A review by emily_m_green
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

In Lois Lowry’s follow up to The Giver, the story begins with Kira, an adolescent girl, grieving her mother’s death. In losing her mother, Kira also lost her protection, as her father died when she was a baby and she was born with what she describes as a “twisted leg.” In her community, infants with physical differences were abandoned, but Kira’s mother fought for her life. 

When Kira ends her grieving period, her life and position are immediately challenged. When she is brought to trial, she is saved by her weaving talent, and she soon learns that things in her community are not quite what they seem.

Unlike The Giver, which was set in what seemed to be a prosperous town, Gathering Blue is set in a place ruled by poverty, and without strong shelters or modern technology or other modern conveniences. Kira weaves at a loom, and she has a kind of magical knowing in her fingers that allows her to create beautiful patterns. She finds deep pleasure and wonder in her weaving, and the book becomes, in part, a discussion of art and how artistic talent is used. 

The story does not seem related to The Giver or even necessarily in the same universe. However, Lowery is an excellent writer who wrote many books worth reading. Gathering Blue is much slower than The Giver and seems to have a more sophisticated voice. Those who loved The Giver may not love Gathering Blue in the same way, though it is a beautiful book in its own right. 

Would I teach this book? It is yet another option in the dystopian novel unit I recently wrapped up. Gathering Blue is a quieter novel than the other books from the unit—there is not so much adventure and Kira does not seek the same kind of danger the protagonists of many of the other books do. She is certainly brave, but she is not shooting arrows or fighting mechanical monsters in a maze or being tapped to kill people in a deathless society. 

It would seem that not every book need be a fight to the death for the protagonist. Many of the choices from the dystopian fiction unit certainly offer their share of fear and violence, but it is good to offer a slightly quieter choice, one in which power struggle and rebellion mean something slightly different.