It's the third installment in a series, and it ensures that you won't be left longing for the fourth.

Although the quartets tell separate stories, they are linked together, not by a continuous storyline but by shared concepts.

The surreal world, the enchanting magic, the allegorical layers, the clashes of good and evil, and nature's soothing touches all keep the books bound together, making them like siblings.

Finally, Joshan from the first series makes an appearance. He doesn't have the same old appearance, but he's there. And Kira and her father are also part of this journey. The four of them - Matty, a boy who carries messages; a blind seer; a girl who weaves magically; and Joshan, the Leader - embark on this adventure together.

I particularly liked Matty's frisky puppy. Lois must have had a pet dog to observe it so closely.

There are certain recurring patterns in the series regarding death: release, being taken by beasts, and keening. That's how death comes, and it is profound.

Also, there is a strong emphasis on learning the correct words throughout the series.

Like the earlier books, it is set in a surreal backdrop, and the Village with transparency sounds like an idea of utopia, where everyone is welcome.

The fierce and untamed character of Matty is kind-hearted as he cures a dog and a frog and is willing to take pains for his beloved ones. He ends the novel leaving sadness behind.

There is a slight touch of the paranormal - the man taking the forests is creepy but not too repulsive, just enough to give a shiver.

There is also a nostalgia for the old ways, like reading, playing music, and an unwelcome invasion of modern machines.

Somehow, I had the feeling that the Village slightly represents modern USA - welcoming others, promising safety and a future in the good old days, and now shutting its gates. In the current world view, I felt there are countries like Syria and Iran that need some kind of Village. I bet there are numerous lost souls wandering in the vast seas, longing for life as they journey to their safe haven. Are there any Mattys and Leaders out there to help?

Some of the characters from the previous two stories reappear in this third one, within the world created by Lois Lowry.

Although this book can be read independently and is much closer to the second than the first.

However, I feel that the stories are not connected. It also doesn't fully explain the world that is being created, and I feel as if everything is disjointed.

I will finish the tetralogy, but I'm not very sure if I'm really loving it.

The lack of clear connections between the stories makes it a bit difficult to fully engage with the overall narrative.

The world-building seems incomplete, leaving many questions unanswered.

Despite these drawbacks, I'm still curious to see how the tetralogy concludes.

Maybe the final book will tie everything together and make it all make sense.

But for now, I'm left with a sense of dissatisfaction and a longing for more coherence in the story.

With the Messenger, there are a few familiar faces, but it is kind of a brand new setting.

We follow Matty, who is living in the village with Lira's blind father, named the Seer, after his dog Branch has died.

Gradually, Matty starts noticing changes in those around him. The village, which was once welcoming to those who were escaping, now does not want newcomers.

I'm still not sure what to make of this series. It seems each book could be read on its own, and there is very little overlap. I am curious to see what happens in the last book and whether or not it ties it all together.

The story of Matty in this new setting is both interesting and a bit puzzling. The contrast between the village's past and present attitudes towards newcomers adds an element of mystery.

As I continue to read, I hope to gain a better understanding of the overall plot and how the different elements will come together in the end.

Will the last book provide the answers I'm seeking and bring a sense of closure to the series? Only time will tell.

4.5 stars
I absolutely loved how the two previous stories seamlessly came together. It was truly remarkable.

I also really liked how Matty emerged as a very important character. His role added depth and complexity to the overall narrative.

What struck me was how people, in their desire to be more or to be someone they are not, and in their pursuit of things that aren't even that crucial, end up destroying their own happiness. Sadly, this also impacts the happiness of others around them.

Just like at the end of the previous two installments, I still have a plethora of questions. However, I'm hopeful that by the conclusion of the final installment, all my questions will be answered. Otherwise, it will definitely receive a very low rating from me as I'm not a fan of open endings. I'm eagerly anticipating the resolution and the answers that will tie up all the loose ends and bring this story to a satisfying close.

After I completed the book, I couldn't help but shed a tear in a mix of grief and shock. It's always the emotions that hit me first. Just a few disconcerting seconds passed, and then, with a sudden clarity, I realized... What rubbish!!!

This book was yet another disappointment in terms of the quality of the series. Thankfully, there's only one book left to read. What was this book actually about? What was the author attempting to convey?

At the start of the book, I initially thought it was a great advantage that in this installment, the protagonist was someone we were familiar with from the previous book, rather than another new character. This created a sense of familiarity. I enjoyed reading about Matty and how he had changed over the years. There was also Christopher, Kira's father, and Jonas; although suddenly they had "true names" and none of them were called by their previous names. Kira herself wasn't mentioned until the middle of the novel. Given that the two main characters of the book (Matty and Christopher) were very close to her, it was a strange choice by the author. While listening to the audiobook, I felt as if there was an unspoken elephant in the room, as if the author was deliberately avoiding mentioning her existence. Fortunately, Kira herself eventually made a comeback.

