The Giver Quartet

The Giver 



Author: Lois Lowrey



Themes: Coming of Age; Individual vs. Society


Genre: Science Fiction/ Fantasy
 

Recommended Age for Reading: 

The reading level is 5.9, which is about right for the content.  There are a few parts of the book that are intended for mature audiences.  In one scene, the protagonist has a dream about a girl he knows.  In the dream, he is asking her to take her clothes off.  In the climax of the story, a baby is euthanized, but at this point of the story, the protagonist decides things in his society have to change.   










Plot:

Set in a futuristic society, the main character, Jonas lives a peaceful life with his mother, father, and sister. In this particular society, everything is provided for all the individuals…food, housing, transportation, and everything that is needed.  All the decisions are made by the elders including what jobs people will have, who will be paired up as spouses, and which family units children will be placed into. 
The protagonist of the story, Jonas is about to find out what his assignment, or job is going to be.  He has no idea what has been chosen for his future.  At the Choosing Ceremony, it is revealed that he has not been assigned, but rather selected to be the Receiver of Memories.  He has no idea what this means.  As he learns what his role will be  from the current Receiver, his life and perspective of his world changes.


Review:

I loved this book!  It was published before Dysopotanion type books were popular, so in many ways, the author, Lois Lowrey was way ahead of her time.  I believe many of the popular books of this style today, such as “The Divergent Series,” “Matched,” and even “The Hunger Games” were inspired from “The Giver.”  While there are a few scenes that would be confusing for immature readers, it is a book with a strong message that I believe everyone needs to read. 

Rating: 5/5  


Gathering Blue
  Author: Lois Lowry
  Themes: Coming of Age; Individual vs. Society; Acceptance
  Genre: Fantasy










Plot:

This story is set in the same universe as “The Giver,” however the main characters from “The Giver” don’t play much of a role and are barely mentioned. Also, the genre of the story line changes somewhat.  Instead of being science fiction and fantasy, it is more just a fantasy story since the characters have special “gifts.”  Kira, the protagonist in this story lives in a primitive village, which would be considered part of “Elsewhere” from the society in “The Giver.”  At the beginning of the story, Kira is mourning her mother’s death.  Since Kira was born with a twisted leg, she isn’t fully accepted by the people of her village.  Because of this difference, she will never be allowed to marry.  Kira had been told her entire life that her father was taken by beasts, so she never knew her father.  Her only friend was a wild boy from outside of the villiage, who pretty much fended for himself.  Kira was not sure what was going to happen to her after her mother’s death, but then the elders of the village wanted her to use her gift of embroidery to repair a special robe that had been used in a specific ceremony for many generations.  The more Kira uses her gift, the more she realizes there is more to her and her gift than meets the eye. 


Review:

This was my least favorite book in The Giver series, but it is necessary to read the story in order to understand the books that come after the story.  The plot was very slow until the very end.  Once I reached the end, I immediately wanted to read the book that comes next in the series.  I was disappointed that I didn’t see more of the characters in “The Giver” in this story, but they show up in the third and fourth books.

Rating: 2/5




Messenger
 Author: Lois Lowry
 Themes: Coming of Age; Love and Sacrifice; Good vs Evil
 Genre: Fantasy
















Plot: Contains spoilers from the first two books!

The protagonist of this story is Matt who was Kira’s friend from “Gathering Blue.”  He now goes by Matty and has made a home with Seer who was revealed to be Kira’s long lost father at the end of "Gathering Blue."  Matty and Seer live in a village that has accepted everyone, no matter where they have come from or what problems they seem to have.  Seer is blind and has lived peacefully in the village since he lost his sight.   He took Matty in after he found him and took him to his daughter Kira.  Kira still lives in the village where she grew up, but the forest that separates the two villages is changing.  It is becoming more and more dangerous for anyone to venture out.  The village is also changing.  People who were once so accepting toward one another have become selfish and greedy.  The people decide, against leader's wishes, that the village must be closed off to outsiders.  When this decision is made, Seer and Matty realize that if Kira may never see her father or Matty again if they don't get her before the village is closed off.  With the help of Leader, Matty risks everything he has to find Kira and bring her to her father. 

Review:

I liked this book better than the second book in the series.  The message of the story was very powerful and the characters from “The Giver” play more of a role in the plot.  Leader is Jonas from “The Giver,” and Gabriel is also in the story.  I liked seeing the worlds from “The Giver, “ and “Gathering Blue” come together. 

Rating: 4/5
 





Son
 Author: Lois Lowry
 Themes: Coming of Age; Love and Sacrifice; Good vs Evil
 Genre: Fantasy











Plot: Contains spoilers from the previous books!

This book follows the story of Claire who is a girl from Jonas’ society in “The Giver.”  Claire is a birth mother who only was able to give birth once.  Normally, birth mothers, or vessels give birth to three babies before being reassigned for manual labor.  After the baby was born, Claire was reassigned to work in the fish hatchery.  Even though, Claire is supposed to have no emotional attachment to the baby she delivered, she can’t help but be drawn to the Nurturing Center.  She finds ways to go to the Nurturing Center to see the baby as often as she can get away with it.  The baby however, has not proven to be fit to be assigned to a family unit.  Eventually, it is decided that the baby will be released to Elsewhere. 


Review:

Son is a wonderful end to “The Giver” series as the entire store comes full circle.  The journey Claire takes displays the power of the love a mother has for her child.  All the major characters from the previous books are in this story, and it’s amazing to see how their lives finally come together. All of the unanswered questions readers had after reading "The Giver," will finally be answered! 

Rating: 5/5





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