The books “Keeper of the Lost Cities” by Shannon Messenger and “Divergent” by Veronica Roth convey very adventurous stories. They share many different traits but differ in numerous other ways. “Keeper of The Lost Cities” is a fantasy fiction series about a twelve-year-old girl with many hidden abilities. “Divergent” (also a series) is a novel about a sixteen-year-old girl who lives in a futuristic world that is divided into different factions. Both of these stories share some of the same characteristics of the characters, settings, and ongoing conflicts.
The characters in both stories can relate and differ in many ways. In “Keeper of The Lost Cities” Shannon Messenger starts by talking about a 12-year-old girl named Sophie Foster who has telepathic abilities. Sophie was mysteriously born into the human world but was found to be an elf. Eventually, a few elves find her and bring her back to the Elvin Cities. Throughout this series, Sophie is told to stick with her friends and learn from them. She also has the support and influence of other adults. In “Divergent”, Veronica Roth talked about 16-year-old Beatrice (Tris) Prior. Tris was originally born in Chicago until it was split up into five different factions- Abnegation, Erudite, Dauntless, Candor, and Amity. Tris was born into Abnegation, but after she turned 16 years old, she decided she wanted to join Dauntless. However, instead of being told to rely on her friends, Tris was told to not depend on them and betray them in the end.
The setting of these two stories are similar and unlike in various ways. Sophie Foster lives in a place called Havenfield, which is a locked-up world guarded against outside dangers. Inside Havenfield, Sophie attends a school with her friends called Foxfire. Here, they teach many skills and abilities that they may need in the future. She learned all sorts of distinct abilities which is helping her fight The Neverseen (a villain group). Tris Prior, just like Sophie, also lives in a place that is locked up and guarded. In training, Tris learns how to gain bravery and be more confident in herself, she learns how to fight back and face her fears. She also learns physical skills that help her defend herself from others.
Both “Keeper of the Lost Cities” and “Divergent” have ongoing conflicts, and there hasn’t been a resolution yet. Sophie Foster is going through an external conflict with her friends. They are trying to stop a villain group called “Neverseen” who is trying to gain all power for themselves. They are trying to overrule the Council, who creates laws and determines foul punishments for those who don’t follow the regulations. However, in “Divergent”, the conflict for Tris Prior is more internal. Tris has many troubles, including struggling to keep her secret of being divergent so she doesn’t reveal her true identity. leaving her family and home faction (Abnegation), and dealing with Al’s (one of her friends) suicide. One of the largest struggles in both of the stories is having to deal with the losses of important people in their worlds.
After reading “Divergent” and “Keeper of the Lost Cities”, the characteristics of the setting, conflicts and characters were some of the main resemblances and differences that stood out. Both of the stories tell an exciting tale, and both convey messages about friendships and determination.