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The Giver Boxed Set: The Giver / Gathering Blue / Messenger / Son

The Giver Boxed Set: The Giver / Gathering Blue / Messenger / Son

  • Downloads：8304
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-11-21 06:56:34
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Lois Lowry
  • ISBN：0008113491
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

THE GIVER is soon to be a major motion picture starring Jeff Bridges， Katie Holmes and Taylor Swift。 Now available for the first time in the UK， THE GIVER QUARTET is the complete four-novel collection。

THE GIVER: It is the future。 There is no war， no hunger， no pain。 No one in the community wants for anything。 Everything needed is provided。 And at twelve years old， each member of the community has their profession carefully chosen for them by the Committee of Elders。 Jonas has never thought there was anything wrong with his world。 But from the moment he is selected as the Receiver of Memory， Jonas discovers that their community is not as perfect as it seems。。。

GATHERING BLUE is a return to the mysterious but plausible future world of THE GIVER。 It tells the story of Kira， orphaned， physically flawed， and left with an uncertain future until she is summoned by the Council of Guardians。 On her quest for truth that follows， Kira makes discoveries that will change her life and world forever。

In MESSENGER， Matty has lived in Village and flourished under the guidance of Seer， a blind man known for his special sight。 His community once welcomed newcomers， but something sinister has seeped into Village and the people have voted to close its borders to outsiders。 Now Matty must risk everything to make one last journey through the treacherous forest。。。

SON is the thrilling conclusion to THE GIVER QUARTET。 When 'Water Claire' washed up on their shore， no one knew that she came from a society where emotions don't exist。 That she had become a Vessel。 That she had carried a Product。 That it had been stolen from her body。 Claire's son is out there， a young boy now。 And she will stop at nothing to find her child， even if it means making an unimaginable sacrifice。

Award-winning author Lois Lowry challenges readers to imagine what our world could become， how people could evolve and what could be considered valuable in this fascinating quartet of dystopian novels - now available as a four-book set。

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Reviews

Chelsea ，

I enjoyed these just as much on this read-through。 I like how the last book ties together the other three， but the final section felt a bit rushed。

Myra Corder ，

must readI could not put these books down！ I haven’t lost this much sleep reading a series in a long time！

Don Follett ，

"The Giver" was recommended to me by my Granddaughter。 I read it and liked it。 My Daughter offered to let me read Author Lowry's "The Giver Quartet。" I read it and also liked it。 It's a dystopian set of novels about vastly different ways of living。 If you are not a fan of dystopian novels， you may not like these。 I thought they were very good。 I really liked how the author was able to tie all of her books together。 Now I have to watch the movie， "The Giver" to complete this journey。 "The Giver" was recommended to me by my Granddaughter。 I read it and liked it。 My Daughter offered to let me read Author Lowry's "The Giver Quartet。" I read it and also liked it。 It's a dystopian set of novels about vastly different ways of living。 If you are not a fan of dystopian novels， you may not like these。 I thought they were very good。 I really liked how the author was able to tie all of her books together。 Now I have to watch the movie， "The Giver" to complete this journey。 。。。more

John Koeshall ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 If I were to describe this series with one word， it would be “mysterious。” This story features a number of protagonist children in a dystopian world。 Four different communities are featured with their strengths and weaknesses。 In each of these， the protagonists benefit， but are called to be active agents to address “sins” of their communities。 I found the characters appealing and enjoyed that both girls and boys were featured equally。 I had hoped to find out whatever happened to … Jonas’s commun If I were to describe this series with one word， it would be “mysterious。” This story features a number of protagonist children in a dystopian world。 Four different communities are featured with their strengths and weaknesses。 In each of these， the protagonists benefit， but are called to be active agents to address “sins” of their communities。 I found the characters appealing and enjoyed that both girls and boys were featured equally。 I had hoped to find out whatever happened to … Jonas’s community after he left and their memories were returned to them。… what happened to the original Giver。… how the brokenness of the community in “Gathering Blue” was addressed。 Big blank。 … where the Trade Master came from in both “Messenger” and “the Son” and whether he was the cause of civilization’s demise （as seems to be strongly implied）。 In any case， very appealing stories with massive and mysterious gaps in the stories。 （But perhaps that’s on purpose so that the story isn’t “pat” but open to discussion。） 。。。more

Sarah & Jesús ，

I'm not sure how to categorize this series， the writing style and reading level is definitely young adult which is almost at odds with the dystopian narrative。 I felt the first book in the series was like a good rough draft for a longer more nuanced novel。 There needed to be a little more character development。 I really wanted to connect with the main characters and felt I almost did， but not quite。 I read the rest of the series hoping for more development， or at least a little explanation of wh I'm not sure how to categorize this series， the writing style and reading level is definitely young adult which is almost at odds with the dystopian narrative。 I felt the first book in the series was like a good rough draft for a longer more nuanced novel。 There needed to be a little more character development。 I really wanted to connect with the main characters and felt I almost did， but not quite。 I read the rest of the series hoping for more development， or at least a little explanation of what was going on in the world the author created。 I was willing to suspend disbelief because the author writes well， but the rules in this fictional universe will remain a mystery。 One the flip side， it could be an interesting conversation started for young adults， the utopian/dystopian setting with the various "solutions" for real/imagined problems could certainly provide material for discussion。 I don't know。 I'm rating it a three。 。。。more

