Keeper of the Lost Cities #1 by Shannon Messenger

My name is Sophie, and my past is frustrating. First, I'm an elf, not human, so I don't know my real parents. I'm now learning to develop my elfin powers at an exclusive academy, although I'm forced to keep my telepathy a secret. I'm trying hard to pass my classes, but one Council member is set on getting me kicked out. I don't understand why I'm doing questionable things; it's like someone's manipulating me. Elfin memories pop into my head that only complicates why I was raised by a human family, not my real parents. There are fears that a secret organization may have locked dangerous ideas in my brain that could endanger the human and elf worlds. I'm starting to put pieces together, but I'm afraid the path to my past will lead to disaster.

I normally like to know the big conflict early in the plot, but this book didn't do that. However, I found it still held my interest and kept me wondering about what was going on. The first half of the book seemed like a story about a young girl adjusting to her newly-discovered life as an elf. She struggled with her unusual classes and tried to fit in with other students. She also had trouble adapting to her guardians, since they had their own troubled past. The second half of the book developed the "lost" big conflict and became more of an adventure. The heroine continued to master her telepathic powers, tried to understand cryptic messages, and made hasty assumptions. She ignored the advice of others and made some poor decisions. However, how interesting would books be if characters did what they were supposed to do? In the end, the problems were mostly resolved, but some big questions were left for the book's sequel. I'm looking forward to reading Exile, but I'll need to wait for it to become available at my local library. Looks like it's pretty popular with other readers too!