Review of The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son by Lois Lowry

I read The Giver was released in 1993.  I remember reading it as a freshman in high school 94-95 as an outside reading book in English I Honors.

Early in my teaching career, I did several home-bound tutoring assignments for additional compensation.  In my first year (02) I read Gathering Blue, which was released in 2000, to use with an 8th grader on medical home-bound.

I loved both of these books.

Late last winter I added to the wish-list for the WHHS LMC.  I came across a box set of FOUR books in The Giver series.  Wait, what?  We did not have Messenger (2004) or Son (2012), nor had I even heard of them.

Being rather impatient, I ordered them off Amazon.  Of course they will be donated come September.

Let's look at a brief plot summary of each.
The Giver--in a future dystopian society, everyone is the same.  Color does not exist.  Children are assigned to their future careers at age 12.  There is no memory of the past, except for one old man, known as Giver.  As the end of his life approaches, he must give these painful memories to a new Receiver.  Jonas, the older of two children given to his parental units (a third child, Gabe stays with them nightly; the family Father is a caretaker of babies and Gabe needs some extra attention) is chosen as his replacement and begins the grueling task of taking on these painful memories.  He cannot cope with the horrible truths he learns about his society and escapes, along with Gabe.

Gathering Blue--in another future dystopian society, anyone sick or deformed is left in a field to die.  Kira was born with a bent foot, but her mother convinces the council to allow her to stay as her father Christopher was recently killed on a hunting trip.  After Kira's mother dies, other women attempt to kick Kira out, but a kind man on the council, Jameson, makes the case for her to stay as she can repair the Singer's Robe.  Kira befriends the Carver and Singer of the future, along with a boy named Matt and his dog Branch.  Kira learns Jameson is not what he claims to be and her father is alive in another village.  Matt agrees to be their go-between while Kira, through her thread-work, will rewrite the future of her village.

Messenger--Matty and Christopher live together in a village separated from Kira by a forest.  Jonas has been elected Leader of this village.  Jonas has the ability to see far away places and into he future.  Matty has learned he has the ability to heal.  What was once a place of refuge has become hostile to outsiders, especially those who are different.  A dark presence oversees a trade market, in "Devil and Daniel Webster"-esque dealings.  Matty battles the evil, which saves the village, but costs him his life.

Son--This flashes back to Jonas's home society before Gabe was born.  Claire is assigned the role of Birthmother and is impregnated at 14.  She needs a C-section to deliver her son, who will be known as Product 36 until the following December when he is given to a family.  She is deemed unfit for further pregnancy and is re-assigned to the fish hatchery.  She defies all rules to interact with the baby, who does not seem to be thriving at the childcare center.  He is granted a second year, but is later voted to be released (the reader knows this means execution).  Claire wants to escape with him, but Jonas beats her to him.  Claire jumps about a supply boat and suffers a mishap at sea losing her memory.  Little by little she regains them under the care of a kind family in a new village.  Claire gains strength at sets out to find Gabe.  She finds the Trademaster in the forest and makes a deal: her youth for her son's whereabouts.  Eventually they are reunited, and Gabe sets out to destroy Evil and free his mother from the deal.

After reading books 3 and 4 in the series, I will say Gathering Blue is still my favorite by far, with Son coming in second.

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.