Elizabeth Lin ，

I received the Giver Quartet as a gift from my mentor when I departed for a long journey。 Lois Lowry is a gifted author。 She does a fair job depicting the adventures and dangerous journeys that the main protagonists undertake， pursuing freedom， στοργή （familial love）， and truth。 The transcending messages of love and courage （the list can be longer） accompanied me as I fought my own weakness on the journey。 When reading from the biblical perspective， I could see the corruption of hunmans hearts b I received the Giver Quartet as a gift from my mentor when I departed for a long journey。 Lois Lowry is a gifted author。 She does a fair job depicting the adventures and dangerous journeys that the main protagonists undertake， pursuing freedom， στοργή （familial love）， and truth。 The transcending messages of love and courage （the list can be longer） accompanied me as I fought my own weakness on the journey。 When reading from the biblical perspective， I could see the corruption of hunmans hearts because of sin and the restoration through sacrifice of love。 。。。more

Daeton Renaud ，

Loosely connected but by the last book it all ties together。

lyn ，

rip middle school me for reading this and thinking it was all one book just split into four different parts

میم صالحی فر ，

مجموعه چهار جلدی که با عناوین بخشنده، در جست وجوی ابی ها، پیام رسان و پسر توسط نشر چشمه چاپ شده و من فقط یک جلد با طرح جلدی که الان در ایران چاپ شده（چیزی که در نگاه اول من رو به کتاب جذب کرد） رو تونستم در گودریدز پیدا کنم。（پس به ناچار مرورم رو روی این مجموعه نوشتم و نه تک تک جلدها）دو جلد اول دو داستان کاملا متفاوت دارن، طوری که من فکر کردم در جلدهای بعدی هم همین منوال خواهد بود و کتاب ها کاملا از هم متفاوت هستند。 اما جلد سوم به نوعی شخصیت ها و دنیای جلد اول رو با خودش داشت و جلد چهارم جایی بود ک مجموعه چهار جلدی که با عناوین بخشنده، در جست وجوی ابی ها، پیام رسان و پسر توسط نشر چشمه چاپ شده و من فقط یک جلد با طرح جلدی که الان در ایران چاپ شده（چیزی که در نگاه اول من رو به کتاب جذب کرد） رو تونستم در گودریدز پیدا کنم。（پس به ناچار مرورم رو روی این مجموعه نوشتم و نه تک تک جلدها）دو جلد اول دو داستان کاملا متفاوت دارن، طوری که من فکر کردم در جلدهای بعدی هم همین منوال خواهد بود و کتاب ها کاملا از هم متفاوت هستند。 اما جلد سوم به نوعی شخصیت ها و دنیای جلد اول رو با خودش داشت و جلد چهارم جایی بود که شخصیت هاو دنیاهای سه جلد قبلی به هم می رسید و داستان اوج می گرفت。دشمن جلد اخر و به نوعی دشمن اصلی همه جلدها، ارباب معامله معرفی شد، دشمنی که هیچ اثری ازش در جلد اول و دوم نبود و اگر بود جذابیت داستان ها بیشتر می شد。دنیاهایی هم که درکتاب ها ترسیم شده، هرکدام از مجموعه‌ای از ادم ها تشکیل شده که قوانین، سبک زندگی، جامعه و 。。。 خودشون رو دارند و در عین حال ارتباط و تاثیر بسیار بسیار اندکی بر یکدیگر دارند。ویژگی مثبت جلدها و در کل مجموعه سخت کوشی و ناامید نشدن شخصیت های اصلی حتی در سخت ترین شرایط بود。در جلد اول گریزی به موضوع بلوغ داشت و درجلد چهارم به موضوع تولید نسل پرداخته شده بود。من داستان جلد دوم رو از باقی جلدها بیشتر دوست داشتم。https://taaghche。com/book/62803/%D8%A。。。 。。。more

Kathy ，

I was entranced by this book！I never read fiction but when my grandson said he was reading "The Giver" at school， I purchased the book and read along。 I was surprised by how much I loved it and had a hard time putting it down！ I then read the rest of the series and found myself absorbed in the stories that intertwined together。 I really enjoyed Lois Lowry's writing and imagination。 Highly recommend！！ I was entranced by this book！I never read fiction but when my grandson said he was reading "The Giver" at school， I purchased the book and read along。 I was surprised by how much I loved it and had a hard time putting it down！ I then read the rest of the series and found myself absorbed in the stories that intertwined together。 I really enjoyed Lois Lowry's writing and imagination。 Highly recommend！！ 。。。more

Mariam ，

A wonderful taleEach time I put this series down I was left with a sense of sweet sadness。 When I read The Giver as a child in 3rd grade it left a lifelong impression。 When I found out it was a series I immediately picked it up。 As an adult， the stories touch similarly but in a deeper more nuanced way。 It has slowed me down and made me see things as I did long ago。 Thank you for this story。

Lynda Newman ，

I read this book for enjoyment， not looking for hidden meanings。 That is exactly what I got， pure enjoyment！ I just ordered this book sent to my sister， so as to share my enjoyment。

Lisa ，

The Giver ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Gathering Blue ⭐⭐⭐Messenger ⭐⭐⭐⭐Son ⭐The last book was a complete disappointment and waste of time。

