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Messenger (Giver Quartet) by Lois Lowry
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Messenger (Giver Quartet) (original 2004; edition 2012)

by Lois Lowry (Author)

Series: The Giver (3)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
6,2571981,543 (3.76)1 / 178
While the plot issues with Gathering Blue weren't resolved in this one, it stood on it's own better as a story. I loved Matty in this, and all the other characters too, like Seer, Leader (who's totally Jonas), Jean, and Kira from Gathering Blue. The themes of immigration and acceptance, of social sickness reflecting in nature were very well done and relevant. I wished there had been a bit more in some areas, but found myself deeply engrossed throughout and read it all in one sitting (it is very short though, so that isn't exactly a bragging point). I'm excited to read Son now, which is considerably longer than Gathering Blue and Messenger, possibly even combined. ( )
  Faith_Murri | Dec 9, 2019 |
English (194)  Italian (2)  Spanish (1)  All languages (197)
Showing 1-25 of 194 (next | show all)
Matty enjoys his job as his village's courier, bringing messages to whoever needs them, but worries about the new rumblings in town of residents wanting to stop newcomers from joining their society. He becomes determined to get his friend from a nearby community over to his village while he still can.

So, this book brings together the first two titles in the series, showing the connection between them that was hitherto unknown. For that, I definitely appreciated it. It was also good to see how the various characters have grown and developed in the intervening years since we saw them last.

However, that being said, I felt like this book brought up topics (e.g., the trade market suddenly becoming evil) without fully explaining them, although I suppose there's still potential in the last book of the series to answer everything completely. I'm not so sure about that though as so far, I feel like each book only raises more questions. I also really didn't like the ending of this book with Matty having to sacrifice his own life to stop the forest from taking over and in general didn't like to see that even the newest society was already having issues, as that was really demoralizing and didn't leave much hope for the small changes that had been made in places like Kira's community.

As I've gotten this far already, I am going to continue on to the next and final book in the series to see what happens but if this one had been first, I probably would have dropped the series right away. ( )
  sweetiegherkin | Mar 12, 2024 |
Mystery
  BooksInMirror | Feb 19, 2024 |
I raced through this one, as I was eager to find out what happened with Matty and Kira. I'm not sure I liked the ending, it felt a bit rushed, but liked the book overall. ( )
  decaturmamaof2 | Nov 22, 2023 |
Really enjoying this series. Looking forward to number 4. ( )
  JennyPocknall | Oct 19, 2023 |
(2.5 / 5)

I do not know where Lois Lowry is going with this series at this point. I don't understand much of anything after reading this third book in the series. And since, at the time of this book's release, it seemed to be considered the end of a trilogy, I can understand why a lot of people were quite unhappy with it at the time that it came out. It sort of gives us a little continuation of the first book in the series, but it heaps on new questions and confusions, and puts absolutely none of them to rest. Why did Forest begin to become corrupted in the first place? Where did the Trade Mart come from, and how was it connected to Forest? What happened to the Trade Mart leader at the end of the book? I guess the book is meant to be one huge allegory about people giving up parts of themselves for something superficial, but it's pretty subtle, so I really doubt kids of the age it's meant for will pick up on that at all. And maybe that's even what already happened in the village that Matty, the Seer, and Kira came from, considering that they're pretty much just terrible people there, but it's definitely not stated to be such.

