Keeper of the Lost Cities: Is it Safe? Is it Good?

Keeper of the Lost Cities is a wildly popular series for teens; what do we think about it?

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger. Aladdin, 2012. 512 pages.

Reading Level: Upper middle grades to teens (ages 12+)

Recommended For: Ages 12+ (note considerations)

Keeper of the Lost Cities: A Brief Summary

Special child learns she is not ordinary, but belongs to a different (better) kingdom/group/lineage. Her special talents mean that she is the chosen one, one who will (nearly single-handedly) help restore order and save others.

Sound familiar? It should. This is a common fantasy trope, one we see in series such as Skyward or Harry Potter. In Keeper of the Lost Cities, our heroine is 12-year-old Sophie Foster. Her secret talent? Telepathy. One day, she meets a strange boy named Fitz who whisks her away to a Lost City in an elven kingdom; the name of this Lost City is Eternalia or … Shangri-La. Fitz reveals to Sophie that she’s actually an elf, one for whom his family has been desperately searching. Sophie is soon a permanent resident of the elven world, taking classes, living with a new-to-her family, and learning about her special powers. Predictably, she is at the top of her peers in nearly every area, an outspoken contingent of elves wants to see her harmed or discredited, and the book ends with promise of more action. Surprise! There are quite a few more titles to enjoy. There’s even a movie version coming out.

Keeper of the Lost Cities Is “Safe” but not “Good”

Books like Keeper of the Lost Cities are fun reads, and it’s easy to see why so many teens are devouring them. In particular, it’s easy to understand why so many Christian teens are reading and recommending them. A fun plot, a spunky heroine, elves with cool powers, intrigue, mystery, a new world. Bonus: there’s only mild romance and minimal real violence or swearing, all of which occur excessively in many contemporary fantasy series directed to teens.

But books like Keeper are easy to read, easy to forget. Frankly, the writing is a little trite, the elves are unoriginal, Sophie herself is a bit too perfect, and the storytelling lacks nuance. For instance, a description of one Elven woman reads “Della’s beauty was like a force, pulling every eye to her as she tossed her long, chocolate brown hair and pursed her heart-shaped lips” (p. 96). Phrases like “heart-shaped lips” and “chocolate brown hair” aren’t “wrong,” they’re just weak and over-used in books for teens. Elves that are tall, beautiful, and powerful are par for the course. Sophie is not only the best at nearly everything she does, but she’s manifested her special skill (telepathy) earlier than most and also reveals a second special skill (most Elves don’t have two). But you don’t have to take my word for it, at least in terms of writing style. You can read an excerpt of the book (and others in the series) on the Keeper of the Lost Cities series page at the author’s website.

Nuance Is Needed

The idea of “nuance” is harder define. Remember the Pevensie children in the Narnia books? Over and over, the reader is reminded that they are sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. They are human, and, as such, the rightful rulers at Cair Paravel. In contrast, the tone in Keeper of the Lost Cities regarding humans is somewhat demeaning: “The slowest elf can still trump a human—even one with no proper education” (p. 24). In that sense, the storytelling in this book lacks nuance: the humans are universally weak and the elves powerful with no gradation. Even for a fantasy world, the world God made should still resonate (and the Bible reminds us that humans are pretty special).

Similarly, Sophie’s perfection is irksome because the best characters should be more nuanced: their weaknesses are real weaknesses, not merely related to being the new kid on the block or someone else’s antipathy towards them. Sophie needs others’ help socially, but that’s about it. Her special powers always seem to save the day. Interestingly, my own teens noticed this, too. In other beloved books, the protagonist succeeds precisely because he or she is surrounded by people who balance out his or her weaknesses. Harry could never have defeated Voldemort without Ron and Hermione (and many others) by his side from the beginning. Frodo couldn’t have thrown the ring into the fire without Sam’s faithful service along the way. Sophie, on the other hand, seems to need little more than medical care and friendship; while those are not insignificant needs, they do little to balance out any real weaknesses or flaws in her character.

Keeper of the Lost Cities = Organic Mac-and-Cheese

None of this means someone shouldn’t read a book like this; rather, it means to keep books like this in their place. My teens love their boxed mac-and-cheese. It was one of the first things I taught them to make on their own. Occasionally I buy an organic version, like Annie’s, but I recognize the irony: Annie’s might be “free” from some offensive ingredients, but it’s still boxed mac-and-cheese. And, while I’m okay with my teens eating it occasionally, I’ll never think that boxed mac-and-cheese should be the core of a healthy diet. Will it hurt them once in a while to enjoy it? No. Would it hurt them if that’s all they ate? Probably. It certainly would deprive them of eating other good foods that their bodies need more; it would also stunt their tastes, teaching them to prefer salty, processed foods over better, real foods.

Keeper of the Lost Cities is like organic mac-and-cheese: it’s free from a lot of offensive “ingredients” that crop up in many contemporary fantasy series (sexuality issues, swearing, etc.), but it’s still boxed mac-and-cheese. It’s not the sort of literature we want our teens to base their reading diets on. It’s fun for a vacation read, but if that’s all teens are reading, they’ll lose their “taste” for more complex fare. Just like boxed mac-and-cheese, a series like this is easy to come by and easy to consume. Don’t sweat it too much; do keep it in perspective.

What to Read Instead

I’m glad you asked. We’ve got very fun Keeper of the Lost Cities “Read Alikes” List for you: Fantasy Books for Teen Girls (but boys will enjoy this list, too)!

Considerations:

• Dangerous Precedent: I realize this is a fantasy series, but it is troubling that Sophie has so many one-on-one meetings with men behind closed doors. What’s troubling about this is not the issue on the surface (although every child protection training workshop will remind you this is not a good idea) but that Sophie depends on her gut to determine safety; often these meetings are with men she’s just met (such as Alden), and the only one who can vouch for him is another person she’s just met. In fact, her entire entrance to the elven world is with an older boy she’s just met (Fitz) and she trusts him utterly. For impressionable young women, this sets a dangerous precedent. It’s a subtle issue, and one I wouldn’t overtly discuss with my daughter unless she read a lot of this sort of thing. But it’s an issue worth noting. It happened enough that I noticed, and my radar went up.
• Incomplete Review: I’ve only read book 1 in the series, so I can’t speak to the sexuality/violence/language/etc. issues that may crop up later.

Overall Rating: 3.5 (out of 5)

• Worldview/Moral Rating: 3.5 out of 5
• Literary/Artistic Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Read more about our ratings here.               

Related Reading from Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: As mentioned earlier, Skyward is another fantasy for teens that also features a plucky heroine.
• Resource: Mega Sci-Fi and Fantasy List

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