Arafyn ，

I've been making a point to go back and read classics or required books from junior high and high school because I can understand them better AND appreciate them much more than when I was a teenager。 The Giver has always been one of those books where even if I didn't remember details or what I felt when reading it 15 years ago， something about it stuck with me and made me want to read it again to see if I still got the same feeling。 I have read the Giver before （for school-required reading）， but I've been making a point to go back and read classics or required books from junior high and high school because I can understand them better AND appreciate them much more than when I was a teenager。 The Giver has always been one of those books where even if I didn't remember details or what I felt when reading it 15 years ago， something about it stuck with me and made me want to read it again to see if I still got the same feeling。 I have read the Giver before （for school-required reading）， but never the sequels， and once I made the decision to give the Giver a try this year， I ended up reading through all 4 books in 4 days because I couldn't put them down！Though there are recurring characters in each book， Lois Lowry does an excellent job of keeping the focus on the current story and the characters it revolves around。 The theme of human adaption to survival stays the same throughout the series， with each book showing a different take on what communities will do to survive and how their adaption adjusts with greed and power involved。 It was fascinating to see how different groups of people responded， how different the technologies were and how extreme those differences can be even though the communities were close enough to each other to travel and all were living in the same time period。 The only con or downside I can think of for the series is that the fantasy aspect of the story shifted a bit more to the superpower focus of the characters， which took a bit away from the themes of suppressed creativity。 But overall I enjoyed it and wished there was more to this series， even though it ended at a good point。 。。。more

Lisa ，

my kiddo [7th grade] came home with the giver as their reading assignment for english。 i tend to like to read the book that is assigned so that we can have a conversation about it。 i read the giver really quickly and then discovered there were 4 books where characters/places overlapped and thought - why not read them all。 they are definitely dystopian light - age appropriate books that bring up big topics [think 1984 or animal farm， but a bit less disturbing]。 you know - existential ideas like - my kiddo [7th grade] came home with the giver as their reading assignment for english。 i tend to like to read the book that is assigned so that we can have a conversation about it。 i read the giver really quickly and then discovered there were 4 books where characters/places overlapped and thought - why not read them all。 they are definitely dystopian light - age appropriate books that bring up big topics [think 1984 or animal farm， but a bit less disturbing]。 you know - existential ideas like - what it means to have a society， how the rules of that society can be beneficial or harmful， euphemisms for killing those that serve "no purpose"， what it means to be "different" or have a "gift"， what happens when freedom and art art taken away or relegated to a few。。。。 you get the idea。。。 all good topics to discuss in this day and age。 i liked following certain characters as they got older - but each book can also stand alone。 i also like how lowry doesn't really have a political point of view - she mostly just weaves a story that forces you to respond to these situations。 what is OK？ what isn't？ where do you draw the lines for freedom， personal responsibility， creepiness？？ if i'm being honest the second book is the slowest - although i did like matty as a character and was glad he was the main focus in the 3rd book。 i think some people might not like the happy ending of the last book， but thinking about giving young people hope i didn't mind too much。 my kid and i talked a lot about "releasing" and how we create euphemisms to deal with things we don't really want to discuss。 what it means to live in a "colorless" world。 what it means to be "special" and heroic。 all in all a win in my book。 。。。more

Megan ，

I loved the stories， each very much their own book。 There were several plot inconsistencies in the fourth book， Son。 Still a great read。

Jennifer Thomas ，

Great stories！You really need to read all four because each of the first three end somewhat abruptly but the last one pulls all of the stories together and amazing and ultimately satisfying way。 Just a great story with memorable characters！

