Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
My name is Madeline. I enjoy playing the violin, ice skating and reading good books!
Sophie Foster is not your average girl. Though her freakish intelligence has caused her to gain the public eye as the only twelve-year-old in her senior class, it has left her feeling ostracized from her family and the rest of the world. Along with her brains comes a secret she doesn’t dare tell even those closest to her. She can read minds. At first, she considers it a curse, as she can hear every degrading thought anyone has towards her. This all changes when she is confronted by a mysterious boy who has the same ability. He helps her understand the blessing it is to be able to read minds.
He tells her that she is an elf like himself–a race believed to be fictional by humans. He then takes her to the Lost Cites, the elves’ hidden homeland. There, Sophie finally feels like she belongs, meeting others who have miraculous talents like herself. Not everyone is pleased with her arrival however, as it raises a number of uncomfortable questions. Why was Sophie raised secretly by humans, and what purpose could her existence serve? Along with a newfound team of friends, Sophie tries to navigate her new life, and discover an elusive order that might hold the answers her world needs.
This first installment of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series is a fast-paced journey of friendship and self-discovery, with mysteries waiting to be uncovered on each page. I recommend this book for fantasy lovers ages nine and up.
