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missmadamemoon 's review for:
Son
by Lois Lowry
Overall, I was really impressed by the entire Giver quartet. And I’m glad I was late to jump onto this series so I got to read all 4 books together. Waiting 20 years from 1 to 4 would have been too long! I’ve never read a series like this, with “companion” books rather than one linear storyline. I knew little of the series and didn’t know what to expect from each novel, or even which character each would focus on. It was a pleasant surprise to watch these different worlds within a world unfold, getting to know the different protagonists, and then seeing them all come together. All very satisfying.
In addition to offering a rich storyline in its own right, Son came back to things I’d been curious about – birthmothers from The Giver, the trades from The Messenger, and whatever happened to young Gabe after he and Jonas made their new home. I had wondered about him throughout The Messenger. Everything masterfully pulled together. It was also great to see Kira & Jonas together, and again I reveled in the small detail of her being donned in blue. I enjoyed that Lowry never explained these special, little details to us – like their children being named after Annabelle and Matty. When writers have to explain the significance, the weight of the meaning is somewhat deteriorated. The way she interweaved small bits from all the novels into this final novel was beautiful.
It’s ironic that I came to this series, and especially to this final installment of Son, while I myself am pregnant. I can’t imagine this story of mother and son searching for one another to any more poignant to me than it is now. My heart ached for Claire, and I was waiting on bated breath for their reunion! (Thank goodness for the happy ending!!!)
I will say that Son seemed the least “young adult-ish” of the series. The issues and concerns here were so much more “grown up.” I kind of have a hard time imagining the younger audience being able to connect to the 14-year-old Claire as they did to Jonas, Kira, & Matty at those ages… but I think that may just be because of the way I super-connect to it now.
I enjoyed the way Son was broken into three books, though will admit that first part of the second book, when Claire had lost her memories, seemed to drag a bit. When her memories recovered and we got the story of her building her strength, I was much more intrigued. Book 1 was wonderful to follow, engaging in another side of The Giver storyline. And I sped through Book 3, delighted at the way all the pieces were coming together.
Thank you, Lois Lowry, for a wonderful sci-fi but incredibly human adventure!
In addition to offering a rich storyline in its own right, Son came back to things I’d been curious about – birthmothers from The Giver, the trades from The Messenger, and whatever happened to young Gabe after he and Jonas made their new home. I had wondered about him throughout The Messenger. Everything masterfully pulled together. It was also great to see Kira & Jonas together, and again I reveled in the small detail of her being donned in blue. I enjoyed that Lowry never explained these special, little details to us – like their children being named after Annabelle and Matty. When writers have to explain the significance, the weight of the meaning is somewhat deteriorated. The way she interweaved small bits from all the novels into this final novel was beautiful.
It’s ironic that I came to this series, and especially to this final installment of Son, while I myself am pregnant. I can’t imagine this story of mother and son searching for one another to any more poignant to me than it is now. My heart ached for Claire, and I was waiting on bated breath for their reunion! (Thank goodness for the happy ending!!!)
I will say that Son seemed the least “young adult-ish” of the series. The issues and concerns here were so much more “grown up.” I kind of have a hard time imagining the younger audience being able to connect to the 14-year-old Claire as they did to Jonas, Kira, & Matty at those ages… but I think that may just be because of the way I super-connect to it now.
I enjoyed the way Son was broken into three books, though will admit that first part of the second book, when Claire had lost her memories, seemed to drag a bit. When her memories recovered and we got the story of her building her strength, I was much more intrigued. Book 1 was wonderful to follow, engaging in another side of The Giver storyline. And I sped through Book 3, delighted at the way all the pieces were coming together.
Thank you, Lois Lowry, for a wonderful sci-fi but incredibly human adventure!