Messenger brings us right back to where we left off from Gathering Blue six years later.

Matty is now living in Village with Kira's blind father. All of the previous characters come together to pull the universe back to where it started from.

Village has always been a place that welcomes anyone and everyone to their community. They have helped these individuals and families assimilate into freedom. However, currently, Village wants to close the wall and not allow any more people into their community.

Matty has to embark on a journey back to convince Kira to come through before the community blocks out any new members.

I really liked how this book brought back the characters from the previous books. It was great to see how they had developed and changed over the years. I also appreciated reading about their respective "gifts" and how they had to work together to rescue Village.

Overall, I thought Messenger was a great addition to the series. It continued the story in an engaging and exciting way. I can't wait to see how Lois Lowry ends this series.

Think about it, you are watching a great movie for the first time, and suddenly the climax comes and the power goes out (haha!). This book was just like that. Really, when I had reached the end of the book and there were, for example, only ten pages left, I was asking myself how on earth could it be finished in just ten pages? And what about this and that? It was so suddenly over! All these unanswered questions, so what?

Who exactly was Della? Why was she taking people's emotions away from them? Why did Jonas return to his community? Why was the forest attacking Mettie? What was the whole deal????!

This book really left me with a lot of confusion and curiosity. I wanted to know more about the characters and the story. It made me think about many things, such as the importance of emotions, the value of community, and the power of nature. Although the ending was a bit abrupt, it also made me think more deeply about the meaning of the story. Overall, it was a very interesting and thought-provoking read.

This is the third installment of the Giver series. It stands out as a very distinct book compared to the first two. Here, there are more fantastical or magical elements incorporated, which gives it a somewhat depressing tone. In fact, it's actually quite depressing. Messenger once again brings to the forefront the issues of disability and inequality. Moreover, it presents an interesting portrayal of dystopia and utopia. As someone who has long been interested in both concepts, I adored the way the dystopia in Kira's village gradually shifts towards a happier world, while the utopia of Village - which, in many respects, is just a big metaphor for America, with its "give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses" - witnesses the crumbling of its own utopian ideals. The plot is not as easily predictable as that of The Giver, but that doesn't say much.

Bright moment: When Kira expresses that she doesn't desire her leg to be "fixed" because it is an integral part of who she is. Aww.

Most baffling: What on earth is the Trade Mart? Is this perhaps a commentary on capitalism? Or is it about the greedy ways in which we trade away our true selves? The trade mart was a major head-scratcher for me. It seemed more like an excuse for the discord and dissatisfaction within Village rather than a well-developed plot point.

I am still glad that I completed the series, but that's mostly for my own self-satisfied feeling and the ability to close this chapter of my life. I really need to stop reading sequels to my childhood favorites.

I'm a bit torn on this. I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the two previous novels in this "series." However, it had such a powerful ending that the extreme geek in me was extremely excited. It united all three of the books together in such a good way.

Matty didn't appeal to me as much as Jonas or Kira had in the previous novels. Although his struggles were interesting, I felt it focused entirely too much on the journey through the forest. Meanwhile, I was really wanting to know more about what was going on in Village and how exactly things were progressing in Kira's village that was featured in Gathering Blue. At the end of that, it's in a pretty big mess, but we never get a real idea of how it changed or why.

I felt this definitely could have used 50 more pages to flesh out different aspects of the story. Even then, it still would have been pretty short! Seriously, I understand the basics of what was going on at Trade Mart, but I was still so curious as to what was going on that I wanted more information.

Still, the ending was strong for me and I had a hard time sleeping after finishing it since I found myself thinking about it after I'd turned my light off. I can't really justify a 4-star rating on this even though it did keep me thinking. However, I liked it, but it just didn't resonate with me as much as the previous two. A decent companion, but definitely could have been better.

Here's the second companion piece to The Giver. I liked this one better than the first, Gathering Blue.

Actually, it had the potential to be a truly great book. However, it seems as if Lowry forgot her plot lines, and things just sort of fell apart at the end of the book.