ukuklele ，

The Giver， 1993Saya agak kesulitan memulai baca novel ini。 Mungkin karena ternyata ini cerita fantasi; dunianya enggak familiar sehingga saya tidak langsung menangkapnya。 Baru setelah membaca cukup jauh lalu kembali ke bab awal， saya dapat mengerti maksudnya。Meskipun novel ini bercerita mengenai seorang anak berusia 12 tahun dan ditujukan kepada pembaca muda， isinya cukup berat karena mengajak berpikir bahkan sangat relatable bagi saya yang menurut usia tergolong pembaca dewasa。Terus terang， The Giver， 1993Saya agak kesulitan memulai baca novel ini。 Mungkin karena ternyata ini cerita fantasi; dunianya enggak familiar sehingga saya tidak langsung menangkapnya。 Baru setelah membaca cukup jauh lalu kembali ke bab awal， saya dapat mengerti maksudnya。Meskipun novel ini bercerita mengenai seorang anak berusia 12 tahun dan ditujukan kepada pembaca muda， isinya cukup berat karena mengajak berpikir bahkan sangat relatable bagi saya yang menurut usia tergolong pembaca dewasa。Terus terang， saya mengidealkan dunia tempat tinggal Jonas yang demikian efisien。 Betapa enaknya sejak awal sudah dipilihkan jalur karier yang tepat。 Kalau ada "problem"， tinggal mati dan tidak mesti dilakukan sendiri pula。 Biar saja tidak ada "cinta" dan emosi-emosi lainnya。 Toh di dunia ini juga saya tidak dapat memahaminya。 Biar saja kehidupan tidak memiliki warna。 Toh di dunia ini juga kehidupan bisa jadi amat menjemukan。Cuma， seandainya saya yang terpilih sebagai The Receiver， memang bisa dipahami sih betapa beratnya menanggung beban memori kolektif sendirian。 Menanggung beban memori pribadi saja sudah bikin saya merasa tak berdaya。 Bisa dipahami sebabnya Rosemary memilih untuk di-"release" saja， sedang The Giver dan Jonas mendambakan kebebasan， perubahan， pilihan 。。。。Premis cerita ini mengingatkan saya pada cerpen "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" karangan Ursula K。 Le Guin， tentang bagaimana beban penderitaan suatu masyarakat ditimpakan kepada satu anak saja sedang yang tidak setuju dengan sistem ini mesti pergi。 Iseng-iseng saya googling dengan kata kunci 'scapegoat of society' dan menemukan sebuah artikel yang menyatakan bahwa masyarakat memang membutuhkan scapegoat。Maka amanat-amanat yang saya peroleh dari cerita ini:1。 Bagaimanapun dunia ideal ciptaan manusia hanya bisa diwujudkan melalui fiksi spekulatif belaka， mesti ada sisi gelapnya。 Dunia Jonas pun tak terhindar dari sifat-sifat manusiawi yang suka merendahkan （contohnya pandangan mengenai Birthmother）， menghindari masalah dengan membuat masalah （dengan menimpakan beban memori kepada satu orang saja）， dan sebagainya。 Begitulah hukumnya hidup di alam ini。 Ujungnya terima saja kenyataan yang merupakan perwujudan Kemaha-"bijaksana"-an Sang Pencipta。2。 Memori mesti dibagi， beban jangan ditanggung sendirian。 Jadi rajin-rajinlah berkeluh kesah kepada orang lain？ Dengan rajin membaca atau mendengarkan orang lain pun， dapat bertambah beban pikiran kita hahaha。 Intinya sih， keburukan-keburukan itu bukan untuk dihindari atau ditimpakan kepada pihak tertentu saja melainkan untuk ditanggung dan dikelola bersama-sama。 Novel ini telah difilmkan pada 2014 dengan sederet bintang kenamaan。 Saya baru menonton recap-nya di YouTube: tampak lebih seru， jelas， dan efisien dibandingkan dengan novelnya kecuali untuk porsi romance yang sudah niscaya dalam film begini。Novel ini berakhir menggantung， membikin penasaran akan nasib Jonas dan Gabriel selanjutnya。 Sayangnya， ketika saya mulai baca buku kedua， Gathering Blue， ceritanya ternyata tidak langsung bersambung tapi malah memperkenalkan dunia baru。 Setelah membaca beberapa review di sini mengenai edisi omnibus ini， tampaknya saya akan dibiarkan tidak puas。 Sebal deh kalau begini。 Sudah dibikin baper， malah digantung。 Geregetan， jadinya geregetan。 Gathering Blue， 2000Novel lanjutan The Giver ini rada-rada mirip dengan prekuelnya。Baik Kira maupun Jonas tinggal dalam suatu masyarakat dengan aturan tertentu。 Dunia Jonas sepintas tampak sempurna， sedang dunia Kira semacam kehidupan masyarakat primitif yang serbakeras。 Namun kedua dunia tersebut sama-sama tidak memberikan tempat kepada yang cacat atau berpotensi menghambat kepentingan umum。 Bedanya， dunia Jonas menyingkirkan kaum tersebut dengan cara yang halus。 Soal ini masih relevan bagi saya， bagaimana yang dianggap tidak berguna sebenarnya berguna jika dilihat dari sudut pandang tertentu。 Buku yang mengangkat soal ini di antaranya The Courage to be Disliked。 Desa para orang cacat （view spoiler）[tempat ayah Kira tinggal （hide spoiler）] pun tampak ideal， tapi jangan-jangan ada minusnya juga 。。。。 Meski begitu， gagasan di Gathering Blue mengenai desa para orang cacat dalam berbagai arti itu lebih berterima bagi saya， daripada orientasi kepada kebebasan dan pilihan di The Giver。Selain itu， dalam novel ini saya menyoroti bagaimana anak-anak diperlakukan dengan kasar oleh orang tua mereka。 Saya menduga itu sebagai kenyataan mengenai pola asuh pada umumnya sampai ilmu kejiwaan dan media sosial berkembang（？）， sehingga teori parenting yang baik dan benar tersebarluaskan dan masyarakat--khususnya anak-anak muda--menjadi peka akan tumbuh-kembang mental mereka， yang sebagian orang mungkin mendapatinya sudah telanjur rusak。 Why I Hate You and You Hate Me serta buku lain tentang emotionally immature parents merujuk kepada berbagai cerita rakyat/dongeng anak yang menunjukkan bahwa sejak dahulu kala terdapat figur orang tua yang menurut standar sekarang dianggap toxic。 Bukan hanya melalui perlakuan kasar， melainkan juga pengabaian。 Maka orang tua yang cerdas secara emosional dst dsb--pokoknya ideal menurut standar parenting jaman now--bagai suatu privilege yang hanya 1% populasi memilikinya。Baik Kira maupun Jonas memiliki bakat istimewa yang ada hubungannya dengan mengumpulkan informasi kolektif mengenai masa yang telah lampau， sehingga dari situ dapat diperoleh kebijaksanaan serta menentukan arah masa depan。Akhir cerita sama-sama mengungkapkan bahwa ada kemungkinan akan kehidupan yang berbeda di luar masyarakat mereka。Jonas memutuskan untuk pergi， sedang Kira justru memilih untuk tinggal。 Saya takjub akan kepercayaan diri mereka untuk dapat membuat perubahan pada masa yang akan datang， yang kiranya keharusan jika ingin cerita disukai pembaca yang umumnya mengharapkan perkembangan situasi atau pertumbuhan karakter。 Lagi pula， jika diingat-ingat， ketika seumuran mereka pun ada saja hasrat saya untuk dapat melakukan suatu hal yang hebat--cita-cita yang ketinggian。 Saya pribadi sekarang ini cenderung berpikir sebaliknya。 Mungkin saya kurang dapat menghayati Jonas yang terbebani oleh memori kolektif masyarakatnya。 Saya cuma tahu rasanya terbebani oleh memori pribadi ditambah berbagai pengalaman buruk orang lain dan semacamnya， sehingga lebih suka "tinggal" daripada mencari ketidakpastian di luar sana。 