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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
While Son answered some of my many questions, there were a great number of questions that remained unanswered. I felt the ending was rushed and tied up a little too neatly.
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
God I love The Giver and it's "companion" books. I def need to go back and reread Messenger and Gathering Blue ASAP to remember the intricacies of how these stories weave together.
An end to The Giver quartet. This was probably my least favorite, because I didn’t like the section and that happened in the book. but still good.
Over the holidays this year I set out to read The Giver series by Lois Lowry. They are each quite short, and it made a delightful and thought-provoking reading assignment.
Each small gem in the quartet of books focuses on a character and that character's special gift. The link is chronological and geographic, the setting a handful of communities along a river that leads to the ocean. The history and literature in the communities mark them as of our Western world, some time in the far future.
But the stories are told more as fables, not so much fantasy world creation, than "what if" stories that highlight values such as the importance of art and history in human existence, the meaning of self-sacrifice, the importance of memory and the bonds of love. Each story is beautifully and simply told, and form a sort of meditation cycle on human values. Beautiful, poignant these stories fueled many thoughts and dreams in this winter season.
Each small gem in the quartet of books focuses on a character and that character's special gift. The link is chronological and geographic, the setting a handful of communities along a river that leads to the ocean. The history and literature in the communities mark them as of our Western world, some time in the far future.
But the stories are told more as fables, not so much fantasy world creation, than "what if" stories that highlight values such as the importance of art and history in human existence, the meaning of self-sacrifice, the importance of memory and the bonds of love. Each story is beautifully and simply told, and form a sort of meditation cycle on human values. Beautiful, poignant these stories fueled many thoughts and dreams in this winter season.
I'm going to try to give this review without any spoilers. Rating the book on its own, I would give it four stars. I liked the story of Claire, and her deep bond with her child resonated with me. I also enjoyed her story of triumph over her challenge in Part Two, and the sweet love story that developed there.
If Ms. Lowry had written this book to stand on its own and not connected with the other books in the series it would have been a perfect book. She excels at writing stories that are encapsulated and well-scripted.
Therein lies the rub. I did not like this as the conclusion to the series, as there were many questions left unanswered and I did not feel that these unanswered questions were justified. Do not come to this book seeking answers as you will not find them.
If Ms. Lowry had written this book to stand on its own and not connected with the other books in the series it would have been a perfect book. She excels at writing stories that are encapsulated and well-scripted.
Therein lies the rub. I did not like this as the conclusion to the series, as there were many questions left unanswered and I did not feel that these unanswered questions were justified. Do not come to this book seeking answers as you will not find them.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I LOVED THIS BOOK! The plot unfolded in such a satisfying and clever way that it was easy to follow but also surprising! I understand how many people will say that big parts of Lois’ books are unnecessary for the story, but this book made it all worth it for me. We get to see returning characters and information from all previous three books was included! I wanted an epilogue to the Messenger and that’s EXACTLY what Son was. 10/10 recommend
This book had me feeling “this meeting could have been an email” vibes. The first two parts DRAGGGGED. She could have cut out half the book and still gotten her point across. And the ending was kinda anticlimactic. The Giver deserved better honestly, I’m disappointed (and BORED)!
This was... different, but overall I think I enjoyed it.