Messenger (Readers Circle)
by Lois Lowry
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Book Summary Information
Author: Lois LowryEdition: Paperback
Published: 2006-08-22
ISBN: 0385732538
Number of pages: 192
Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Book Reviews of Messenger (Readers Circle)
Book Review: Could have been longer and more developed
Summary: 2 Stars
I read The Giver when I was a lot younger and it left such an impression on me that I decided, at the age of 26, to venture into the young adult section to buy it. I was thrilled to find out that there were two sequels to the novel and quickly got Gathering Blue and Messenger. I loved Gathering Blue, but Messenger left me somehow wanting more.
**** SPOILERS****
I think the biggest problem with the novel is that none of the themes seem well developed. The concept that Lowry introduces in this novel that people can trade something from themselves to receive things they desire is not expanded upon at all. This makes the ending seem cheap when she throws in that Matty exchanges himself to heal his world. I wish that the novel went into more detail, but because Matty is vague on the details, we are left in the dark.
I was also excited initially to think that we would be able to see Thomas and Jo again (two of my favorite characters from Gathering Blue). Sadly, Thomas is only mentioned in passing and Jo is not mentioned at all. How did Kira end up living in the hut that Annabella lived in? What happened to her job of finishing the Singer's robe? Was it done in six years? What happened with Jo? Was she chained up and held in servitude like the last singer? And what suddenly occurred that could cause Kira's world to become better? In Gathering Blue, no one helped anyone else, girls were not allowed to learn, etc. What made the change? The world of Gathering Blue worked because it was in such stark contrast to the world of the Giver (Utopian vs. dystopia). Was Kira's world suddenly becoming more like Village and Jonas' childhood home?
All-in-all, I feel that this novel was WAY too rushed. I think that Lois Lowry could have taken more time to fill in some holes that were going to leave the readers wanting more. She did a poor job of tying together the first two novels with this one. It seems as though she just plugged the characters from the first two novels into a storyline and hoped that they would be sufficient.
Summary of Messenger (Readers Circle)
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. Village was a place that welcomed newcomers, but something sinister has seeped into Village and the people have voted to close it to outsiders. Matty has been invaluable as a messenger. Now he must make one last journey through the treacherous forest with his only weapon, a power he unexpectedly discovers within himself.Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic Books
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