In this installment, the story once again featured a society different from the first two that we got to know in The Giver and Gathering Blue, although this time we had heard of it beforehand in the previous book. This society, called the Village, was gradually undergoing some changes; this was the focus of the story. Some of the Village's inhabitants were becoming selfish due to a trade in which they replaced their positive characteristics with some trivial desire, whether it was goods or people (romantic interests). It was revealed with such details that I thought there would be more depth behind this trade, but I was wrong. People were suddenly changing for the worse without any apparent cause. With this change in the people, the forest around the Village was also becoming menacing. The forest had a will of its own for no obvious reason. It seemed to serve as a mere plot device for some minor plot points earlier in the story and to create the harsh setting of the last few chapters.

This book had the "coming together of the characters," but in a rather meaningless context. In Gathering Blue, Kira's decision to stay in her society to help those around her and her promise to join her father when the "right time" came held some significance in my mind. The ending of that story was a bit hasty, and I thought it would be expanded upon in the next books. Here, we learned that Kira's society had indeed changed for the better, but no other explanations were given. Matty appeared on her doorstep one day, asked her to leave her home and go back with him to the Village, and she accepted easily. Her people had changed, and she could leave them. Such a satisfying development for her storyline! I guess Kira's decision to stay to help her society was meant to contrast with Jonas's decision to leave his community to help his people. But Jonas's storyline had many meanings within it, and his decision was a crucial point in the story, whereas Kira's turned out to be simply dull and without significance. There was just this one nice thing for her character: her decision to keep her twisted leg and say she was whole this way.

When Matty and Kira were trying to cross the forest to go to the Village, the forest started attacking them. The many vivid descriptions of their near-death state made me assume that there was something behind the forest's hostility, but once again, it was a letdown. Jonas Leader entered the forest to save them, only to get entangled himself. He and Kira had their "meeting midway" (the "seeing beyond" stuff, a new unexplained gift for both of these characters), Matty sacrificed himself and healed the world. Jonas Leader and Kira joined together. The End.

I understand that Matty's selflessness that healed everything (literally everything) is supposed to contrast with the Villagers' selfishness that was ruining everything, but the execution was just terrible. Everything seemed random. Plot points were thrown together to convey this message. And the message is rather superficial, simply stating that selfishness is bad. What led to this sudden increase in selfishness among the people in the first place? One can't really discuss any themes after finishing this book. The Messenger simply lacks substance. There are still many other issues I have with this novel, but addressing all of them would turn this review into a "complaining piece."

At this point, I've lost my interest in the quartet. I will finish it, though. I listen to the audiobook versions instead of reading them, so my reading time is saved for other books.

Having read the first two books, my anticipation for this one soared. This particular volume manages to connect the first two, finally giving the impression of a cohesive series. It introduces a third society, formed by those cast out from the others. It is the very village where Kira's father was taken after being forced out of his own. It is also the village Jonas discovered.

Although the other two books are linked through this one, it doesn't quite mesh perfectly. In "Gathering Blue," people from the village came to the field where Kira's father was left and rescued him. However, in this book, it seems that no one leaves the village except Matty, and those who attempt to are killed. So, how did the group come to get Seer? The only other possibility is that another group traveling to the village brought him along, but this presents another problem as it doesn't seem to fit with the other two books. How do the other villages know of this one's existence? If the people are aware and the governments are as controlling as they appear, why haven't they wiped out this village considering it takes in their defectors?

Just as I couldn't envision a plan for Kira to save her society in the previous book, I'm left wondering how she achieved it in this one. Matty shows up in the village to take Kira away, and suddenly the society is better. Lowry implies that Kira had made changes, but the details are never provided. It almost seems as if Lowry herself didn't know how, so she simply glossed over it.

Lowry also abandons important characters from "Gathering Blue" without resolving their storylines. Thomas's plot is somewhat wrapped up, but it feels lacking. Jamison, the man who wanted Seer dead, doesn't appear at all. Neither does the Singer or Jo. It's much like Kira's plan - Lowry didn't know what to do with them, so she ignored them.

I felt that this book shifted the series from a post-apocalyptic world to a more fantastical one. The Trademaker has the power to take away aspects of people's characters. Matty is able to heal the entire forest at the cost of his life (once again following the "the world can only be saved by a young teenager" trope). While characters with powers are present in the other books (Jonas, Kira, Thomas, Jo), these powers seem much stronger and rather absurdly broad compared to before. Suddenly, Jonas can see into villages days away. Kira can see the future and her tapestries change with events. Even this is inconsistent. One tapestry lasts for a long time, while others disappear after she looks at them. Then, all of a sudden, the forest has its own personality. In the first two books, the forest was just a forest. In "Gathering Blue," Kira is repeatedly told that there are no beasts in the forest and it is safe. But in this book, it tries to kill them. The book is rife with inconsistencies when compared to the first two.

This was my least favorite ending. Nothing is truly resolved, and instead of ending on a hopeful note, the sad part overshadows the hopeful aspect. It might have been more impactful if Lowry had dedicated more time to the conclusion. One moment, everything is going wrong. Then, Matty saves the forest and the book abruptly ends in the last few pages. Everything is magically better, except for the fact that the main character is dead. I just hope the final book ties up all the loose ends.

I truly relished this installment of the series.

Nonetheless, points were deducted for the ending as well as for the numerous unresolved issues and questions that emerged during the course of reading this story.

