Keeper of the Lost Cities

Title: Keeper of the Lost Cities

Author: Shannon Messenger
Publisher: Aladdin

Pages: 496 pages
Year of Publication: October 2012

Rating: 

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.

DARE I SAY THAT THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING MAGICAL WORLD I’VE EVER READ IN MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS AFTER HARRY POTTER!

Although I must admit that I saw many resemblances to HP but it doesn’t make this book less brilliant!

This book is set in a whole different unique world and I’m amaze by how well the author built this entire magical world. Everything seems very well thought out, every detail of places, histories, people, and creatures, they are so amazingly well written!

Sophie has been feeling out of place for her entire life, she has no friends, and her family sometimes doesn’t understand her, it doesn’t surprise me that she will have this temptation to leave all of her life behind and start a new life in this new world which seems understand her and full of people like her. But, I didn’t expect that she would willingly to go so easily it seems like her family didn’t matter to her at all. She lacks of emotion in the beginning of the book but I’m glad to see she developed as the story goes.

As much as I hate “The Chosen One” trope I won’t deny myself that I like this book so much, I feel kinda irritated though because this book is too centered on Sophie herself, meanwhile there are so many equally amazing characters that should have shine more.

Sophie is also a “Special Snowflake” character which I usually really hate, well I admit I kinda hate her in the beginning but her character development is so well done I turn to love her and want to protect her in the end!

Like I said, there are so many amazing side characters that I think deserve more shining role in this book. Maybe I’ll find it in the next book?

I loooove the writing style, it flows easily with the story, it’s so light and really fun to read. The pace is rather rushed in the end. It’s funny that the climax is the only scene I didn’t like, it feels so forced and end up really quick I barely had time to think.

This is the next MG books that I think I’ll fangirl over after Harry Potter. So I think everyone who love HP should read this book, it’s sad that I don’t see this book much on the blogosphere! I finished this book in 12 hours straight, while I was on shift and working!! This is instantly become my favorite book. I ordered the second book immediately after I finished this, and I really can’t wait to read it!!