Book Review: Keeper of the Lost Cities series, by Shannon Messenger

Book reviews aren’t something I often post—in fact, this is the first one on the blog!—but reading, especially reading together as a family, is something that’s so important to me that I thought it was time to share a series that my family really loves.

The series is called Keeper of the Lost Cities, by Shannon Messenger, and it’s a series of eight books (so far) about a girl named Sophie who has a secret: she has telepathic powers. Sophie’s always felt out of place, until she meets a mysterious boy named Fitz who opens up a whole new world for her.

All of a sudden, she learns that she actually belongs in a different world—the elven world, which is a kind of parallel world to the human one where she’s been living.

Once she goes to Havenfield, she finds both belonging and peril, as she, Fitz, and a host of other characters must unlock the mystery of who exactly Sophie is, why she has the powers she does, and how that will change Havenfield, Sophie, and her friends forever.

As you’ve likely guessed, these books are seriously dramatic and action-packed, and that’s part of why our family has enjoyed them so much.

But I particularly like Keeper of the Lost Cities for other reasons.

For one thing, I’ve found that so many books for young adults are written around such edgy material, and that’s fine. However, this series is just as engaging, but without that edginess. There’s no sexual content or bad language, for example, even though the characters are grappling with huge problems and responsibilities throughout the series.

I do really appreciate that innocent aspect of it. It makes me happy to read something like that with my kids.

At the same time, I appreciate that Messenger’s characters go through these really difficult situations—it’s certainly not all happy and wonderful! There’s stress, there’s trauma, there’s sadness, there’s fear. Just like in real life. But Sophie and her friends and allies are always calling on their inner strength (what I might even call their leader within) to overcome the challenges they face, take risks, and make brave choices.

I’d recommend this series to any family with kids who are middle-grade or older. In my family, both of us parents, as well as our kids, have loved these books—and that’s saying something, eight books in! We’re still all engaged with the story and the characters, and every book gives us something to connect over and discuss as a family.

That, in my opinion, is the real gift of these books, and of any book that you can read together with the people you love. It’s that opportunity to connect with each other, to hear each other’s voices, and share in what each person finds exciting, or confusing, or interesting about the story.

Challenge: Find a book that everyone in your family is interested in reading, and read it together. You could also listen to an audiobook together, especially if you have some holiday travel coming up. As you’re reading, take the time to talk about the book as a family.