Namun jika saya Kira， saya merasa lebih baik pergi apalagi jika mengetahui bahwa mentor saya ternyata orang jahat yang tidak segan-segan membunuh anggota keluarga saya sendiriSelain itu， kedua cerita ini sama-sama berkenaan dengan warna。 Dunia Jonas tanpa warna， sedang dunia Kira memiliki warna-warni kecuali biru。 Saya menduga warna biru itu perlambang melankolia？ Dunia Kira yang super keras tak memberikan ruang kepada melankolia。 Satu lagi， keduanya melibatkan tokoh anak kecil。 Jadi tokoh utama semacam di-sandwich。 Ia tak hanya kelimpahan amanat dari yang lebih tua， tapi juga merasa bertanggung jawab akan nasib yang lebih muda。 Kenyataan hidup sih， "tugas" setiap orang。 Messenger， 2004Buku ini merupakan kelanjutan dari buku-buku sebelumnya yaitu Gathering Blue dan The Giver。 Maksudnya， kita tidak hanya dapat mengetahui kelanjutan nasib Kira （tokoh utama di Gathering Blue）， tetapi juga Jonas （tokoh utama di The Giver）。 Walaupun dalam buku ini Jonas tidak disebut dengan namanya， tetapi dengan perannya dalam komunitas baru yang dia tinggali， yaitu Leader。 Jadi rasa penasaran yang menggantung setelah menamatkan The Giver pun terjawab di buku ini， digantikan oleh rasa penasaran baru（view spoiler）[: apakah Matty benar-benar mati？ （hide spoiler）]Tokoh utama dalam buku ini adalah Matty， yang adalah Matt di Gathering Blue。 Di Gathering Blue dia masih anak-anak， sedang di buku ini dia sudah remaja。 Dia tinggal bersama the blind man aka Seer （view spoiler）[yang notabene ayah Kira （hide spoiler）]。 Sebagai bacaan ringan， ceritanya tetap menarik untuk diikuti。 Adegan di hutan berhasil menimbulkan sensasi ngeri。 Meski begitu， saya menyadari adanya beberapa bagian yang kabur--alias tidak diuraikan secara terperinci--dalam keseluruhan seri ini。 Pertama， bagaimanakah Matt daapat menemukan si pria buta？ Apakah dia tanya-tanya penduduk desa？ Apakah mereka bertemu secara kebetulan atau karena entah bagaimana Matt punya bakat istimewa demi melancarkan cerita？Kedua， bagaimanakah Kira "mengubah" desanya hanya dengan kemampuannya menyulam masa depan （atau semacam itulah）？ Ataukah perubahan itu terjadi dengan sendirinya？ Apa pemicunya？Ketiga， tidak ada penjelasan lebih lanjut mengenai tren tukar-menukar yang berhubungan dengan munculnya keegoisan warga berikut menebalnya hutan。 （Walaupun saya bisa menduga-duga kaitannya dengan fenomena di dunia nyata。） Semuanya terselesaikan begitu saja dengan bakat istimewa Matty。 （view spoiler）[Sayang sekali itu berarti mengorbankan nyawa sendiri。 Saya masih tak percaya Matty harus benar-benar mati 。。。。 （hide spoiler）]Keempat， ada referensi ke Moby Dick dan Shakespeare yang menimbulkan tanya: Jadi dunia apakah ini karena rupanya masih bersambungan dengan dunia nyata？ Apakah ini spekulasi mengenai yang mungkin terjadi jauh， jauh di depan sana？Apakah mungkin karena buku ini menyasar pembaca muda yang daya kritisnya belum berkembang sehingga ceritanya boleh disederhanakan begitu saja， asal seru saja？ Son， 2012Buku terakhir ini lebih tebal daripada buku-buku sebelumnya， malah terdiri dari tiga buku lagi: Before， Between， dan Beyond。 Alur waktu buku pertama paralel dengan The Giver， hanya saja diceritakan melalui perspektif tokoh baru， yaitu Claire， yang ternyata ibu Gabriel/Gabe。 Buku ini dimulai dengan karier singkat Claire sebagai Birthmother。 Ia mengalami masalah saat melahirkan anak pertama--yang sekaligus menjadi satu-satunya--sehingga dipindahkan ke bagian Fish Hatchery。 Namun ia penasaran dengan keberadaan anaknya sehingga mencari cara untuk bertemu。 Demikian ia tidak hanya bertemu dengan Gabe， tapi juga The Nurturer alias ayah Jonas serta Jonas sendiri。 Buku ini diakhiri dengan kaburnya Jonas yang membawa Gabe。 Claire pun ikut kabur dengan menumpang kapal， atau semacam itu， pokoknya lewat sungai/laut。 （Saya kurang konsentrasi saat membaca bagian ini :P）Di buku kedua， Claire terdampar atau diselamatkan oleh penduduk suatu desa。 Di sini cerita terasa membosankan， atau cheesy， ala telenovela + feminisme Hollywood。 Claire tidak saja hilang ingatan， tapi juga bertranformasi melalui proses panjang lagi menyakitkan agar dapat mendaki gunung untuk keluar dari desa tersebut demi mencari anaknya。 Mungkin saja ia lewat jalur laut， tapi sepertinya ia trauma。 Di buku kedua ini ada lingkungan baru， suatu desa tradisional tetapi tidak sebarbar desa di Gathering Blue。 Kemunculan lingkungan yang baru lagi ini membuat saya mempertanyakan lagi dunia apa sesungguhnya yang ditinggali para tokoh ini。 Messenger kayak memberikan hint bahwa dunia ini masih berhubungan dengan dunia nyata （: dunia kontemporer yang ditinggali pembaca） dengan menyebut-nyebut Moby Dick dan Shakespeare。 Dunia di The Giver tampak futuristik seakan-akan sekelompok orang telah belajar banyak untuk menanggulangi problem-problem kemanusiaan secara seefisien mungkin。 Namun dunia-dunia selainnya dalam keseluruhan seri ini justru tampak terbelakang。 Apakah selain dunia di The Giver， peradaban manusia mengalami kemunduran？Hal lain dari buku kedua yang mengingatkan pada Gathering Blue， di sini ada juga wanita tua ahli tanaman （tapi bukan untuk warna pakaian， melainkan obat-obatan） serta tokoh yang kakinya cacat sehingga harus menggunakan alat bantu berjalan。 Di buku ketiga， Claire berhasil memanjat gunung/keluar desa。 Namun demi mendapat bantuan untuk menemukan anaknya， ia mau tak mau membuat pertukaran dengan "setan" atau The Trademaster。 Tokoh yang belakangan ini mengingatkan saya kepada The Laughing Salesman （anime berseri lawas yang bisa dicari di YouTube）， karena sama-sama dapat mengabulkan segala permintaan dengan konsekuensi buruk。 Memang setelah menuntaskan Messenger， timbul pertanyaan-pertanyaan baru seperti: Siapakah Trademaster sebetulnya？ Bagaimanakah nasib Jonas dan Kira selanjutnya？ Di buku ini， hal-hal itu terjawab。 （view spoiler）[Juga， ternyata Matty betulan sudah mati T^T （hide spoiler）] Bahkan kali ini Gabe mendapat porsi besar dengan menjadi tokoh utama （sedang di Messenger ia cuma menumpang lewat）。 Sebagaimana di buku-buku sebelumnya， tokoh utama mesti memiliki kemampuan istimewa dan misi untuk dijalankan。 Namun di buku ini saya mendapat kesan "asal jadi" dan terburu-buru。 Bagaimanapun juga， cerita diakhiri secara melegakan dan menjanjikan（？） dengan tetap dapat menimbulkan pertanyaan-pertanyaan baru， semisal: Apakah kaki Einar juga dapat kembali seperti sedia kala？ Mungkinkah suatu saat Claire dan Gabe mengadakan perjalanan untuk keluar dari desa tersebut demi menemui Einar？ （view spoiler）[Pertanyaan-pertanyaan lainnya yang timbul padahal seri ini sudah berakhir: Bagaimana Einar bisa tidak mati kehabisan darah selama turun gunung setelah kedua kakinya dipotong si Trademaster？ Mentang-mentang dia begitu kuatnya？ Darimana asal sperma untuk Birthmother？ Malah di awal saya sempat mengira The Giver itu berarti pendonor sperma！ Apakah para perempuan di dunia The Giver bisa mengalami menstruasi？ Bagaimana dengan Claire yang tidak pernah meminum pil？ Bagamana para Birthmother bisa hamil tanpa disebut-sebut soal menstruasi？ （hide spoiler）] 。。。more

