Gathering Blue Review
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Lois Lowry's Gathering Blue is the next installment in The Giver series, the first having been wildly successful, though is dubbed a "companion", as it has no relevancy to the plot of The Giver. The question is: "is it worth reading?" Depends. Address the points below to find out if this next installment in the series is worth going to the bookstore to purchase.
The story revolves around a girl, presumably in her teen years, named Kira. Kira's mother passes away at the beginning of the book. Her father has said to have been killed by a beast during a hunt, so she must protect herself from a group of village women, who want her to leave the community and go to the Field (where she would die), due to her crippled leg, which keeps her from marrying, working, or raising children. She overcomes other challenges aided by her tyke* friend Matt and her talented friend Thomas the carver, and unlocks secrets within the alienating community. Her reputation as a masterfully talented artist grows as she develops new threading techniques throughout the book, which give her a significant importance in the village. I shall try not to dive further into the plot, in the case that you decide to read the book.
The style in Gathering Blue remains the only thing that links it to The Giver. The creepy atmosphere of the community in which the story takes place and the ominously emotionless tone of the author create a mysterious tint to the tale that actually motivates the reader to continue and discover what happens next. Relatively complex, though not to the point of being grandiloquent, vocabulary contributes to the tone, and is satisfying and understandable: "... and she could hear the high, haunting melody that the child had sung in her magical voice, solitary in her room,
before they had forced her from it and given her their own song to sing." If you are a fan of The Giver, the similar though still enthrallingly gripping style of the story will not disappoint, and those that have not read the previous book will find the style fresh and creative.
Assuming you read the introductory summary in paragraph two, you may have interpreted that Gathering Blue is predicable, and it is. Very predictable. This is where the story suffers a bit. Even though the story is so well delivered and makes you want to continue reading to find out what happens next, I found that I already knew what was going to happen, and was just hoping the next event in the book would be surprisingly unexpected. Though the story continued to keep me excited though unsurprised until a partially inspired (though honestly quite confusing) conclusion. How many times have you heard of the protagonist with half a family trinket (in this case a necklace) that is completed at the end of the tale by the other half belonging to a long-lost relative? That's right, it happens here too. Gathering Blue is a story with a creative idea, though is utterly predictable in continuing that idea.
Gathering Blue is by no means a bad book, though suffers due to its predictability. If you are a fan of the series, this story will not disappoint due to author Lois Lowry's still wonderfully creative style. The story may also amuse others not familiar with the series, though if you're looking for something completely new and unpredictable, I recommend you look elsewhere.
Gathering Blue Overview
'Kira saw that she was surrounded by hostile women who had come from their cotts and were watching Vandara for instructions and leadership. Several, she noticed, had rocks in their hands. If one rock were thrown, others would follow, she knew. They were all waiting for the first...' When Kira is summoned to judgement by the Council of the Guardians to resolve a village conflict, Kira knows she is fighting for her life. In this challenging vision of the future, society is not technoogically advanced, and is tough and unforgiving, with every member having to prove their place. Kira has a withered leg and up till now has had her mother to protect her. With her mother gone, Kira will need to use every ounce of cunning, wit and bravery to ensure her continued acceptance - and even survival. A compelling, thought-provoking vision of a future society from an award-winning author.
Gathering Blue Specifications
Lois Lowry's magnificent novel of the distant future, The Giver, is set in a highly technical and emotionally repressed society. This eagerly awaited companion volume, by contrast, takes place in a village with only the most rudimentary technology, where anger, greed, envy, and casual cruelty make ordinary people's lives short and brutish. This society, like the one portrayed in The Giver, is controlled by merciless authorities with their own complex agendas and secrets. And at the center of both stories there is a young person who is given the responsibility of preserving the memory of the culture--and who finds the vision to transform it.
Kira, newly orphaned and lame from birth, is taken from the turmoil of the village to live in the grand Council Edifice because of her skill at embroidery. There she is given the task of restoring the historical pictures sewn on the robe worn at the annual Ruin Song Gathering, a solemn day-long performance of the story of their world's past. Down the hall lives Thomas the Carver, a young boy who works on the intricate symbols carved on the Singer's staff, and a tiny girl who is being trained as the next Singer. Over the three artists hovers the menace of authority, seemingly kind but suffocating to their creativity, and the dark secret at the heart of the Ruin Song.
With the help of a cheerful waif called Matt and his little dog, Kira at last finds the way to the plant that will allow her to create the missing color--blue--and, symbolically, to find the courage to shape the future by following her art wherever it may lead. With astonishing originality, Lowry has again created a vivid and unforgettable setting for this thrilling story that raises profound questions about the mystery of art, the importance of memory, and the centrality of love. (Ages 10 and older) --Patty Campbell
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