The Giver Quartet By Lois Lowry - Restarting May 1st 2018

[Najma]

Finished book 1
(view spoiler)[ The ending was kind of rushed up. Taking Gabriel with him was either a courageous thing or a foolish thing, they almost starved to death but he saved him anyway (hide spoiler)]

[Najma]

GATHERING BLUE
finished one chapter
(view spoiler)[ I honestly thought that Jonas' story would be continued. I was a little disappointed.
Now a new society is introduced, which is some kind of village. I can't say much about it since I just read a little, but it does not sound as systematic as the one which Jonas lived in.
And then they also add syllables to names as kids grow up. (Hey Anges, since you read the series, tell me, will I ever get to know what happened to Jonas? can these books be read as stand-alones? Which is the best book?) (hide spoiler)]

[Najma]

Thirteen chapters later
(view spoiler)[ Some people in the society are more than talented in making or creating things that it works like magic for them since childhood. For example, Kira in embroidery, Thomas in carving, Annabella in dyeing colors, Jo in singing, etc. Their talent is a part of them.
When Jamison says "Annabella's mind wanders off" he means that she can see beyond? Some part of me is sure that Kira's dad was not eaten by beasts, and 'beasts' don't exist. (hide spoiler)]

[Najma]

Chapter 22
(view spoiler)[ I KNEW IT!! her father never died!! The moment he entered I was like, it's her father!! (hide spoiler)]

[Najma]

Finished Gathering blue
(view spoiler)[ I had a bad feeling about Jamison since the beginning, he was lying when he said about beasts (hide spoiler)]

[Najma]

Agnes? Where are you?

[Najma]

My buddy is missing :(

[Najma]

Started Messenger
(view spoiler)[ Is this the continuation of the second book? And Matty is adolescent Matt, and the blind man is Christopher?
Well...I kinda read the review of the last book and it seems related to 'The Giver', so the order goes like...1,3,4,2...hah weird (hide spoiler)]

[Najma]

Chapter 11
(view spoiler)[ I just realized that Leader is Jonas! I never thought these stories were interconnected, I should have paid attention before when they said about the red sled in winter (hide spoiler)]

[Najma]

Chapter 13
(view spoiler)[ What's wrong with the forest? everything is going weird (hide spoiler)]

[Najma]

Chapter 15
(view spoiler)[ I always knew Kira had much more in her than embroidery (hide spoiler)]

[Najma]

Finished
(view spoiler)[ I can't wait to read the next book (hide spoiler)]

[Abi]

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Reading from the 1st of May 2018

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[[deleted user]]

Chapter 2 (view spoiler)[ man I haven't read this book in YEARS but I forgot how interesting and easy to read this is. Just. Wow!! Releasing people. Comfort objects. The ceremonies?? It's so much. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Ch1 (view spoiler)[This seems to be a very... odd... community. The way that ‘releasing’ is described... is it euthanasia? Capital punishment? Or does it depend on the circumstance.

And if so... why would you ‘release’ a baby that isn’t doing as well as the average? Wouldn’t the parents be a little... oh I dunno... DISTRAUGHT THAT THEIR CHILD WAS DEAD?

What is going on with their weird ‘grey’ emotions? (Grey seems like the best way to describe them...). They’re all so matter-of-fact about everything and the descriptions of their emotions and the way they act just seems muted. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Ch5 (view spoiler)[These ‘stirrings’ that Jonas had... isn’t it just arousal? Sounds like he just has a juvenile almost-wet-dream. I mean, he’s almost 12 so that’s about the right age, right?

So weird that they essentially dose all those with ‘stirrings’ with some kind of drug to prevent it happening. Just removing their libido? What? Why?

...does that mean that the ‘birth mothers’ are artificially inseminated too? (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Ch14 (view spoiler)[
“But why can't everyone have the memories? I think it would seem a little easier if the memories were shared. You and I wouldn't have to bear so much by ourselves, if everybody took a part.”

