Messenger

We had listened to The Giver and were thrilled to hear more! This book is actually the 3rd of a series of 3. The 2nd book is called Gathering Blue, which I haven't found on Audible.

This is the second book I've listened to of Lois Lowry's. It's actually a continuation of her book, The Giver, which I've listened to again and again with great pleasure. Lowry's character development is wonderful and her vivid language effortlessly transports me into the world she has created while I work on my artwork. Also, the narrators for both books sound just right, and I'm very particular about narrators!

I would happily recommend this audio book to a friend. Even though it's the third book of the quartet, they can work separately, and you can understand the characters stories just by reading each book. It's a lovely story, well-paced, full of magic and simple, but engaging.

I don't have any book to compare it to because it's so different from other books I've read.

The scene where he heals it all. It is so unexpected and full of grace.

Healing beyond reason.

The only thing that bothered me a little it that I thought the story could be longer.

Lowry does it again in the 3rd book of the Giver Series. Another well told, edge of your seat, emotion evoking story about insurmountable odds in a place where the natural order of things is not like (and not totally unlike) our own. Characters from both The Giver and Gathering Blue are present and more details from both earlier books are filled in (a bit, don't expect all the answers).

The narrator was so moving, his gentle voice able to tell the story from many different perspectives.. The third book in this series did not disappoint. It was nice to hear about Jonas and Gabriel. Also, of Kira and Matty and how they grew.

What a beautiful story. Every character has a gift and we get to hear about how they use the gifts for the good of humanity... Also, what you give up in order to acquire material things..

When Matty uses his gift to heal the community...

I loved The Giver as a child, and was excited to learn recently that Lowry had written sequels. I didn't listen to Gathering Blue as it was described as more of a kids book than the other two, so I can't comment on that one.

The strength of this book is the tremendous beauty of the writing, which comes through wonderfully in the narration (this is one of the few times I wholeheartedly give a 5-star Performance review). Listening to this book was an absolute joy, and I highly recommend it.

That being said, the plotting of the book kind of falls through. I love the world that Lowry has created in The Giver series, and enjoyed the particular corner of the world described in this book. She sets up a conflict--some sort of ominous darkness invading the happy world of "Village" through the coming of a mysterious stranger and corrupting some of its formerly benevolent members--but she is unable to resolve it in a fulfilling way. I definitely had the feeling that she had worked herself into a corner and couldn't figure out where she wanted to go. It's a shame this wonderful series was ended that way, but it doesn't diminish Lowry's standing as a master storyteller, for children and adults.

I like the way all the characters from previous books meet in village

The way that forest turns against everyone and has a mind of its own was cool but the main character just had to fall in love with the prettiest girl in village, blah

No

No because evantually your mind would begin to wonder and you could miss important details

I think their could have been more of a story to it instead of just a journey

Messenger is actually the end to Gathering Blue and ties the three books together. You need to have read the other two for it to make sense. The Giver to me is the classic and although I am glad to have read the other two, they do not reach as deep or as high for me. Gathering Blue felt unfinished, the end is here in Messenger... but Messenger is short and leaves lots and lots of loose ends unsatisfied for me as well. That said Lois is an incrediable writer and I love her themes, mind and creativty.

Excellent storytelling. Inspired me to want to read more from this author; now I have more of her books in my wishlist, to share with my family.

I suppose for the target audience this is a good book. For me, it seemed a little dry and an anti-climatic ending.