Marvin ，

Set in a understandable， dystopian world。 It teaches and reminds us of central ideals and notions to our own society with the stories of our future world。

Allison S ，

The Giver series has been my favorite series for years。 From the start， I loved Lois Lowry’s books so much。 I just reread all of them， and they are just as amazing as I remembered them being。 I first read the books separately， but recently found The Quartet and decided that reading the books just once was not enough， so I picked it up and I could hardly put it back down until I was finished。 These books are all so amazing separate， but together make up the best series I have ever read。 I loved r The Giver series has been my favorite series for years。 From the start， I loved Lois Lowry’s books so much。 I just reread all of them， and they are just as amazing as I remembered them being。 I first read the books separately， but recently found The Quartet and decided that reading the books just once was not enough， so I picked it up and I could hardly put it back down until I was finished。 These books are all so amazing separate， but together make up the best series I have ever read。 I loved reading these books as the characters learned more about the world around them， learned about themselves， and pushed their limits to help those around them。I loved watching as Jonas learned more about the world around him， eventually deciding that hiding in his town and letting the people around him live blindly was no longer an option， then watching as Kira learned to embrace her embroidery gift and use it to help the village see the future， then to see the future again to help。 I enjoyed seeing Matty grow up， becoming more responsible， then finding out about his gift and using his gift to save the village that he had come to love。 I liked reading about Claire， her adapting to her new life as she remembers and conquers her past， then working as hard as she can to reunite with her lost son， leaving everything behind again。 I especially loved reading as Gabe risked everything to find love and then save it once he finally got it。 Lois Lowry’s ability to immerse the reader in the story is brilliant。 I could clearly see the characters， see their faces and their actions。 The descriptions of the places were just as spectacular。 I could picture the thick， green woods， the small， wooden， homes， and the famous， flat， red sled。 I really connected with the characters as I read these books， saw what they saw， wanted what they did。 I especially felt connected to Kira， who did her best to do what she felt was right for her village， as she worked hard despite her hardships: her disability and the devastating loss she had to go through， losing her father， her mother， and then everything she had left of either of them。 As I read Gathering Blue， I couldn’t help but feel especially invested in her story， really hoping for things to get better for her， then growing excited as they did when she found her dad， then was able to live with him， though I was sad with her for the loss that occurred along the way。These books are all so incredible， with some of the best characters， unique plots， and vividly described settings。 With all of this in mind， I believe that this is the perfect book set for anyone since these stories are so easy to become immersed in and connect to the characters， without being too hard or too simple。 。。。more