The first two books, The Giver and Gathering Blue, deal with utopian societies. This book, on the other hand, takes place in a village with all the outcasts from these utopian societies. It's called the Village of the Broken. People with some deformity, disfigurement, or handicap that were ousted from their home villages now live here. It is a wonderful village where everyone accepts each other, has endless patience, and is willing to help anyone along the way.

Then these auctions called Trademart start. At first, it's simple, with people trading one good for another. But then, people start trading part of their souls to fix their disfigurements. As the villagers become 'normal', their village changes. People mock others behind their backs, no one wants to help others anymore, and now they want to close their village to any new outcasts, fearing that the village will run out of supplies and resources.

A messenger is sent out to all the surrounding places to let everyone know that the Village of the Broken is building a wall and closing itself down. This messenger has a secret too, but will it help or hurt the village? And here's where the book falls off a little. The ending is a bit anticlimactic. I was really interested in the Trademart aspect, and then all of a sudden it wasn't mentioned anymore, and it wasn't resolved.

But I will say that, for the age group this book is written for, it is a good read. I think most tweens could get something valuable out of this book. It makes them think about acceptance, the importance of helping others, and the consequences of our actions.

The Giver (book #1), Gathering Blue (book #2), and Messenger (book #3) form a trilogy that takes readers on a thought-provoking journey.

I had to re-align my thinking since book #2 because I mistakenly thought the main character in book #1 was someone else. In fact, it was Jonas. When I read book #2 and saw the name Christopher, I wrongly pictured Jonas. So, throughout book #2 and most of book #3, Christopher was Jonas to me, which made the story quite different for me. Now, I have two versions of the story in my mind!

Let's focus on Messenger. Matt from book #2 is now Matty and the speaker in this book. He is six years older and living in Christopher's village. There, he learned manners and proper grammar and became a courier of messages between villages, easily traversing the Forest. However, as the Trade Market bloomed, Matty's new village started to change. The kind-hearted people traded their souls for vanity and trivial amusements, and they became so different that they voted to close their doors to newcomers. This decision compelled Matty to go back to his old town to get Kira to her father before the closing. But the Forest was no longer kind; it seemed to torture and kill those in its path, even fierce Matty. Matty and Kira's journey back to Christopher became a living hell. Meanwhile, Leader, who has the power to see beyond, kept Christopher updated on his children's travel. When Leader saw that Matty and Kira were at death's door, he went after them. Kira, with her power to depict what's ahead through her threading, saw that Leader was on his way. But Leader too was in a perilous situation. It became clear that it was time to use Matty's power, although he didn't think it would do much in his condition.

The whole trilogy was dark and dreary for most of its story, but we find hope in the courage of its amazing characters. It reminds us that a society can easily become corrupt, and we are challenged to look around and realize that we have the power to help it thrive. We are all advocates for maintaining a civil society and securing it for our posterity. These books invite us to discover and use our individual power for good.

This third book intrigued me a bit more. We find the protagonists of the previous books grown up, and we know what became of Jonas, Kira, and the little Matty.

The various worlds are finally changing, but between the Trade Mart and the Dark Forest, there are new big problems on the horizon and a final sacrifice that, I admit, hit me.

However, too few explanations are given in this book as well, and this is a flaw of all the stories that progress too quickly. Anyway, how can one not be affectionate towards the little Matty?

The trilogy was supposed to end here, but there is a fourth book. Let's see what impression it will make on me.

Overall, the story has its strengths and weaknesses. The character development is interesting, especially seeing how the characters have grown and changed. The new challenges and conflicts add excitement and keep the reader engaged. However, the lack of detailed explanations and the somewhat rushed pace can be a bit frustrating at times. Despite these flaws, I am still curious to see how the story concludes in the fourth book.

Dárce, the search for blue, the messenger in the dark forest. I can't wait for the fourth part.

When you read something that has a continuation, there is always a bit of skepticism that the first part is the best and then it's just watered-down. But in this case, I liked the second part more than the first and the third part was not bad at all! A very worthy work in the young adult category! In the third part, the characters from the previous parts reappear and their fates intertwine. Yesterday, after reading it, a multitude of questions and associations swirled in my head. There are many parallels with the present world in the book and the book is undoubtedly suitable for a long discussion not only with teenagers. Just such ordinary "trading" and selling one's own face and soul directly to the devil, so typical of people nowadays. We too would need such a Matty who would lead us on the right path.

