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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Let me be frank. These books got super weird.
As mentioned in my review of book three, The Giver (book 1) was a fast favorite for me because I read it when I was much younger, and it kind of helped transition me into more adult writing. Lots of real world themes, great characters, a convincing plot, and a truly touching story. The remaining books attempt to continue this story, beginning with the development of Kira, who lives in a Community that is extremely different from the one Jonas was raised in.
It is later discovered that after escaping his Community, Jonas starts a refuge called Village, which is the setting for book three, and partially book four. But the way that this is all explained and uncovered makes absolutely no sense.
This series is living proof that Lois Lowry was a one-hit wonder.
Let me try to explain what was so weird about these books. Jonas and Gabe, who escape the Community in book one, are not seen again until book three. And once we see them return in book three, we aren't directly told who they are until book four. I can handle that. That's okay.
But book four actually starts out where book one did. (weird)
And books two and three, as you'll find out at the end of this book, were completely pointless in comparison to the larger story that was happening. Like, they literally served no purpose at all. (annoying)
And after the disappointment of discovering that books two and three were pointless, we find out that the larger story that was happening is actually just really bad. Poorly developed plot, unconvincing characters and storyline, and one of the dumbest villains I've ever read about. (disappointing).
You'd expect that you'd learn more about the world as a whole, but you never do. The worldbuilding is basically non-existent. I wish I stopped at book one.
Continuing that thought about the villain in this story.... He is not even introduced until book three, and by book four, we're supposed to believe that he is the penultimate evil and author of all the suffering in these books. His name is the Trademaster. We are not told anything about him beyond that he trades things. Somebody might ask him for a boat, and he would take their honor in exchange. Somebody might ask him for their youth, and he would make them young again, but he would take their happiness.
How does he do these things? Nobody knows. It's just some magical ability that he has... Almost like Lois Lowry got tired of writing dystopian and wanted to turn this into fantasy at the last minute, and it doesn't work AT ALL.
Speaking of magical abilities, all of the main characters in this book gain mysterious magical abilities in book three. Why does this happen? Nobody knows. What purpose does it serve? None that I know of.
And all of this stuff works up to the ultimate defeat of the Trademaster, who we still know nothing about by the end, and NOTHING is done to explain the government behind the Communities.
Read something else. Only reason this got two stars is because Lowry's prose is quite good at times, and I did enjoy the main character in this book, but both of those things were drowned out by a torrent of negatives that rolled in the further I read. But at least I can cross one out on my incomplete series list =D.
As mentioned in my review of book three, The Giver (book 1) was a fast favorite for me because I read it when I was much younger, and it kind of helped transition me into more adult writing. Lots of real world themes, great characters, a convincing plot, and a truly touching story. The remaining books attempt to continue this story, beginning with the development of Kira, who lives in a Community that is extremely different from the one Jonas was raised in.
It is later discovered that after escaping his Community, Jonas starts a refuge called Village, which is the setting for book three, and partially book four. But the way that this is all explained and uncovered makes absolutely no sense.
This series is living proof that Lois Lowry was a one-hit wonder.
Let me try to explain what was so weird about these books. Jonas and Gabe, who escape the Community in book one, are not seen again until book three. And once we see them return in book three, we aren't directly told who they are until book four. I can handle that. That's okay.
But book four actually starts out where book one did. (weird)
And books two and three, as you'll find out at the end of this book, were completely pointless in comparison to the larger story that was happening. Like, they literally served no purpose at all. (annoying)
And after the disappointment of discovering that books two and three were pointless, we find out that the larger story that was happening is actually just really bad. Poorly developed plot, unconvincing characters and storyline, and one of the dumbest villains I've ever read about. (disappointing).
You'd expect that you'd learn more about the world as a whole, but you never do. The worldbuilding is basically non-existent. I wish I stopped at book one.
Continuing that thought about the villain in this story.... He is not even introduced until book three, and by book four, we're supposed to believe that he is the penultimate evil and author of all the suffering in these books. His name is the Trademaster. We are not told anything about him beyond that he trades things. Somebody might ask him for a boat, and he would take their honor in exchange. Somebody might ask him for their youth, and he would make them young again, but he would take their happiness.
How does he do these things? Nobody knows. It's just some magical ability that he has... Almost like Lois Lowry got tired of writing dystopian and wanted to turn this into fantasy at the last minute, and it doesn't work AT ALL.
Speaking of magical abilities, all of the main characters in this book gain mysterious magical abilities in book three. Why does this happen? Nobody knows. What purpose does it serve? None that I know of.
And all of this stuff works up to the ultimate defeat of the Trademaster, who we still know nothing about by the end, and NOTHING is done to explain the government behind the Communities.
Read something else. Only reason this got two stars is because Lowry's prose is quite good at times, and I did enjoy the main character in this book, but both of those things were drowned out by a torrent of negatives that rolled in the further I read. But at least I can cross one out on my incomplete series list =D.
Again... A good read, but the author seems to wrap these books up in one chapter!
Great ending to a thought provoking series! Compared to the trilogies of today- the hunger games, divergent, etc...-I really appreciated the slow and deliberate story telling in these 4 books. I loved the way, in Son, all the story lines came together.
A great ending to an amazing series. I would highly recommend these books to anyone. :)
Son was a mostly well-done conclusion to The Giver quartet.
Claire is a great addition to the cast of Giver characters, she's well-developed and you really feel for her throughout her journey.
The novel is divided into three parts: Before, Between and Beyond. Before and Between are both strong sections focusing on Claire in the community from The Giver and her journey to remember her past and learn the things the community lacked (colors, emotions, etc), but Beyond leaves something to be desired. I thought the ending was rather abrupt and a bit perplexing. The Giver and Gathering Blue were about these oppressive societies that the characters were trying to break away from and change, yet suddenly there's this big bad embodiment of evil that we have to fight and it seemed really out of place.
Claire is a great addition to the cast of Giver characters, she's well-developed and you really feel for her throughout her journey.
The novel is divided into three parts: Before, Between and Beyond. Before and Between are both strong sections focusing on Claire in the community from The Giver and her journey to remember her past and learn the things the community lacked (colors, emotions, etc), but Beyond leaves something to be desired. I thought the ending was rather abrupt and a bit perplexing. The Giver and Gathering Blue were about these oppressive societies that the characters were trying to break away from and change, yet suddenly there's this big bad embodiment of evil that we have to fight and it seemed really out of place.
This book has three sections. I really enjoy the first two, and cry a little every time I read them. The third falls really flat. The ending is rushed and honestly doesn't make much sense; the "moral" is simplistic and a bit nonsensical. This is my favorite book in the series, but I hate reading the ending.
It's so hard to know what to say about the sequels to the Giver. They are so so different but since I didn't like the Giver I appreciate that. In fact, the sequels made me like the Giver more because I didn't buy the Giver as a work ofscience fiction but the sequals make it clear it was magic based all along.
The son was a little slow for me and some of the decisions were inexplicable but I am glad I read it.
The son was a little slow for me and some of the decisions were inexplicable but I am glad I read it.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No