I'm not necessarily against a story that leaves some questions unanswered, though I generally don't prefer it, but this took that to a whole new level. There was really no resolution to anything but what I can only assume is a symptom of something greater. Will things just start to get bad again eventually? I hope not, because the fix in this book can't really be applied again, not that the fix really makes sense to me in the light of the allegory the author may or may not have been intending. I still have the final book in the tetralogy to read, so maybe answers will come there, but at this point, I'd have a difficult time recommending that fans of The Giver continue the series. ( )
1 vote Kristi_D | Sep 22, 2023 |
Matty has lived in Village and flourished under the guidance of Seer, a blind man known for his special sight. Village once 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 risk everything to make one last journey through the treacherous forest with his only weapon, a power he unexpectedly discovers within himself.
  PlumfieldCH | Sep 22, 2023 |
This is an excellent series to read... Although Sad in certain parts overall it is astounding.... ( )
  Shelly_Ward | Jun 28, 2023 |
I liked this third book in the series more than the previous two. Each one can stand on its own as a single story, though some characters do cross over. This tale dealt out a strong emotional punch because of the likeableness of the young main character who faces an unhappy fate. There was greater suspense involved. This made it hard to put the book down. I love the “Brother’s Grimm” feel this tale has, especially when the main character led me through a dark, foreboding forest. Now on to book four! ( )
  REGoodrich | Jun 22, 2023 |
I thought this was better than "Gathering Blue," but not on par with "The Giver."
The third in the series is set in yet another community in this post-apocalyptic world. Matty, the little boy who left the village towards the end of "Gathering Blue" is the protagonist, now living in a different village (called Village.) In Village, people get along, are good to each other, and welcome outsiders who manage to find their way through the forest (called Forest). But a mysterious man has begun to come to Village on occasion and hold a "Trade Mart" in which he asks people what they want, and what they have to trade. It is quickly evident that he is trading parts of their personality or souls. The town is becoming more selfish with each Trade Mart. Soon the borders will be closed, and Matty is sent on a mission to his previous home to bring back Kira, his friend from home, and the actual daughter of his adoptive father in Village. But Forest itself is also becoming hostile, and his once simple trek through the paths of the woods becomes fraught with danger.
The book is an allegory for the obsessive greed and consumerism of our modern world, especially in the United States. But while we understand the metaphorical purpose for the mysterious trader and for the forest suddenly becoming a hostile and willful force, from the practical literal story, these things are not explained in the least. I an appreciate the symbolism, but when the writer presents something that demands an explanation in the story, I expect to get an explanation by the end, and these two key plot elements are not explained.
So, not terrible... but not recommended either. ( )
1 vote fingerpost | Mar 29, 2023 |
Matty's death was so sad. I was not expecting how graphic and brutal their return would be. It must be said that the author doesn't hold back for her readers. ( )
  Charlie69 | Mar 5, 2023 |
Couldn't finish this one, either. I think I got about halfway through it before I gave up. ( )
  kerribrary | Mar 5, 2023 |
I'm going to potentially forget Gathering Blue and Messenger the way I forget The Godfather Part III. Rather like Gathering Blue was how I found Messenger.

Messenger was Matt(y)'s story. I love the characters, flushing our The Seer and The Leader. (I was disappointed that Kira's village was better and we never learned how at all, or why she moved to the cottage, or what became of Thomas or Jo, or that society so well built in book two).

I love how important he becomes and how much we see through his eyes. I'm not sure the significance of the ending choice resonated with me. And I very, very, very deeply felt disappointed in where it ended. On that moment when the characters from book one and book two finally meet. Once again, right as the whole point of the journey is reached, the story ended.

I was sad. ( )
  wanderlustlover | Dec 26, 2022 |
I found this book strikingly poignant as it drew many parallels to current events. This book reminds us that we can't block people out because they are different when we ourselves are the ones who are corrupt. It reminds us that the world is in need of healing ( )
  agentshellfish | Nov 9, 2022 |
I do wrap my emotions up in what I am reading and this series makes that quite easy. Simple writing but every page has a complex meaning that grabs at you. I was satisfied to finally know more about characters from the previous books, and absolutely heartbroken by the intense and beautiful sacrifice made in the end. Must get my hands on book four asap! ( )
  Martialia | Sep 28, 2022 |
I enjoyed this book and the series so far. The Giver is one of my favorite books, so I thought I would enjoy the others in the series as well. I enjoy the fact that the additional books are obvious sequels and just other stories intertwined within the world of Jonas and the other characters. I'm looking forward to listening to the last book "The Son". ( )
  NikkiGirl | Aug 27, 2022 |
fuck a bunch of jesus allegory bullshit. the ending made me angry. and it never lived up to the potential of the trademart. booo.

PS if you're writing a book, try to have everything that happens in the book happen IN THE BOOK. don't take three books to write one book, forcing someone to wade through two other books to get some semblance of resolution to the first book. ugh, i'm annoyed. ( )
  J.Flux | Aug 13, 2022 |
Back to world of Gathering Blue. A little sadder, a little more bittersweet, but I was really happy to see these characters again. Mattie's story in the post-apocalyptic villages. ( )
  jennybeast | Apr 14, 2022 |
I'm glad I'm catching up on these books. I didn't remember much of "The Giver" before I re-read it, and it's interesting to see how Lowry builds out the world. I appreciate the ambiguity and unwillingness to explain everything, leaving many elements of the plot and the worldbuilding up to the reader's interpretation. And if that interpretation could be fairly simple, well, it is a children's book.

I have to say that this is much weaker than the other two, though. ( )
  leahsusan | Mar 26, 2022 |
What a sad book. I'm really glad I'm revisiting this series. Although some of it was a little heavy-handed, Lowry is such a gifted storyteller. ( )
  readingjag | Nov 29, 2021 |
So in elementary school, my teacher made us read The Giver as a class. The ending has the main character and a baby in a sled during a storm. This is clearly Leader, who runs village. However, when we read The Giver my teacher said the 'lights' were NOT a village and was actually the main character dying. So HA teacher. I was right.

