Messenger

The Giver stands alone... Messenger needs...

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.

Oh My Gosh!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

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.

What other book might you compare Messenger to and why?

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

Which scene was your favorite?

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

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Healing beyond reason.

Any additional comments?

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

Three only for Matty

Of the four Giver books this is the one I least understand. Was this book necessary? It could have been a part 2 to Gathering Blue. It could also have been a prologue to Son. If it weren't because Matty was such a loveable character I would have rated this book a two. The title is misleading, it's not about a Messenger but rather the message. This brief saga, which could have been more emotionally touching, felt forced and rather short of sensitivity by the other characters. Read it if your committed to the series, otherwise pass.

Brings THE GIVER & GATHERING BLUE together nicely

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).

we'll remember this one forever!

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.

Lois Lowry is a master storyteller!

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'd listen to David Morse read the phone book!

I think I read this story out of sequence and had problems figuring out what was happening until I re-read the Giver and Gathering Blue. Lowry does write interesting, well-thought-out, characters and environments and this is no exception. My original reason for getting it, and why I wound up with it out of sequence was that I saw it was read by David Morse. I've liked his acting, and especially his voice, since the days of the medical show he was on when he first began TV work. I can't remember the show, but I remember him.

Thanks Lois, it was wonderful!

There's a lot going on in this story. Loyalty, love, bewilderment are just a few words that come to mind, along with perseverance and caring. I will say that the ending was not quite what I hoped for in one sense, and yet, it was perfect in another way, but I can't get into that without giving it away. Can't wait to get into the next and final story in the series. The narrator was also perfect for this story!

Fantastic Listen!

What made the experience of listening to Messenger the most enjoyable?

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 did you like best about this story?

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..

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

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

Beautiful prose, disappointing ending

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.