Son

Claire was disappointed with her assignment as birthmother, and now she approaches the birth of her first newchild with anxiety.  She isn't sure what to expect.  The birth proves to be a painful and frightening experience, but there are complications that leave Claire with a painful recovery.  She soon learns that these complications mean she can no longer be a birthmother.

As she begins her new assignment at the fish hatchery in confusion and embarrassment, she feels an unnatural attachment to the newchild, number thirty six.  She soon discovers that no one else feels this way, so she hides her emotions.

This is the beginning of a story that will take Claire away from the only home she's ever known and into near fatal danger.  But always she has one thought, to find her son.

Claire's son is the baby Gabriel, stolen by Jonas at the end of The Giver.  This conclusion to the four part series brings back all the characters we know and love from the previous books.  Of course, there are also old enemies made more tangible and frightening.

Lowry once again explores themes of love and sacrifice in this riveting book.  Let me say again that you should definitely read The Giver, Gathering Blue,and Messenger first.  You could probably get through Son without reading the others, but you would miss the depth of emotion.

Messenger

This book begins several years after the end of Gathering Blue, and Matty is living in Village with Kira's father, now called Seer.  Village has always been the wonderful place filled with kind people that saved Seer when his own village left him for dead, but things are changing.

People are attending Trade Mart to trade for things they want.  Some are tangible things like new furniture or a gaming machine, but some things are less obvious and more frightening.  What is most frightening of all is what these people may to trading to get what they want.

Matty is also troubled by a strange new gift he has developed.  He has the power to heal, but he is left weakened by each experience.  As things grow worse in his community, Matty continues to test his gift.

Village has always welcomed all newcomers, but now the people want to close the borders, and Matty must make one final journey through forest to bring Kira home to her father.  But Forest is changing, too.  It is becoming a dark and threatening place that kills and maims, and this will be a dangerous journey for Matty and Kira.

I can't tell you my real feelings about this book because I don't want to spoil the ending.  Just know that I love it, and you should read it!

Gathering Blue

In this companion book to The Giver, Lois Lowry creates an alternative to Jonas's overly safe and highly technological world.

Kira's village is a cruel and hard place, and now, as Kira mourns her mother's death, she is all alone.  Just a few days after her mother's death, the women of the village try to take her home by force.  With her twisted, useless leg, Kira isn't sure how she will survive, let alone win this battle with these dangerous women.

She quickly realizes she has a protector who knows about her skills with threadings.  Now that her mother is dead, Kira will find purpose in repairing the ancient robe worn by the singer who sings the the story of the world each year.  Now she is no longer living in her mud hut with the rest of the village.  She is in the council edifice with all it's little luxuries Kira's never imagined.

Soon, however, Kira comes to see beyond the veil of comfort the council offers her to see the truth about her society and the lies those in power use to control the people.

Lois Lowry says that after she wrote The Giver, she started to think about the different societies that could develop after a post-apocalyptic event.  It seemed logical to her, that some communities would be stuck in a backwards world devoid of technology.  Gathering Blue explores many of the issues Lowry raised in The Giver through a different lens.

The Giver

After hearing Lois Lowry talk about Son last week, I decided I needed to reread The Giver before plunging into the new book.  I am so glad I did!  It had been so long since reading the first book that I really only remembered the high points (including the end) and that I loved it.  Reading The Giver after more than ten years felt like a new experience, and I was on the edge of my seat, completely enthralled, just like the first time.  If you haven't read this book, read it now!  If it's been a while, read it again!  You won't be disappointed.

It's almost time for Jonas's twelfth birthday, which will be celebrated with the rest of the children born in the same year.  This is the year they will be assigned their careers and begin training.  Jonas feels apprehensive because he has no idea what career the council of elders has chosen for him.

In this perfectly ordered society, there are very few choices to make.  Similarities are the focus, and differences aren't tolerated.  Everything seems perfect in the community; there is no pain, no discord, no crime.  Jonas has never questioned his life and his community, but when he is chosen as the new Receiver at the ceremony of twelve, he begins a journey that will reveal the truth about his community and himself.

The Giver is a masterpiece of YA dystopia.   Lowry presents her readers with a society free from many of the ills we lament in our own world.  As Jonas undertakes his Receiver training, the veneer quickly begins to fade, and we see, along with Jonas, the terrible price for this "perfect" society.

Lois Lowry Was in Houston Today!

Today was awesome because I got to meet Lois Lowry again!  Ms. Lowry spoke at Johnston Middle School this afternoon at 3:00 as part of inprint Houston.  Her new book is a sequel to The Giver called Son and follows Gabe's birth mother.  As a fan of Ms. Lowry's books, I am super excited to get started on reading it!  I picked up one autographed copy for myself and one for someone to win at the end of the year celebration.  Come by the library to check out some of her other books!

Here is a photo of Lois Lowry signing the book you could win!

Princess Buttercup hugged the books as soon as I put them down to take a picture.  I guess she's a fan, too!

Lois Lowry in Houston

I don't know about you, but I am so excited for Lois Lowry's new book, Son!  She will be here in Houston this Sunday reading and signing books.  Maybe I'll see you there!