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Despite being nearly 20 years old now, the social commentary in this book is shockingly relevant now more than ever. It feels that western society has made little to no forward progress since this book was published, still struggling with the basic concepts of human decency the book puts forward regularly.
This was already a 5 star book for me, and this reread would have me rate it even higher if I could.
Unlike the other Birthmothers in her utopian community, teenaged Claire forms an attachment to her …
Give the readers some credit Lowry… Watching The Giver devolve into this was truly disappointing. This story feels beyond forced, and it spoon feeds every single detail. We don’t need every metaphor and simile spelled out for us.
I’d recommend giving this a pass. Definitely read The Giver; and even Gathering Blue—but only as a separate work, not a sequel. Skip Messenger and Son, they aren’t worth your time.
I’m very conflicted about this book... as a “companion” to The Giver it falls totally flat. As a novel it its own right it’s... fine. I enjoyed The Giver and Gathering Blue as separate works, and was excited to read this to tie them together but it feels so disconnected from the worlds of both. There were also passages that directly conflicted with the previous book, really disappointing from an editing standpoint.
If this was presented as its own story I may be able to give it a 3 or 4 star rating. But it’s the third book of a quartet and it just doesn’t hit the standard that The Giver sets.