Messenger by Lois Lowry
Messenger by Lois Lowry is a companion novel to The Giver (my book review) and Gathering Blue (my book review). The Giver and Gathering Blue can both easily be read own their own but it’s in Messenger that both of their stories come together.
Messenger is set in the village that Jonas from The Giver escapes to and now home to Matty from Gathering Blue. The villagers are all people who have left their own communities to find a new way of life, a better way to live. They are a happy people, accepting of all disabilities but that all changes when greed and discontent begin to ripple through the village. Now they want to close the border to all newcomers.
Kira’s father asks Matty to travel through the forest to his old village to bring back his daughter before the border closes. Their trip is perilous and dangerous and Kira and Matty find their lives in danger. Jonas sets out to save them, but can he? With each of their special abilities, can they make it back to their village safely? And if they do, will it be a village that they want to return to?
I liked this one better than Gathering Blue but still not as much as The Giver. But all three are definitely worth reading. Lois Lowry is an amazing author and I’m glad to have discovered her this year. Better late than never!
Book review of The Giver
Book review of Gathering Blue
Book review of Number the Stars
Book review of The Willoughby’s
Lois Lowry’s website and blog.
Do you have a favorite Lois Lowry book?
I loved The Giver, but I think my favorite Lois Lowry book is Gossamer.
on September 24th, 2008 at 11:10 pmI have never actually read one of Lois Lowry’s books before. My little brother had to read The Giver in school this year so I when I visit for Christmas I’ll take it home with me
on September 25th, 2008 at 3:13 amUgh, I didn’t care for The Messenger at all - too much muddled symbolism for my taste.
I love, love, loved Number the Stars, although I haven’t read it since grade school. I should revisit it sometime soon.
on September 25th, 2008 at 7:40 amI didn’t know there was a companion to The Giver! I’ll have to check it out!
on September 25th, 2008 at 7:46 amI adore both “The Giver” and “Number the Stars.” I knew about these sequels, but I still haven’t read them. I’d better go and add them to my wishlist.
on September 25th, 2008 at 8:14 amI’ve only read “The Giver” and then I read “Number the Stars” YEARS ago and remember very little of it. I want to read “Gathering Blue”, “The Messenger”, and “the Willoughbys”…eventually. My list is getting longer and longer…
on September 25th, 2008 at 8:33 amWell, of course, The Giver and Number the Stars are her best known. But I also love Gossamer and another book, which I rarely see reviewed by other bloggers, The Silent Boy. I think that one is fabulous. Here are my reviews of Gossamer and The Silent Boy.
http://back-to-books.blogspot.com/2007/08/62-gossamer.html
http://back-to-books.blogspot.com/2007/10/88-silent-boy.html
on September 25th, 2008 at 9:50 amI’m hoping to read both this and Gathering Blue for the Read-a-thon. Several people have told me that the other two aren’t as good as The Giver, but like you said the whole trilogy really sounds worth reading.
on September 25th, 2008 at 1:38 pmI’m happy to hear that you enjoyed this one more than Gathering Blue - it’ll encourage me if I get stuck there.
She has written a lot of winners!
on September 26th, 2008 at 6:54 amIt’s been quite a while since I read The Giver but I had mixed feelings about it. I have Gossamer on the shelf for someday.
on September 27th, 2008 at 2:14 pmI agree that Messenger and Gathering Blue are not as good as The Giver but I still enjoyed them. The Giver is so fantastic that it’s pretty hard to compete. I need to catch up on some more Lois Lowry books.
on September 29th, 2008 at 11:14 amI’m so glad you discovered lois lowry! She was one of my first favorite authors. My favorite is gathering blue. I really think this has something to do with me reading it before the giver which I read at least four times my eighth grade year. The messenger an number the stars are on my TBR list.
on September 29th, 2008 at 3:12 pmcool. going to the list with the others! i don’t think i have a fave. like i’ve said many many times before i am SO behind! idk if i have ever read one. that’s so sad. =[
on September 30th, 2008 at 12:58 pmMy apologizes to those who were subscribed to the follow up comments on this post. That commenter has now been blocked.
on October 5th, 2008 at 4:53 pm