The story seems to have a deeper meaning and message that makes you think about the choices we make and the consequences that follow. It also shows the importance of having someone like Matty in our lives, someone who can guide us and help us see the truth. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the story will unfold in the fourth part and what new adventures and challenges the characters will face.

It was interesting. However, it was really short and a little bit confusing. I'm not certain if there was a specific point to this entire story, unless it was necessary for the final book in a series. I'll figure it out soon.

Regarding how I choose my rating:

A 1-star rating means I didn't like it at all. These are quite rare because usually, if I dislike a book this much, I simply don't finish it.

A 2-star rating indicates that I didn't like it. Again, if I have such a strong dislike, I usually DNF (Did Not Finish) it. But occasionally, I sense that it still has some potential, so I attempt to stick with it until the end.

A 3-star rating means I liked it. It wasn't outstanding, but it was enjoyable enough. It's unlikely that I'll ever reread it, but if it's part of a series, I might finish the series.

A 4-star rating shows that I really liked this book. Maybe it's not a work of pure genius, but it's highly entertaining. I might reread this at some point, and if it's part of a series, I will almost always finish the series.

A 5-star rating means I loved this book. I found very few, if any, issues with it. I will probably reread this book, and perhaps more than once. If it's part of a series, I will definitely finish the series.

Yet another 3 stars in the series. After having loved the first book so very much, I find myself rather disappointed that the two books that followed are only rated 3 stars. However, I am determined to finish the series. It's not that it's a bad series by any means. In fact, it has its own charm and interesting elements. But when the series started out with such a powerful and captivating beginning, my expectations were set extremely high. I truly wanted the rest of the books to maintain that same level of excitement, intensity, and overall awesomeness. Unfortunately, that has not been the case so far. But still, I have hope that there might be some surprises and improvements in the remaining books of the series that could potentially raise my opinion of it.

This third book in the author's The Giver Quartet is truly captivating.

It brings together characters from both The Giver and Gathering Blue. The author does an excellent job of constructing a highly believable fantasy world.

In this world, individuals who have suffered various physical and/or emotional traumas due to life in a dystopian community find solace in Village. Here, they are cherished, and their unique talents are identified and cultivated.

As I had anticipated from this author, the profound undercurrent of spirituality persists. However, in my view, this aspect becomes a touch too melodramatic towards the end of the book, which is why I assign it a slightly lower rating. Nevertheless, it is still a highly worthwhile read as a sequel to the previous installments. I would not suggest it as a stand-alone work, as it builds upon the storylines and characters developed in the earlier books.

Overall, it offers an engaging and thought-provoking continuation of the series.

This series should've stopped with the Giver. Mostly because of that ending. Are you kidding me??? Deeep breaths. Okay, let me back up a bit. In this quasi-magic, quasi-dystopian world, we have humans with magical gifts living in harsh, cruel and primitive villages. In the previous book, we followed Kira, who had great artistic skills in embroidery. This book, we follow Matt. Matt, now Matty, is roughly a teenager and is coming into powers of his own. And the world has become very confusing for him. His deepest desire is to become the Messenger. Only, some of the madness from the surrounding villages is infecting his home. A Trader has come to town and what he is trading causes harm to the entire population. Gentle friends are becoming cruel, kind folks are becoming apathetic and the village is shifting from idyllic to something far worse. In the midst of that, Matty is sent on a final task to find Kira and bring her back. But with her lame leg and the Forest's menacing presence, Matty might not make it back at all. Overall, I liked this one a bit more than the previous but I'm still peeved. After three books, we have no information about their powers, the society or the world-that-used-to-be. The Trader arc was never resolved and I can't forgive the author for what she did to Matty. I'll finish this series but my heart isn't in it anymore. Audiobook Comments: Well-read and a pleasure to listen to. The variation in tone made this audiobook extremely engaging!

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