100% agreement from me. What kind of dumbass backwards society removes the memory of everyone, and may-or-may-not have removed the ability for memories of the current generations to be passed down... leaving all the memories in the ‘care’ of the receiver and then isolating them as some kind of wise old hermit man/woman to be brought out at leisure if they need a second opinion.

And while I can understand not wanting people to be prejudiced against for differences between them, what kind of monstrous society decides the the solution is to make everyone effectively the ‘same’, introducing ways of living so that you never focus on what is different about people and removing the ability for people to see the beauty in the world, such as see THE COLOUR RED, and removing the fucking FEEL OF SUNSHINE ON YOUR FACE.

If you’re that fucking worried just make everyone a fucking cyber man. Doctor Who style. Because that’s basically what this is - without the extreme makeover. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Ch20 (view spoiler)[So I watched the movie adaptation of this beauty book a few years ago and... it did not represent this novel well. There is so little crossover between the two that all my ‘knowledge’ of the movie doesn’t help me understand the novel at all, and really just confuses me.

The Giver and Jonas are making a plan for him to escape to elsewhere (which is supposedly where those who are released go - but that’s a fucking lie) so that the memories he has received will somehow be transferred into the general populace? Not sure how that’s meant to work...

There is also surprisingly little of Jonas’ two friends in this novel compared to the movie, and they are assigned to two completely separate jobs. I keep expecting Jonas and Fiona to kiss or something like in the movie, but I somehow highly doubt that will happen... especially considering I’m fairly sure the main characters were aged up in the movie. There’s no way in hell Jonas was 12 in the movie adaptation. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Finished! (view spoiler)[And I am not pleased with that ending at ALL. Where is my fucking CLOSURE. I don’t want an open-ended take-it-as-you-will ending! Fuck that, I want butterflies and rainbows and ‘they all lived happily ever after’ dammit!

Did Jonas and Gabriel live? Did they find warmth and food on the other side? What happened back in the community when they got to ‘elsewhere’? Did the memories REALLY get dispersed or did that only happen last time because Rosemary was released?

I have so many questions and not NEARLY enough answers .-. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Reading from here.

Ch1 (view spoiler)[Wtf? She loses her mother to sickness and the immediate response of the community is to burn their house, then start talking about leaving her in the ‘field of beasts’ so that she will be killed and they can take her land for a fucking children’s play area?

Just because she’s crippled, with ‘twisted’ legs?

What. The. Fuck.
(hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Ch5 (view spoiler)[I’m sorry, did I understand that correctly? A lady fell and broke her arm and because they weren’t able to put it back into place (and OUCH) she is getting taken to the fields? As in KILLED? SHE HAS FIVE KIDS. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Ch15 (view spoiler)[...Did they kill Annabelle because she told Kira that the beasts didn’t exist? It certainly seems that way ._.

I’m definitely getting very suspicious of the death of Kira’s father...

Also, what the hell is with Jo? Was she kidnaped just because she could sing? Why is she locked up the way she is? (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Finished Gathering Blue! (view spoiler)[And once again I feel my questions haven’t been answered and I wish there was more to this ._.

Why was The Singer in chains? Why were Kira and Thomas and Jo so special, what gave them their magic? How did the town of the crippled (so-to-speak) come about?

Was Kira ever going to confront Jamison about his attempted murder on her father?

Was she ever going to escape, maybe taking Thomas, Matt and Jo with her? That’s how I THOUGHT it was going to end but nope. Cliffhanger/open ended once again, dammit D: (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Reading now c:

[Natalie]

Ch1 (Messenger): (view spoiler)[Am I reading this correctly? Is this a... CONTINUATION of the previous book? With Marty (previously Matt in Gathering Blue) as the POV character?

