getting, at times it was a little too much. I found myself rereading pages or going back just so I could understand what was going on. Which was a little annoying at times.
-Second, the mysteries. They're amazing, gripping, and fun, but just like the information, they could be a little too overdone at times. There were a lot of elements, and as the series goes on it just keeps getting more and more drawn out, which can be amazing, but as I said before It can also be confusing and sometimes even tiring.
In Conclusion:
The book is also really interesting, has some great and appropriate humor, very sweet moments, and even though it’s very long after you finish you’ll most likely want more!!
Recommended?:
YES!