Ebookwormy1 ，

When I think of the Giver Quartet， the first thing that comes to mind is worldbuilding。 Worldbuilding is the strength of the series。 With a surprisingly spartan amount of words， Lowry introduces us to four different worlds， detailing their culture， society， climate， economy and values。 She populates these worlds with interesting characters that the reader wants to walk with to discover their perspective。 This exercise simulates reflection on our own world and our own developing character。 I foun When I think of the Giver Quartet， the first thing that comes to mind is worldbuilding。 Worldbuilding is the strength of the series。 With a surprisingly spartan amount of words， Lowry introduces us to four different worlds， detailing their culture， society， climate， economy and values。 She populates these worlds with interesting characters that the reader wants to walk with to discover their perspective。 This exercise simulates reflection on our own world and our own developing character。 I found this process most poignant in the first book， The Giver。 The Giver （Giver Quartet #1）Lois Lowry， 1993https://www。goodreads。com/review/show。。。But I didn’t find this process as effective in stirring up perspective in later books。 I think it is because， even in the first book， there were problems that became increasingly glaring as the series goes on。 After the world is built and the characters established， Lowry runs into problems。 It is not until Messenger， Book 3， that we even find out all these villages （#1-3） are different societies *in the same world。* I found that experience frustrating and negligent。 Maybe the author/ editors simply could not conceive that these might be different worlds or get into the head of a reader having a first experience with the material？Something that intrigued me （which I did not recognize as a red flag in the first book） was the book’s lack of defined genre。 I thought it was mysterious and discoverable throughout the later books。 Unfortunately， this was not the case。 Likewise the conflict of each world/ character/ book was not clearly articulated either。 The vivid worldbuilding seems to magnify environment as determinant， but then our protagonist character response is to leave their village showing an internal conviction that belies the emphasis on cultural environment。 Is the story driven by internal or external conflicts？ While we see great wickedness in each village – with the possible exception of the village by the sea from section 2 of Son – the darkness of both Jonas’ and Kira’s original village is never addressed， nor are we told what happens to our main characters when the plot is not centered on them。 It seems they are merely waiting for others to be ready for the plot to carry forward， which makes everyone seem a cut out facing the action without real depth of character。 I think the lack of genre or conflict definition is due to sloppiness and poor writing， as opposed to brilliance that breaks the rules in a fascinating way。 The biggest indication of this sloppiness is the frustrating abandonment of worlds and characters throughout he series。 In fact， this may be the biggest problem， undermining the reader experience throughout。 It begins with the abandonment of the world and all the characters from The Giver in Searching for Blue （Book #2）。 Not only did this reduce the emotional impact of the work， but it also substituted a disappointment that continued through the series。 In Book 3， Kira’s world is abandoned。 Then， in Book 4， Jonas’ village is abandoned a second time and Claire’s in between world is also discarded。 All these different cultures， all these interesting characters， all these real concerns， cast aside in a meaningless nihilism。 Perhaps the most glaring example of this is The Giver himself， after whom the entire series is named。 We never find out what happened to him。 Though he is alluded to， he is never named after Book 1， nor does Jonas assume his name。 In addition， the entire conflict of a society supernaturally investing memories into a single human being is never explained as necessary， censored as wrong， or even examined in Jonas’ later life。 The entire storyline of the Giver himself is treated by the author as a mere fragment， not worthy of interest or value in tying into further books。 Finally， the philosophy/ worldview presented is wildly debased。 I do not agree with what Lowry says about evil， which comes to the fore in the final section of Son。 In our real world， evil is not merely boogieman characters or cultural/ societal practices。 Evil is not something that happens to us。 Evil is something that each human being wrestles with， starting with the evil in oneself。 As Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn famously said， “The battleline between good and evil runs through the heart of every man。” The strength of this series is worldbuilding。 If you are reader that thrives on that kind of thing， you might enjoy them。 Or， being highly acquainted with the art form， you might find them puerile。 I found myself wishing I hadn’t wasted the time to read the entire series， but for the young person that asked me for honest reviews， which made me glad I completed it。 In the end， while the worlds and characters are interesting， the resolution is platitudinously juvenile。 I do not recommend this series。 There are so many other truly outstanding books with whom we can walk。 Here are three recommendations。 If worldbuilding is your thing， the master of genre in the twentieth century was surely J。R。R。 Tolkien。 The start of his series is The Hobbit， with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy following…The Hobbit， Tolkien， 1937https://www。goodreads。com/review/show。。。 In the young adult market， the best I’ve read in years is The Hunger Games Trilogy…The Hunger Games Trilogy， Collins， 2008https://www。goodreads。com/review/show。。。 If political dystopia is your thing， three classics stand out: Brave New World by Huxley， and Animal Farm and 1984 by George Orwell。 My review of 1984 discusses/ links to all three…。1984， George Orwell， 1946https://www。goodreads。com/review/show。。。 。。。more