I’m so unbelievably excited right now ;-; After the transition between The Giver to Gathering Blue I thought this would be another dystopian standalone that was for some reason listed as a series with The Giver but it seems to be an actual legitimate sequel!!! (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Ch2 (view spoiler)[ AHHHHHHHHH

CONFIRMATION

ABSOLUTION

JONAS SURVIVED IN BOOK ONE. HE SURVIVED.

There was just talk about “Leader” the person in charge of the village, and it mentions that ‘he had come here as a boy’ and that his ‘arrival vehicle’ was a sled.

I’m so happy ;-;

But I have a question: what about Gabriel? There’s no mention of him yet ._. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Ch8 (view spoiler)[What do you mean they ‘traded away their deepest self’? How does one even DO that? And why the heck would you even WANT to do that? ._. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Ch14 (view spoiler)[I really hope they explain this thing about the forest thickening...

On the bright side, Kira has agreed to go back with Matty! I kinda thought she’d marry Thomas and thus not leave (or bring him with her) but apparently not... heck, maybe she and Jonas will get along ;D (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Ch19 (view spoiler)[So Jonas has gone into the forest in an attempt to help Kira and Matty through it. It also appears that he’s being helped by the frog that Matty previously healed o.O (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Finished! (view spoiler)[And wtf is with that ending. Matty’s dead? Just like that? He somehow what.... poured his soul into the earth and thus cleansed a forest and an entire village of the deceit, scorn, *other bad stuff here* of their hearts?

He didn’t get to see Kira back to their shared father? Or end up with Jean? Or RAISE THE FUCKING PUPPY?!

I am not impressed. WTF was that ._. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Will be starting soonish c:

[[deleted user]]

I've been on vacation but I've finished the first book and have some thoughts here!

I definitely agree about how incredibly different it is from the movie!

Ch 8 (view spoiler)[ so basically he's in training to be an elder? That's... Kind of strange? And the way it was being described is incredibly terrifying. The focus on the loneliness and having to be alone and that others have failed before? (hide spoiler)]


Ch 16 (view spoiler)[ a world without love sounds purely awful! I couldn't imagine. And what exactly were the pills for his stirrings really doing? Was it blocking his arousal or was it doing something even more that we don't even really understand? (hide spoiler)]

End (view spoiler)[ I can never really tell if Jonas and Gabriel make it. Part of me very much wants them to but the ending doesn't seem hopeful at all to me. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Julianne wrote: "I've been on vacation but I've finished the first book and have some thoughts here!

I definitely agree about how incredibly different it is from the movie!

Ch 8 [spoilers removed]


Ch 16 [spo..."

(view spoiler)[Those pills were 100% anti-arousal pills (or reverse viagra :P)
But I'm fairly certain it also just dulled emotions in general as well, because with the exception of Jonas and The Giver, everyone else seemed to have rather "gray" emotions.

That ending was a pain in the butt though. Damn open ending >.> (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Ending (view spoiler)[ok, so I've read this book several times, but something occured to me about the end that I've never thought about before. So, at the end it said he thought he heard music from behind him to, very faintly. I think that means the giver died, because the giver was the only one who had the music, and his death would have relaesed it. I think this is why Jonas heard it from behind him, he was still just barely in the reach of memories, and I guess music too. Hopfully I explained this in a way y'all understand. (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

Gathering Blue
Ch 1 (view spoiler)[ HOW IS THIS AT ALL RELATED TO THE GIVER (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Julianne wrote: "Gathering Blue
Ch 1 [spoilers removed]"

I KNOWWWWWWWW

[[deleted user]]

Ch 7(view spoiler)[ so the guardians find people that are incredibly talented and do what with them exactly? It seems like they are forcing Thomas to create SOMETHING but I haven't figured out what yet.

And they want Kira to restore the Singers robe because she is a talented embroiderer and will be able to make dyes of all types because of her mother?? But she lied and doesn't actually know how to dye yet... (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

Ch 11 (view spoiler)[ " There be no beasts"

Oh man I SWEAR if this is gonna be like that M Night Shymalan movie The Village I'm gonna be soooo angry (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

Ch 19 (view spoiler)[ oh man the way they describe the robe is super cool and interesting but I am so concerned about this village because they clearly killed Annabella and they keep killing anyone with talented children so they can just HAVE them?

