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Jenny's Reviews > Son
Son (The Giver, #4)
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** spoiler alert **
I'm struggling with this review. I love Lowry and I love the Giver. The Giver is one of the most poignant stories written for middle grades. I think it lends itself to such great discussion about what it means to be a human being, a community. I also love the companion books: Gathering Blue and Messenger. I especially love the Messenger and the profound message of what it takes to overcome evil. When I got an advance copy of Son, I was thrilled. I have been anticipating this for months. The character of Claire is beautifully rendered. Returning to the original community was interesting. Felt like Lowry was addressing long standing questions about details concerning how the community functioned.
I give this four stars for the reason that it serves as a satisfying conclusion. But...the part of Lowry's writing that I adore is missing. She answers too many questions. She completes the thoughts for us. The reader has little to ask or wonder in the end. Too tidy. As a writer she allows for the questions to linger. I think that's the power in her writing.
But it also felt so much like a long awaited reunion. It is a satisfying closure to a long journey.
I give this four stars for the reason that it serves as a satisfying conclusion. But...the part of Lowry's writing that I adore is missing. She answers too many questions. She completes the thoughts for us. The reader has little to ask or wonder in the end. Too tidy. As a writer she allows for the questions to linger. I think that's the power in her writing.
But it also felt so much like a long awaited reunion. It is a satisfying closure to a long journey.
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Son.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
September 30, 2012
–
Finished Reading
October 2, 2012
– Shelved
October 2, 2012
– Shelved as:
middle-grades
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Just a Girl Fighting Censorship
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rated it 3 stars
Nov 02, 2012 07:17AM
I felt the exact same way and agree completely
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This review is on point.
I found the second section to be way too long and drawn out. I had been so eagerly anticipating this book and was so quickly disappointed. It took me over a month to get myself to finish it. That second part was such a drag.
I didn't think of that way... Interesting. I guess you're kind of right. However, I was really sad to have never found out what happened to Einar... I wish she could have gone back to him somehow. I'm just a sucker for happy endings. :P
Some people need all the answers given to them. They cannot stand incomplete thoughts. I myself am not one of them. I LOVED the first book and the two following. I just reached part 2 of Son. I am enjoying the read. Even if there is too much detail, i'm sure it will still be better than all the fan fiction i've run into
... I thought there were still quite a few unanswered questions. I'm still wondering about a LOT! *Ü*
Exactly! Part of the joy of The Giver is that we were able to use our imaginations and argue about things.
I disagree. Way too many questions! It was not tidy at all.
I actually enjoyed the "Between" section, where Claire was the happiest. She learned to be a real human, and she was loved and cherished by Alys and the girls. Above all, Claire finally fell in love with a man, Einar, the one who trained her to climb out. He loved her but didn't ask anything from her. So selfless. I loved the "Before" section too and felt her pain and longing. Very well written and fast paced. However, I'm disappointed with the last section. I don't understand why Claire had to wait eight long years before approaching Jonas. The ending was comforting (cruel trade had been reversed) but rushed, and Trademaster was easily defeated, which was totally unexpected (while Matty had to sacrifice himself and Einar lost his feet)... I'm a romance sucker... I was hoping that Claire and Einar would reunite somehow somewhere! Like one of the readers above, I want to know what happened to Einar after Claire had climbed out. Did he find her signal? I was so sad to read the end, like a chapter was missing. How I wished Ms Lowry would mention the fisherman village again (especially Einar).
I loved the Giver. I liked the other books in the series, but I had a hard time with them as a series. I kind of wish Lois Lowry would have made them into different books, instead of a series. I liked the book though!
I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts together on this book. I personally loved the first 3 books, I felt like Son was going to tie in all the characters from Messenger, Giver and Gathering Blue in one complex story line. I did enjoy the book but I feel sort of cheated. I wanted a scene where Gabe and his mother finally get reunited, after all the sacrifices she makes to find him....yet she never approaches him after living in the same village for 7 years. It just wasn't the amazing conclusion to the Quartet I was hoping for.
Anya, I suspect you didn't finish the book. Or you didn't understand the ending. Because that is exactly what happens
I beg to differ, I still have plenty of unanswered questions.
Interesting! I felt exactly the opposite. I wanted the happy ending and to feel of the reunion and bring Einar there after his wounds were hopefully healed when evil died.
I'm glad we didn't have the reunion written down. I think seeing the reunion in words would diminish the reunion we all imagine in our minds. That's what I love about this series. There's so much unsaid.
Are you joking? She raised more questions than she answered
YJ wrote: "I actually enjoyed the "Between" section, where Claire was the happiest. She learned to be a real human, and she was loved and cherished by Alys and the girls. Above all, Claire finally fell in lov..."I resonate with this response so much but somehow, if Lowry goes back to that community, it'll be another arc wouldn't it? It's understandable given the parallel of Jonas leaving Giver to move forward and face his own journey. It wouldn't be so much of a mystery for us if Lowry gives the "what happens" to the people they left behind. But I agree that defeating the Trademaster was too rushed :((( I wanted more conversation or at least description of memories and emotions. So many great sacrifices for such an easy defeat. And Claire and Gabe didn't even have a moment to reunite fully that almost all readers hope to know. AAAAAA. Hahahaha Bits of frustrations here and there. Guess we can't have four favorites in the quartet but overall quite a journey.
Too tidy?? I have WAY more questions than answers now LOL
