Book #1
Author:
Shannon Messenger
Autumn’s Rating:
♥♥♥♥♥
Minimum Recommended Age:
9+
Summary:
This is the first book in a series of 9 (and counting!) books centered around 12-year-old Sophie Foster. Sophie has never quite fit into her life – she doesn’t connect with kids at school and she’s not comfortable with her family either. This is because Sophie is a telepath, so she can read minds. She thinks no one knows her secret until the day she meets Fitz, who is a telepath too. Sophie finds out the reason she has never felt at home is because she actually isn’t at home! Fitz leads Sophie away from her family where she is thrown into the world of elves. She finds out she has secret abilities and that myths like the lost cities of Atlantis were real. The answers to her secrets are dangerous, and the truth could mean life or death. Will she find her answers in time?
BEST SERIES EVER!!! Besides Harry Potter!
Positive Messages:
This series has a strong female lead who wants to do the right thing, even though sometimes she struggles with her decisions. She shows compassion and courage in how she thinks and acts. Her friends stand by her and show good communication skills and teamwork. It’s important to stand up for what you believe in. It’s okay to be different – you’ll find a place where you belong.
Language:
No cursing; references to loser, freak, stupid, pain in the butt, and idiot.
Violence & Scariness:
The violence is not graphic, but there are evil forces out to get Sophie and there are multiple scary attacks. Children are taken hostage, bound and gagged, and sedated. Medical ointments and potions are frequently given to kids, and in the human world they use sleeping gas. Children are threatened with weapons and one is fired, which causes a child to have a seizure. Two characters are accidentally knocked unconscious, and there are discussions around death (including a child). There are wildfires, explosions, and mentions of war, crime, famine, dead animals, suicide, and drowning. There is a dog bite that draws blood, a substance that dissolves flesh, and an incident with a character that has an allergic reaction and then passes out. One character has a memory of being in a hospital with needles in their arms. Some creatures described in the elf world may scare younger kids. There is also a passing reference to an adult female teacher having a crush on a 15-year-old male student.
Parents Should Know:
Frequent references are made to adoption. Characters talk about crushes and sexist remarks. The book has good role models who use good teamwork and communication, while showing courage and integrity. Tweens and teens have crushes and refer to people as cute. There is a mention of a boy “drooling” over Sophie.
Mom Says:
This is another fantasy series, a genre which Autumn loves! This is another series that Autumn couldn’t put down, and it is still in process – there is another book coming out soon! The language in this book is clean, and while there is “evil” within the book, it isn’t too graphic. Both Sophie’s human parents and her elf guardians are kind and loving. I do think that some of the content just requires a maturity level that not all kids have at 9 years of age – just something to be aware of.
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Accelerated Reader:
AR Quiz No. 154994
AR Points: 14.0
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