Messenger (The Giver, #3) in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Jul 22, 2012 Kristin rated it really liked it

This book serves as a link to bring together the characters of the first 2 books in this series, 'The Giver' and 'Gathering Blue', primarily advancing the storyline of the latter. The main character here is Matty, known simply as Matt in 'Gathering Blue', who lives with a blind man known as the Seer. Names here are given based on the role each person serves in the community, and Matty is eagerly anticipating his, which he hopes to be 'Messenger', as he is the only member of his village who is ab This book serves as a link to bring together the characters of the first 2 books in this series, 'The Giver' and 'Gathering Blue', primarily advancing the storyline of the latter. The main character here is Matty, known simply as Matt in 'Gathering Blue', who lives with a blind man known as the Seer. Names here are given based on the role each person serves in the community, and Matty is eagerly anticipating his, which he hopes to be 'Messenger', as he is the only member of his village who is able to navigate through the forest that separates the village from other communities, including the one where he formerly lived. Village is primarily comprised of misfits from these other communities, but as the residents arrive through Forest, Forest attacks them, indicating that a return trip is unwise, as one character finds out very early in the book. When some residents feel Village is getting too full, measures are taken to prevent newcomers, and it falls to Matty to deliver the message that Village is closed to the surrounding communities. However, Matty knows that there is one more person who needs to come to Village, and he relies on the gifts of Seer and Leader, whose identity is never formally revealed, but clues make it obvious who he is, to try to get her there before the borders close.
I am not an overly religious person and have only limited familiarity with many Biblical stories, but I felt there was a Biblical undertone to this book. Village has Trading Day where community members can trade something and get an even better something. The parents of one of Matty's friends get a Gaming Machine, another person gets the affection of an attractive community member, but in exchange, Matty notices their personalities change. To me, it felt like these people were trading their souls in exchange for sinful wishes (the Greed of the Gaming Machine, the Lust for the attractive woman). It seems to be the people who have benefited from the trades that also champion the closing of the village to newcomers, in order to keep all the good things Village has to offer to themselves.
I enjoyed this book better than I did 'Gathering Blue', but something is still missing from the original enchantment I felt when reading 'The Giver'. I felt as if I wanted to know more about the dynamics of Village, in particular Trading Day and the impacts of more of the trades, but Lowry quickly shifted to the whole plot of closing Village and Matty's journey through Forest. This was the shortest of the 3 books thus far, while the 4th and final book looks to be the longest, so perhaps that one will serve to tie it all together. ...more

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Feb 01, 2011 Amanda rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-stars

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 ...more

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