Book Review: Messenger

Author: Lois Lowry

Pages: 169

Genre: Fiction/Young Adult

Personal Rating 3.5

From the back cover:

For the past six years, Matty has lived in Village and flourished under the guidance of Seer, a blind man known for his special sight. Once, Village was a place that welcomed newcomers and offered hope and homes to people fleeing poverty and cruelty. But something sinister has seeped into Village, and the people have voted to close it to outsiders. All along, Matty has been invaluable as a messenger between Village and other communities. He hopes someday to earn the name of Messenger. Now he must make one last journey through the increasingly treacherous forest to spread the message of Village’s closing and convince Kira, Seer’s daughter, to return with him. Matty’s only weapon against his dangerous surroundings is a secret power he unexpectedly discovers within himself. He wants to heal the people who have nourished his body and spirit and is willing to offer the greatest gift and pay the ultimate price.

I read Messenger as my third book in the Themed Reading Challenge. My theme is books by the the author Lois Lowry. I've already read The Giver and Gathering Blue. My last book will be Number the Stars.

Messenger is listed as "A companion to the Newbery Award Winner The Giver and to Gathering Blue" and it does incorporate the two together, drawing on characters and experiences from both books. If you haven't read the prior two books I would wait to read Messenger.

I enjoyed Messenger but not nearly as much as The Giver or Gathering Blue. This book was similar to the first two in that the main character Matty exists in a world "similar yet different from ours". It actually seems to be happening simultaneously with the worlds of The Giver and Gathering Blue. While those worlds are (still) existing. When you read The Giver and Gathering Blue it seems that they are there own distinct worlds but you learn in Messenger that they are not.

I guess Lowry has lost a little of her shine for me. Her first two books were so different and surprising. I "sort of" knew what style to expect with Messenger and sure enough I was able to figure out what would be happening. It was still a good book, just not as good as the first two.

Book Review: Gathering Blue

Author: Lois Lowry

Pages: 215

Genre: Fiction/Young Adult/Sci. Fi & Fantasy

Personal Rating: 4.5/5

From the back cover:

Kira, an orphan with a twisted leg, lives in a world where the weak are cast aside. When she is given a task that no other community member can carry out, Kira soon realizes that she is surrounded by many mysteries and secrets. No one must know of her plans to uncover the truth about her world—and to find out what exists beyond it.

Loved it! Once again, Lowry has created an “alternate” world after the destruction of our own many, many, many years earlier. This world though is one that has regressed. Sick or dying members of the community are dragged to the Field and are left there. If they have any children they are given away. Men go out for food, women stay home with the tykes. Before Kira is orphaned her mother and her just ate vegetables and fish they could catch from the stream. There was no man to hunt for meat since Kira’s dad had been killed by Beasts years earlier during a hunt. No one helps a widow and her crippled child. In their opinion that child should have been put in the Field after its birth.

The story starts with Kira sitting with her dead mother in the Field. She has been dead for four days and Kira has been doing the four days of watching (the spirit). She has no family and is all alone, she decides she will rebuild her cot (house) herself and start her life. She knows she may face opposition from the women of the village who see her as useless. They want her space/land to pen up their tykes. When she gets back to her cot, which has been burnt down to rid it of illness another women is pillaging the vegetable garden. She is nearly stoned by the women of the village but they decide to take her before the Council of Elders as is “proper procedure” when there is a conflict.

From here it is realized that Kira has a special gift in weaving and she is taken to live in the Council Edifice. Her job will be to fix the stitching on The Singer’s Robe. As you move into the Edifice with Kira you meet Thomas the Carver, learn about the Robe, the Singer and the Gathering Ceremony and discover little Jo, the tyke who will eventually become the new singer. But as the back cover says “Kira soon realizes she is surrounded by many mysteries and secrets.” Not everything is as it seems.

I loved the characters. Lowry does a wonderful job developing them. I read a little of the readers guide in the back and she talks about bringing one called Mattie back in a later book (The Messenger?). I didn’t realize there was a guide so I was startled when the story stopped. A little abruptly in my opinion. I liked the abrupt ending in The Giver, but I don’t think it fits as well here. To explain more would be to give away the story so I won’t. I think most readers young and older again will find this book enjoyable. I have two more Lowry books I need to read for a challenge and I’m definatley looking forward to both of them.

Book Review: The Giver

Author: Lois Lowry

Pages: 179

Genre: Fiction/Young Adult

Personal Rating: 5/5

Awards: NEWBERY

From the back cover:

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community.

When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

After my disappointment with my last book, I was hesitant about reading The Giver. I had once again heard very good things about this book and I didn’t want to be disappointed again. I wasn’t. This book was brilliant, for a young adult or adult. As I was reading this book my husband asked me “Are you going to put that book down tonight?” Of course the answer was no. I read it in one sitting (it is pretty short).

Jonas lives in a very structured community/world where one has very few choice and no choices about anything important, such as who you will marry, who will be your child, your job, when you will die…etc. Every year there is a special ceremony and each age group of children “advances” in the community. One year they get jackets with pockets (they can now be trusted to take care of their own things), one year they get bicycles, and at year 12 they are assigned the job they will have for their entire lives. The years leading up to they year 12 ceremony they are observed by Elders who always choose the correct job that “fits” the child. Some will be labors, others doctors, birthmothers, or lawyers.

At the year 12 ceremony it is announced the Jonas has been SELECTED to be the Receiver of Memory, a very great honor but that requires great courage since he will feel physical pain, something no one else will ever do. Jonas was selected by the current Receiver of Memory who is old and must pass on all the memories to Jonas. He asks Jonas to call him The Giver. The Giver literally has all the memories leading up to the current community (going back hundreds of years?) when people actually had choices & free will. If there is not one person to “hold” the memories they would be released back into the community and cause great suffering and pain to everyone.

What I’ve mentioned has just skimmed what this book is about. There isn’t much text, but the book says a lot (does that make sense?). Unfortunately, it ends up on banned and challenged book listed for some of the situations that occur in the book (euthanasia for example). In my opinion this book should be read because of those situations. They can open up doors for discussions about the freedoms and choices we have and what were to happen if we didn’t.

Themed Reading Challenge

January 1st 2008 - June 30 2008

Choose at least 4 books that share a theme. Write a review about each book you complete and a final wrap up at the end of the challenge.

POSSIBLE THEMES:

* Set in Asian countries

* Cozy (never read before)

* Softball or baseball

* Involve genetics

I ended up going with none of the above! My theme is...
Books by Lois Lowry

1. The Giver by Lois Lowry (completed 1.27.08)
2. Gathering Blue
3. The Messenger
4. Number the Stars

Link to the blog here: themed reading challenge hosted by caribousmom