Anyway, this was a pretty interesting follow up. I'd read the Giver and Gathering Blue before without realizing they were connected until the end of Gathering Blue (which I read second). So having the characters of those two books make appearances was pretty cool. Actually, it should be done more often. Just have characters from past books make little appearances. Like little inside jokes shared with the authors faithful readers.

Back to my topic, the book was pretty good. More simple than what I like but it is a younger YA book (11-3) and not really a teen (14-18) book. Of course any age can read any book, I am merely generalizing the "intended audience" range. The main character, Matty, is the village messenger and he lives with Seer is adoptive father but all if the welcoming people of Village aren't acting like themselves and want to close the Village to outsiders. Of course he's super naive, but he's got special powers which make it up to him to save the Village from themselves. The book left some loose ends (again, I'm not sure if this character at the end actually died) and it's never explained HOW the people just suddenly become mean. I'd like to know!! So because of that this novel can't possibly get a 5 in my book. ( )
  Nikki_Sojkowski | Aug 26, 2021 |
This book is very, very sad. But also very good, just like the other books Lois Lowry has written (The Giver, etc.) Be prepared to shed tears, or at least feel depressed for a while after reading it. However, it will be worth it. ( )
  candyharlot | Aug 19, 2021 |
I'm not entirely sure what the point of Messenger was. It wasn't a particularly bad book, just not hugely interesting, especially compared to The Giver or Gathering Blue.

A direct sequel to Gathering Blue, Messenger only had very little to do with The Giver. Technically Leader is Jonas, but there's nothing in particular to say that he had to be. He can see beyond (which apparently means far more than it ever did in The Giver), but that's about it. I think I would have liked Messenger a bit more had it just been the second book in a trilogy or if I'd never seen the series label on Goodreads--although chances are I wouldn't have even read it had that been the case...

On top of that, Messenger is all questions with no answers. How do the various gifts work? Why is the Forest growing thicker? Why does no one stop Kira? Who is the Trademaster and what are they actually doing? Unlike The Giver (although closer to Gathering Blue), we don't get even hints of answers. Just mystery on top of mystery until the book ends...

Where once again, we are left with an unsatisfactory cliffhanger. What happened to Matty? I get more or less what he was trying to do and it seems he succeeded, but how? Why was it necessary? What happens next?

Characterwise, I don't really feel as much for Matty as I did for either Jonas or Kira. I didn't care for him one way or the other in Gathering Blue and that hasn't really changed in Messenger. He has a bit more depth and a few more years, but that's about it. He hasn't really grown that much, either before the book starts or even by the time it ends.

It did still like the writing. It didn't quite drag me along as well as the first two entries in the series, but it did a fair bit better at it than most books do, so there still is that. And it's an interesting world, no doubt there. I just wish by now (three books in...) we'd finally know a bit more about it.

So it goes. If this were the first book in the series, I doubt I would read the second. Given that I'm already at three of four (and they're short), I'll give Son a try. We shall see how that goes. ( )
  jpv0 | Jul 21, 2021 |
Yes, I finished this (the third book in the series) after I finished the fourth book. I left my copy of this book on a plane, and had to order another copy. However, I had the fourth book with me on vacation, and asked my son to fill me in on what I'd missed in this book, which got me where I needed to be for the fourth book.

I'm very glad that I actually finished reading this book. While my son did a stellar job at describing what happened, it was of course more engaging in the author's words. I really liked the message of people using their gifts, even if it means sacrifice for the greater good.

This book also did a good job of tying together the series, which was something I was unsure about after reading the second book. ( )
  ssperson | Apr 3, 2021 |
Lowry ties together the stories in The Giver and Gathering Blue, giving us more insight into this world she has created and teaching the reader more important lessons. ( )
  EmScape | Mar 14, 2021 |
The story continues from Gathering Blue, it follow Matty life in Village. The world seem to change with each book. As in the Giver the society cast out the weak and in Gathering Blue it parallels that in a more curer way. The world doesn't seem to be complete. It sounds like our world, but with some magic. Where does this magic come from? There not really an awesome.

I could not connect with Matty, in GB he was mischievous and cute. Messenger I being tell repeatedly Matty was mischievous and trouble.
Not the best in the series, being a fast read Messenger was ok. The write is not at the best, however I think to read GB and Messenger to get it over with. ( )
  KSnapdragon | Dec 23, 2020 |
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