This is an ongoing theme of unanswered questions that renders this series exasperating.

Nevertheless, for the most part, it was still an exciting and rapid read.

The anticipation and the build-up throughout the story kept me engaged, but the lack of resolution in certain aspects left me a bit disappointed.

Despite this, I couldn't help but be drawn in by the fast-paced action and the interesting characters.

Overall, while there were some flaws, this installment still had its merits and left me eager to see what the next part of the series has in store.

Wow. I finished this book last night and I have FEELINGS about it, okay.

I want to start off by saying that I really did enjoy this book, more than #2, I think. It felt like this book was more interesting and I found myself being curious about what happened next. This was a quick read, but a great one nonetheless. I really liked how this book connected the first book to Kira and Matty’s world. It was nice how it made everything come together and make more sense.

There was a feeling of... danger? that I felt throughout the book, especially during the last half. I was wondering the whole time “what’s happening??” and sometimes just “???”. I was so intrigued that I was so excited to finish the book.

But I just... can’t get over how it ended. Why. I mean, I completely didn’t see it coming so it definitely shocked me. It felt like it ended kind of abruptly and there were some plot holes that still confused me after I finished reading.

Overall, I liked this book more than ‘Gathering Blue’, but less than ‘The Giver’. I’m glad I continued this series and I’m eager to read more.

I would rate this book 3.5 stars. It had its strengths, like the interesting plot and the connections to the other books, but the ending left something to be desired. I hope the next book in the series will answer some of my remaining questions and continue to build on this fascinating world.

This is the third book in The Giver series by Lois Lowry.

Not only is it a captivating story that delves into the eternal themes of good versus evil and the power of healing sacrifice, but it also masterfully weaves together the first two books into a seamless and beautiful whole.

While all three books are set in the same future time and on the same world, The Giver (book 1) and Gathering Blue (book 2) depict two distinct and unconnected societies.

In Messenger, we reunite with the main character of The Giver and several of the characters from Gathering Blue, and their lives converge in a deeply satisfying manner.

Messenger is the story of Matty, a boy on the cusp of manhood. He is a good-natured, kind, and loving lad (albeit far from perfect) who is deeply troubled by the changes in the once-wonderful society he now inhabits (having fled a terrible one in the previous book).

These changes are not only for the worse but also carry distinct undertones of evil.

Simultaneously, Matty discovers that he possesses a power to heal, and yet he is afraid of it.

Ultimately, of course, it is Matty's power that proves crucial in healing his own society.

This was an outstanding book (even though it brought me to tears), and I will most definitely be rereading it in the future (along with the first two books of the series).

I can hardly wait to embark on the fourth and final book in the series!

Another beautiful book in this series.

It is profoundly meaningful and thoughtfully written. Lowry is truly amazing. She has the ability to speak to young readers and deeply affect adults within the same book.

I highly recommend this series, which commences with The Giver. They are quick reads, which makes it effortless to read them aloud with children.

I suggest them for middle school students and upwards. Some older elementary students may read them, but I believe they would overlook the profound messages about humanity that Lowry conveys.

It's not always solely about the ability to read. It's better to wait for some higher thinking skills to develop. These books are truly worthy of deep thinkers.

They offer valuable insights and can spark important discussions about life, society, and the human condition.

Whether you're a young reader or an adult, these books have the power to touch your heart and make you think.

So, pick up this series and embark on a journey of discovery and enlightenment.

This sequel is set in the same fictional-yet-strangely-resembling-our-own world as The Giver and Gathering Blue.

In it, within another lively and exciting story, Lowry continues to explore the ideals and problems of socialism. She also introduces a heated immigration debate. I have truly relished the entire group of these books.

However, the very conclusion of this particular one made me furious. I'm not sure what I had anticipated, and perhaps I wouldn't have been overly bothered by it, in fact, except that she elected to incorporate some hints earlier in the book that cause the ending to feel like a rather blatant allegory.

I never imagined I would say it, but Lois Lowry has disappointed me.

It's a shame because up until that final part, the story had been engaging and thought-provoking. The world she created was rich and detailed, and the characters were well-developed. But that ending just seemed to undermine all the good work that had come before.

Despite this, I still appreciate the overall body of work that Lowry has produced. These books have sparked important discussions and made me think about various aspects of society and human nature.

Maybe I'll give her another chance in the future, but for now, I'm left with a sense of dissatisfaction.

Interesting. Each of the books in the Giver series has been rich and strange, deceptively simple, and heartbreaking. This was no exception. I have a complex feeling towards Jonas in this book. On one hand, I love that he has grown into a man. On the other hand, I hate that we barely know much about him. Since I have such a literary crush on him, it's a bit frustrating. However, upon reflection, I realize that he's not the kind of character who would benefit from having their every move detailed in a book. It's better that he remains a man of mystery now. This was indeed a great book. The story was engaging and filled with unexpected twists. The world-building was vivid and immersive. However, the ending was just too fast for me. It felt like everything was wrapped up too quickly, leaving me with some unanswered questions and a sense of dissatisfaction. Overall, though, I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others who are fans of the Giver series.