Why You Should Read...Keeper of the Lost Cities(series) by Shannon Messenger!!

Elves.  What's the first thing that comes to mind?  Small guys wearing green with pointy ears?  Fair and noble creatures who help Frodo destroy the One Ring?  What if I told you that, somewhere, elves were real, and that they looked just like normal humans, except fairer, stronger, and good-looking?  What if I told you, that elves don't have pointy ears until they are thousands of years old, and one elf, a female elf, was hidden among us humans?  Sophie Foster thought she was a human, despite her superior intellect and her ability to read minds.  But that all changed when she found Fitz.  Fitz is an elf, and explains to Sophie that she is one too.  He takes her to the Lost Cities and they search for answers about why Sophie's mind is impenetrable, who the black swan is, and what the immense amount of secret information in her mind means.

I think you should read the Keeper of the Lost Cities because it really amazes me with the creative plots and creatures, and amazing places.  But my favorite parts of the story are the characters.  The characters are each unique in their own way, and their personalities are very different from each other, without making their personalities over-the-top absurd.  I feel the main characters are so lovable, you'll fall in love with the characters before you fall for the story.  This series incorporates everything from alicorns with sparkly poop to crystal cities burning down, from heart-breaking moments to adorable relationships, it's an overall amazing series.

Age Group: Grade 5 - 7
Genres: Fantasy, Elves, Magical Abilities, (some aspects)Romance
Rating:
2/2 for Creativity/Originality
2/2 for Character Development, Empathy Felt
0.9/1.1 for Romance
0.8/1 for Length
1.5/1.5 for 'How Badly I Want To Know What Happens Next'
1.3/1.4 for Mystery/Questions
0.8/1 for Comedy/Funniness
Bonus Points: 1 for The Best Characters Ever
Total Rating: 10.3 out of 10