Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Publisher: Aladdin
Source: BEA 2012
Rating: 
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository
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. – Goodreads
Review:
I wish I had read more books like Shannon Messenger’s Keeper of the Lost Cities when I was younger, but I’m so glad to be able to read this now. This book is a winning combination of excellent characters and an exciting adventure, all while also being very heartfelt and touching.
To start off with, Sophie is the best type of main character. She was so interesting (she’s twelve, but in high school…WHAT) and I really enjoyed her journey of self-discovery in Keeper of the Lost Cities. Yeah, she does find out about this amazing world where things are so far from the norm, and she deals with it all so well, but ultimately she’s just a girl who cares about her family and friends above all else.
The rest of the characters were so great, too, and I was especially taken by surprise by how much I grew to love Grady and Edaline. Shannon Messenger had a strong focus on family and MY HEART GREW ABOUT TEN TIMES because of them. I love how she developed these relationships and how she explored the ups and downs of their situation. The three main boys in this book also had me grinning from ear to ear because they are all so adorable. I do have my favorite, but I’m eager to get to know them all further in the upcoming books.
Shannon Messenger’s world in Keeper of the Lost Cities had me going, HELLO WHEN CAN I VISIT? It’s so richly detailed, full of quirks and interesting things, and it was so much fun discovering every new aspect. Really, even if you hated the rest of the book (IMPOSSIBLE), Shannon Messenger’s worldbuilding is good stuff.
Keeper of the Lost Cities was such a delightful read and I’m eager for more adventures with Sophie. I hope you all pick this up and love it as much as I do!
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This sounds like an adorable read! I definitely can’t wait to check it out for myself, and hopefully get the chance to experience this awesome world soon.
This one sounds like a winner. I see so many books I want to pick up for my nephew, but he’s not yet three. Sounds like the author did a great job with the characters and the world building in this one. I’ll have to check it out.
Whooooaaaa, cool new theme! I featured this book today on my October Got-My-Eye-On post thingy, so glad to hear it was good! So excited to read it.
Great review! I keep hearing about this book but I didn’t think it would be something I would enjoy however I think I need to read this one now. The story sounds really interesting the more I learn about it and the world sounds fantastic.
YES YES! This exactly!!!! I’m so excited about this book. I loooooooooooooooove it!!!!!!
Awww, this one sounds really sweet and heartwarming! Glad you enjoyed it so much :)
This sounds truly superb! I really can’t wait to read it. It just sounds like there is so much goodness to be had among those pages. Excellent review, Stephanie!
I’ve been keeping an eye on this book for a while now and I’m so glad that the first review I read, is so raving :) I’m so excited about it. It sounds sweet and the rich detailed world is definitely something I’ll enjoy. Great review!
Oh, Steph, this sounds AMAZING.
And, well, what you said about wishing you’d read more books like this as a kid? Uh, YES. I’d just wished I knew they EXISTED when I was a kid. I knew Narnia, and Enid Blyton, but I never remember there being anything other than Babysitter’s club and the like once you hit a certain age. Sounds INCREDIBLE ♥