Son by Lois Lowry

Son is the last book in The Giver quartet, and it closes the story by weaving together the strands of the stories in the previous book so this review contains ***SPOILERS*** if you have not read the first three books in this series.  It is highly recommended that you read Messenger and Son after you have read The Giver and Gathering blue, although you can read The Giver and Gathering blue in what ever order you prefer.

Claire is something of a disappointment for the parents who raised her because instead of learning a useful skill to support the community, or go on to learn more about a profession like engineering or law, Claire has become a Birthmother.  Her task for the next few years will be to produce three children for the Community in which she was raised, and then she will go on to complete essential but menial tasks for the Community until she becomes too old to  work.  That was her future, but when her child has to be cut from her body she is instead reassigned to the fish hatchery where she is something of a curiosity through her sudden appearance.  Through a twist of fate Claire knows that her son was child thirty-six in his year, so she has the opportunity to know her son and interact with him - until the fates intervene again and he is spirited away from the Community.

Without any real planning or purpose Claire leaves the Community and finds herself lost in a world where she has no memory of where she was or what she has lost - but she knows she has lost something.  Shipwrecked and lost, Claire is welcomed into the isolated coastal community where she washes ashore.  In this isolated and insular community Claire is a mysterious and desirable stranger, a beautiful prize that is coveted by more than one person - but she keeps them all at a distance.  Having no memory of her past beyond her name, Claire discovers the world through wondering eyes and leaves everyone puzzled about her lack of understanding about the world around her.  As the years pass and her memory returns, Claire must prepare herself to leave the community that has accepted her - she must prepare physically and mentally for the task ahead and the dangers that wait for her above.

Son is the concluding novel in The Giver series, and closes the story arc that started with The Giver and has blended together the other books in the series.  Starting in the Community with the birth of her son, her story meets that of Jonas.  There is a time when we hear nothing but the story of Claire, but then the story leaps into the Village where we pick up the story of Jonas for a second time, along with the story of Kira and Gabriel.  In many ways Son is the most important novel in the series to date, because although The Giver introduces us to Jonas and his Community, it is through Claire's experiences that you truly come to understand what it means to be part of a Community where babies are Products and every moment of your life is planned and controlled.  It is through Claire that we also understand how Gathering blue and Messenger fit into the world.

It took me a while to read Son, but I did find it easy to pick up and put down because there are three very clear sections in the book (just as well considering all the distractions I had while trying to read it).  It is rare for the final book in a series to finish all the storylines of previous novels so completely, but Son does it is a very clever way, using the gaps in time between novels for life to happen naturally and just allowing us to see certain moments.  For some readers it may be a struggle to keep the characters in the series straight, especially if they are reading the story spaced out over a few years - this is one of those series where it really pays to read it from start to finish, moving book to book rather than reading things in between.  On a more personal note I was very relieved to see that Son has a lot more strength and power than Messenger, Lois Lowry definitely redeemed herself here.

Son concludes a series that has some amazing themes and confronting issues, and it says a lot for Lowry's writing ability that these books can be read as fantasy, as drama, or as an example of social control and discovering who you really are.  

If you like this story then try:

• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• Gathering blue by Lois Lowry
• Messenger by Lois Lowry
• The declaration by Gemma Malley
• Ella Minnow Pea: A novel in letters by Mark Dunn
• I am the cheese by Robert Cormier
• The testing by Joelle Charbonneau
• Nest of lies by Heather McQuillan
• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
• When we wake by Karen Healey
• Breathe by Sarah Crossan
• The barcode tattoo by Suzanne Weyn
• XVI by Julia Karr
• Winter of fire by Sherryl Jordan
• The limit by Kristin Landon
• Proxy by Alex London

Reviewed by Brilla

Messenger by Lois Lowry

Messenger is a companion novel for The Giver and Gathering blue - and it is highly recommended that you read The Giver and Gathering blue before you read Messenger.


Six years ago Matty left behind the village of his birth and traveled through the Forest to the Village with Seer.  It was a huge change, not only was Matty accepted with open arms in the Village, but he also had the opportunity to learn and to grow.  Something is changing though, people who were once warm and inviting are now distant and selfish.  The people of Village are not the only thing changing though, Forest is also changing.  For years Matty has navigated the paths of Forest without fear and with the knowledge that he knows the paths, but now Forest seems darker, and thicker, and more sinister.  

