Review: The Giver, Gathering Blue and Messenger by Lois Lowry.

In another return to my youth in the month of November, I decided to reread a book and its two companion novels that has had a large impact on me as a person. The Giver remains one of my all-time favorite novels, even after this reread. You would think that after all of the great classic literature I've been reading that it would somehow begin to pale in comparison.

It didn't.

I have already reviewed this novel as part of my "Thursday Treats" feature, and you can find that review here, but I still have more to add.

Jonas is turning 12 and like all the other members of his society, he will be given a role to fulfill. When the time comes, however, he is given a special role, that of the Receiver. It will be his job to take on the memories of the past-of war, snow, colors, pain, and real family-so that his community will not have to.

This time around, I will still incredibly moved by Jonas' story. After all, he is only a 12 year old boy and he is faced with a world that he begins to question. I was reminded how much I love Lowry's way of letting the story speak for itself. And the open ending still made perfect sense.

I think that no matter what I read, or often I reread this novel, that it will remain a cherished friend. It moves me every time I read it and I cannot recommend it enough.

I remember that when Lowry released the first companion novel, Gathering Blue, people were outraged. Some felt it was taking away from the power of The Giver and others wanted more answers.

I always viewed it as a separate entity, which is why I recommend both companions as much as I recommend The Giver.

In Gathering Blue, we are introduced to another young person, Kira, and her society. Like Jonas' community, Kira lives in a place that is highly regulated. Those with deformities are killed and it is only by her mother's love that she is saved. Kira, born with a twisted and malformed leg, must battle the society around her for her entire life. As something less than perfect, she must work harder.

She is eventually taken in by the Guardians and given a task, to fix the woven robe that the Singer wears each Gathering. The Singer tells the tale of human history-the suffering, wars, and peaceful times-to remind those in the community of what was.

Like Jonas, Kira begins to realize that her world is not perfect and there are many things that need to be fixed. In the end, she decides to stay behind in her community to help fix it and who the people living there that there is another way to live.

To be honest, Gathering Blue is my least favorite of the trilogy and mainly because unlike the other two main characters, Kira doesn't seem to make as big of a sacrifice to fix her world. I would say more, but I don't want to ruin it for you. But don't let that statement take away from the fact that this is still a powerful little novel in its own right. It gives us another take on what may happen in the future.

The final book in the trilogy is Messenger. In this final chapter of the set, Matty lives in a village that is a safe haven for those escaping other communities. Matty had escaped years earlier from Kira's village and lives in safety.

Surrounding the village is the forest and Matty is one of the few who can navigate its twisting paths. After the people of his village begin to change and determine to close the borders of their village forever, Matty is sent to fetch Kira and post warnings in the forest to those who are seeing safety.

On his way home, Matty has to make decisions about what he is willing to do to save the people who took him in, and what he is willing to give up.

The first time I read this novel, I bawled like a baby. That NEVER happens to me, so that should tell you how emotionally draining this novel was. The last few chapters are so packed with emotion and tough decisions that they get me every single time.

I love Matty. He is the perfect, unselfish character and the strength he has always warms my heart. He struggles his entire life to find happiness and eventually gets there.

I am grateful I read this again. They moved me just as much on this reread as they did before and I cannot tell you how much I want to place a copy of each of these novels into your hands. And if you do decide to read them, I hope you love them and cherish their strength just as much as I do.

Thursday Treat #25: The Giver by Lois Lowry.

"We thank you for your childhood."

As a child and teenager, I don't think there was another book that I read more than The Giver by Lois Lowry. From my first reading of it in the fifth grade, The Giver has remained one of my all-time favorite novels, if not my SOLE favorite.

Lowry's novel about a future with no color, music, feeling, history, or choice had a deep and lasting impact on me as a child. I could not imagine not being able to see the colors around me when the leaves changed in fall, hear the music that moves me so, or remember the stories of our past.

It was a book the frightened me, as I worried that we as a society would someday forget to pass on the lessons of the past.

It is a beautiful and heart-breaking book that is sometimes dismissed because of its "Young Adult" status (THAT is a whole other rant). I have always clung to it, since I find in Jonas a courage I don't know that I would have myself. The Giver was the beginning of dystopia and all of the modern dystopian novels can pay it homage for what it accomplished.

Jonas turns 12 and his role in his community will be assigned to him in a formal ceremony. As his friends learn their future roles, he is passed over. When it is finally his turn, he learns that he will become the next Receiver of Memory, the only person in the community who feels and remembers what came before.

If you haven't had a chance to read this, you need to go and get a copy. It is a book that has helped define who I am as a person and what I believe. I don't think I can remember a book that I have read with a stronger message.

"Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music too. But perhaps it was only an echo."

Book List Meme: February 2, 2010.

Okay, it is time for a weekly book Meme hosted by Rebecca at Lost in Books. Each week a topic is posted that must be answered by the titles and pictures of 3 books.

This week's topic?

3 Books I Read When I Need a Good Cry

I found this to be a real difficult topic because I am not a big crier! But, I looked and decided on these three! Enjoy!

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: I have a lot of love for this book. I purchased it on a whim and ended up reading it during one shift at the park (I was sitting in the permit booth all day). By the end of the day and the end of my shift, I was teary eyed and stuck in Zusak's world. It is about a girl living in Germany in World War II and the lives of the people around her. What makes this book so outstanding is that it is narrated by Death.




2. The Giver by Lois Lowry: I read this in school in the fifth grade and I fell in love. For me, this is the ultimate dystopian novel and no other can stand up to this. Jonas lives in a world with no color, no music, and no memories beyond his own life. At his 12 year ceremony, Jonas is told he will be the next Receiver of Memories. He then learns about the past through the reception of memories and is forever changed.




3. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman: This had to be included on my list. I love Whitman and his use of language. It is always inspiring and sad. This volume of poems got me through both of my grandparents' deaths and it is something I always turn to in times of need. I am not always such a huge fan of poetry, but Whitman's words really touch my heart.