AND IS THE SINGER JUST SINGING THE BIBLE BECAUSE I WILL SCREAM (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Starting now c:

[Natalie]

Ch1 (view spoiler)[Huh. We’re jumping back to the community that Jonas came from by the look of it, and taking a look at those that were selected as birthmothers. Super weird that they get blindfolded during birth so that they can’t see their new child ._.

Looks like I was right with my guess in The Giver too. The birthmothers are artificially inseminated.

But also - Claire was FOURTEEN YEARS OLD WHEN SHE WAS ARTIFICIALLY INSEMINATED? WHAT THE HELL. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Ch4 (view spoiler)[Yay! Claire’s been able to finally meet her son!

Looks like she’s the mother of Gabriel (from The Giver), meaning that this portion is like a prequel of sorts c: (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Ch15 (view spoiler)[So just like Jonas, Claire isn’t taking the pills. That actually explains quite a bit - including why her feelings towards Gabe are so genuine. After all, it seems those who DO take the pill end up with every feeling made essentially really superficial. Her not taking it means that she’s more herself, and that she can feel things so much deeper than everyone as a result. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Oh great. When you finish a ‘book’ in Son the numbering of the chapters restarts ._. So I’ve finished Book I: Before, and am now on Book II: Between and I’m back at Chapter 1 again 8’D

...probably best to use %s rather than chapters for future updates XD

[Natalie]

44% (view spoiler)[Poor Claire ;-; She’s lost all her memories after being lost at sea (or something... either there was a wreck or she was flung from the boat. Really unclear about what happened there) and she’s only getting feelings and glimpses into her past. She knows she’s lost someone or something but she doesn’t know for sure and just... ;-;

I really hope she is reunited with Gabe before the end of this book. This series needs a happy ending - especially after Matty’s death in the last book :| (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

56% (view spoiler)[Poor Einar ;-;

He really cares for Clair, and I ship them, but she has to climb out of the village in order to continue her search for Gabe and he’s had his legs crippled so he wouldn’t be able to follow her out and just... I want BOTH of them to get a happy ending!

I also really want to know what it is that made him the way he is, if it wasn’t the climb itself. What was so horrible at the top? (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

67% (view spoiler)[That bastard Trademaster AGAIN?! Gawd dammit! Can’t someone just get rid of him already? Poor Claire ;-; if she’s had her youth taken from her she won’t have as much time with Gabe ;-; ;-; ;-; (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

91% (view spoiler)[Dun dun dunnnnnn. Gabe is finally aware of Claire and believes that she is indeed his mother, despite the fact that she is rather old... kind of in the style of Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle actually...

Anyways, seems he’s going to go after the Trademaster and potentially kill him in the hopes that it will reverse the trade that Claire made, thus giving her her youth back.

I REALLY hope this has a happy ending ;-; (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

Finished (view spoiler)[ WAIT WHAT WAS THAT ENDING EXACTLY? Why is the singer in chains and why won't Kira leave exactly? Because she wants to change the future of their group? (hide spoiler)]



Started messenger
Ch1 (view spoiler)[ OH THANK GOODNESS it seems like it's a direct sequel to gathering blue. I was worried but I'm really confused on what Matty actually learned from the frog?? (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Finished Son (view spoiler)[Once again we got a pretty sudden ending, and I’m pretty disappointed that there was no ‘happily ever after’ epilogue tying up the loose ends to be honest ._. I mean, it’s nice that the Trademaster was defeated and all but what was he REALLY? ‘Evil’ doesn’t really cover it for me sadly :|

It would have also been really nice to maybe have Claire reunited with Einar or something, and not just Gabe ;-;

I just want closureeeee (hide spoiler)]