When the people of Village vote to close their borders to outsiders Matty must make one final journey into Forest to spread the message, and to try and bring Seers daughter Kira back to the Village before it is too late.  But it may already be too late, and a blooming gift inside of Matty may ask for more than he is willing to give - or does it?

Messenger is the third book in The Giver series, the events happening several years after The Giver and Gathering blue and I have to confess that I found it quite a weak story compared to the others in the series, it was like Lowry felt she had to write it.  One of the most obvious differences between Messenger and the other books in the series is that it is a much shorter book, feeling more like a novella rather than a true novel.  The length makes it feel as though the story is rushed, especially compared to the world building and character crafting that happened in The Giver and Gathering blue.  It felt like Matty wasn't really given a chance to tell his story, that he was rushed along and that he was just a tool to explain what happened to Village rather than having a voice in his own right.

I have jumped straight into reading the final book in the series - Son - and it will be interesting to see if Matty is mentioned in Son or if Messenger is an important part of the series.  If I had known how short the story was and how rushed the story would feel, I would not have picked up and read Messenger at all.  This was a bitterly disappointing read, especially after reading the gems that were The Giver and Gathering blue.  It is possible that my disappointment comes from being an adult reading the novel, and I hope that parents or young people reading this review do keep that in mind - sometimes adults just don't "get" or "enjoy" novels for children the same way the target audience does so please don't let me put you off too badly.

If you like this story then try:

• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• Gathering blue by Lois Lowry
• The declaration by Gemma Malley
• Ella Minnow Pea: A novel in letters by Mark Dunn
• I am the cheese by Robert Cormier
• The testing by Joelle Charbonneau
• Nest of lies by Heather McQuillan
• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
• When we wake by Karen Healey
• Breathe by Sarah Crossan
• The barcode tattoo by Suzanne Weyn
• XVI by Julia Karr
• Winter of fire by Sherryl Jordan
• The limit by Kristin Landon
• Proxy by Alex London

Reviewed by Brilla

Gathering blue by Lois Lowry

Gathering blue is a companion novel for The Giver - however it can be read as a completely separate novel without having read The Giver first.  

Kira lives with the stigma of a twisted leg in a society where people who are injured, severely ill, or born with deformities are left in the field to die.  It is a brutal way of dealing with illness and injury, but it is the way it has always been and it was only because Kira's mother fought with her fathers support that Kira was not left in the field.  Instead Kira has been raised by a mother who cared for her, loved her, and nurtured her love of stitchery and weaving.  Kira spends her days helping in the weaving shed, collecting scraps and learning about weaving by watching and listening - waiting for the day when she too can learn to weave.

When her mother becomes ill and then dies Kira is left on her own in a society that doesn't want her, a society that has no qualms about throwing her out of her only home and sending her to the field to die.  When Kira stands up for herself against the town bully she finds herself not only wanted, but also treasured - her skill with stitches matches and in some cases excels her mothers and an important task is about to land on her shoulders.  Her task is at first a great and cherished responsibility, but over time Kira starts to understand more about her task, her role in the future of the village, and some disturbing insights into how she ended up in her role in the first place.  As she gains in skill and confidence, Kira will be forced to face a horrible truth and decide what she will do with that truth.

I really enjoyed reading The Giver, partly because it was such an easy to read story with multiple levels, but also because it takes a look at a future world that is a very subtle dystopian - which contrasts sharply with some of the more dramatic approach of other authors.  Gathering blue had a lot to live up to, following on from the amazing read that was The Giver, and Lowry has delivered a story that is unique but also complimentary - a different kind of rotten apple, but the same kind of insidious and creeping feeling of "wrongness".  

Kira is a strong character to follow, she is very human and aware of her flaws, but there is also something so hopeful and human that makes her an interesting and engaging focal point for the story.  It is always a risk to hang a novel on the viewpoint and experiences of a single character, because if your audience fails to connect with your character then your story may fail before it has even truly begun.  Through Kira's eyes we discover a fractured world where everyone is in it for themselves, and where her close relationship with her mother is something of a rarity, and where the loss of a parent can be a blessing or a curse - depending on your circumstances.  

