Series: The Giver Quartet
Author: Lois Lowry
Released: 2004
Rating: 4.5/6
Basic Plot: 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.
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Immigration
I've found that each book in The Giver Quartet deals with one major theme, with other minor themes still playing a part. This book's central theme is immigration. A vote in Village will decide if newcomers will be allowed. Newcomers used to always be allowed and the people of Village welcomed them with open arms as nearly everyone in Village was once a newcomer. Now doesn't that sound familiar! Lowry seems to say in this book that not being open to immigrants means that you are too selfish and have lost yourself. I'd say more but I don't want to give away important spoilers for this book.
Better Self-Contained Story
The previous book in the Quartet, Gathering Blue, didn't feel like a real book. But this book feels like an actual story with stakes. You care about Matty and Village. You really feel his pain as his world gets turned upside down. There is actual tension in this book and I love it. Plus the ending comes at a good time, unlike Gathering Blue.
Doesn't Really Seem Sci-Fi to Me
A lot of plot points seem to be filled with magic, making this more of a fantasy than a sci-fi book. In the first book of the Quartet there were fantasy elements, but they weren't as apparent. From the second book onward they get more front and center. In this book Matty has a 'gift' and the reason all Hell starts to break lose seems to be because of a supernatural instead of scientific reason.
Final Thoughts
This book, along with The Giver, are the strongest books of the Quartet so far. In this book there were things at stake that you were fighting for and it wasn't just a stroll down the street. You got to learn the answers to questions. But one question I am hoping is answered in the final book is: what happened to the world to make it this way? We have had three books and it's only been alluded to and never told.
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