Without wanting to ruin the story and the unfolding discovereis, I can say that there is a very "genuine" feel to Gathering blue, a sense that this is a very real story in a future that hasn't happened yet and I am looking forward to getting my hands on Messenger so I can see what happens next as the stories begin to converge.  This is a timeless classic that deserves to be discovered by readers of all ages and levels, and I hope that young readers will read the whole series rather than just The Giver.  This is one of those rare series that can be enjoyed across the reading lifespan - 'tweens will find the story engaging and not too challenging, teens will enjoy the complex interactions between characters and sniffing out the conspiracies, and adults (like me) are likely to enjoy the richly imagined world that is absorbing and beautiful and full of characters that are crying out for you to connect with them.

If you like this story then try:

• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• Winter of fire by Sherryl Jordan
• The declaration by Gemma Malley
• Ella Minnow Pea: A novel in letters by Mark Dunn
• I am the cheese by Robert Cormier
• The testing by Joelle Charbonneau
• Nest of lies by Heather McQuillan
• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
• When we wake by Karen Healey
• Breathe by Sarah Crossan
• The barcode tattoo by Suzanne Weyn
• XVI by Julia Karr
• The limit by Kristin Landon
• Proxy by Alex London

Reviewed by Brilla

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Jonas lives in a peaceful and ordered community where everyone knows their place and follows the rules.  It is a world of sameness, of order, of clear expectations and understanding.  Jonas knows that when he becomes a Twelve he will learn what role he will play in the community as an adult, but it is an uncertain future.  Some of his year mates already have clear futures because of their volunteer hours and devotion to a certain aspect of community life, but Jonas has tried many different roles and does not know what the Elders have in mind for him.  

His fate is decided when he is designated as the Receiver of Memory, a job that has honour but no power.  Suddenly isolated from his year mates because of his future role and the rules around his training, Jonas must face his uncertain future alone.  As his training progresses Jonas learns more about his community, the world before, and about the previous Receiver of Memory who he simply calls the Giver.  His whole life Jonas has followed the rules and thought he knew what life in the community was really like, but he is about to discover that he really knows nothing and that there are things more precious than order and obedience.

I picked up The Giver because it has just been made into a movie and I wanted to see what the book was based on as movies often make huge changes to the content of the book - sometimes for the better, but often for the worst.  I was pleasantly surprised by the book and the way the story slowly grows and unfurls, presenting one picture of the community and then slowly growing through Jonas's eyes until you get to see the whole of the community and secrets at its core.  

First published in 1993, and the winner of the 1994 Newbery Medal, The Giver is a real treat to read for the first time.  While it is an early example of the dystopian theme there seems to be so much more to the story - especially as we see it through the innocent eyes of Jonas.  Modern dystopian novels like the Hunger games have a young person who can clearly see that things are very wrong, or that quickly comes to see things are not right like in The testing.  Jonas is so innocent about the truths under the surface, and because his parents and the whole community are so relaxed and seemingly happy it takes a while for the truth to really sink in and that is what makes this book so powerful.

I have seen the shorts for the movie and it seems as though the big screen treatment has changed a great deal - the least of which is the apparent age of Jonas who looks much older than twelve.  There are other changes in the movie too by the looks of things and it looks as though they may be changes for the worse rather than the better.  I can't wait to read the other three books in the quartet to see what happens in the future, although from reading the blurbs it appears that the future books blend other characters into the story which has the potential to make the series better, but also runs the risk of complicating the simplicity of the story.

If you like this story then try:

• Winter of fire by Sherryl Jordan
• Breathe by Sarah Crossan
• The declaration by Gemma Malley
• Ella Minnow Pea: A novel in letters by Mark Dunn
• I am the cheese by Robert Cormier
• The testing by Joelle Charbonneau
• Nest of lies by Heather McQuillan
• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
• When we wake by Karen Healey
• The barcode tattoo by Suzanne Weyn
• XVI by Julia Karr
• The limit by Kristin Landon
• Proxy by Alex London

Reviewed by Brilla