Lauren Castloo ，

This review is split up by rating each individual book。The Giver - 3。5⭐️ The plot wasn’t as interesting as it could have been， but the underlying ideas/themes made this entertaining。Gathering Blue - 2。0⭐️ The plot was stagnant， just going through the motions of daily life。 Likable charactersMessenger - 4。5⭐️ This is when things changed for me。 I love when stories detail different characters crossing paths with one another。 I also enjoyed the sinister/ominous writing of the Forest。Son - 4。0⭐️ Thi This review is split up by rating each individual book。The Giver - 3。5⭐️ The plot wasn’t as interesting as it could have been， but the underlying ideas/themes made this entertaining。Gathering Blue - 2。0⭐️ The plot was stagnant， just going through the motions of daily life。 Likable charactersMessenger - 4。5⭐️ This is when things changed for me。 I love when stories detail different characters crossing paths with one another。 I also enjoyed the sinister/ominous writing of the Forest。Son - 4。0⭐️ This book also had crossovers with different generations of characters and/or characters from other stories， so I enjoyed this one。 I didn’t particularly enjoy the setting of this one as much as Messenger。 Overall， a happy ending。 。。。more

Sandra Boon ，

One of my favorite books。 You are transported to another world。 This world seems to be better as everything is the same nothing differs。 But as the story goes along you realize that the sameness is not great and that so much is lost because of it。 The next book teaches us that we each have a gift and others tend to use us for what we can do and not who we are。 Our gifts make us valuable and not always for the right reasons and sometimes we need to step out of that zone and change so the world ar One of my favorite books。 You are transported to another world。 This world seems to be better as everything is the same nothing differs。 But as the story goes along you realize that the sameness is not great and that so much is lost because of it。 The next book teaches us that we each have a gift and others tend to use us for what we can do and not who we are。 Our gifts make us valuable and not always for the right reasons and sometimes we need to step out of that zone and change so the world around us can change。 Each book teaches us how to get past roadblocks。 How to reach for the impossible and how to see what is there in front of us。 。。。more

Bárbara ，

The Giver 4。5/5Gathering Blue 3/5

Rie ，

ReviewThe Giver by Lois LowryThe Giver tells a story about a society where there is no conflict and equality reigns in all possible aspects， for this extreme control is necessary。 At the age of 12， each person is assigned their profession of life。 Jonas， the protagonist， is selected as the successor to the only Receiver of memories。 He will have to acquire all the memories of the world， the happy ones and the bad ones， while the community is governed by the same rules without pain， in a world wi ReviewThe Giver by Lois LowryThe Giver tells a story about a society where there is no conflict and equality reigns in all possible aspects， for this extreme control is necessary。 At the age of 12， each person is assigned their profession of life。 Jonas， the protagonist， is selected as the successor to the only Receiver of memories。 He will have to acquire all the memories of the world， the happy ones and the bad ones， while the community is governed by the same rules without pain， in a world without love and without color。 In The Giver， Sameness is the ideology under which Jonas's community operates。 The leaders， who are called the elders， believed that the community will be peaceful and stable through conformity。 The leaders imposed some rules such as making all citizens dress the same and have similar physical characteristics。 People from the community celebrate the Sameness in which colors， emotions and no true attachment exist。 Sameness has some advantages as stability， safety and economic productivity。 The ruling Committee of the community creates a safe and comfortable environment where every citizen plays a specific role。 But it also has disadvantages that include: the lack of personal freedoms and the opportunity to experience life as it was originally intended。 The similarity removes the color， music， and deep emotions from Jonas's community， resulting in a mundane and predictable existence。In chapter 12， Jonas´s and the giver´s point of view is presented。 The Giver agreed with Jonas that there are a lot of disadvantages with sameness that affect the society because the beauty of emotions is lost。 For example， society does not have the opportunity to see colors。 Even though the Giver recognizes this opinion， he believes that there are a lot of advantages with the sameness as the stability and tranquility。The novel include social topics that for us can be classified as polemics such as the euthanasia and being different。 In the released process for example it makes reference to the euthanasia method。 In this part of the novel we can see how the job of Jonas father was to murder people。 In our actual society this method is being criticized， some people believe it is good and others not。 About identity we can see that in the novel they were not free to choose anythingThe novel tells about a community that looks perfect， a community in which everything is controlled so it is monotonous and there are no problems。 But we can see that in the "perfect" world many experiences are excluded， which are important to train us as people， instead of robots， continuing with the routine without the opportunity of choice。 I understand with this that something perfect cannot exist because it would mean being controlled， as seen in the novel。 This novel makes us see the importance of the things that surround us， no matter how simple they are， such as nature， animals， colors， they are what make us people， since these are what transmit emotions and feelings to us。 The experiences that we go through throughout our life， whether with achievements or difficulties， make us better， make us have a personality and understand our goals。 。。。more

Anthony Thompson ，

I won't count this towards my yearly goal。 But this is my beautiful box set that I found for eight bucks！ I won't count this towards my yearly goal。 But this is my beautiful box set that I found for eight bucks！ 。。。more

Bonnie ，

Impressive story。

Shelly Ferguson ，

An amazing story of four unique communities。 I enjoyed it immensely。 I read The Giver years ago but had no idea there was a larger story。

Lexi Kruse ，

This is my all time favorite series！

Charlotte ，

I absolutely loved reading the whole series。 I read The Giver in high school and it became one of the best books I ever read。 I had no idea the other books existed and am so happy I found them。 I love how all the characters come together in Son。 That one have me Dark Tower （Stephen King） vibes。 I kept equating Trademaster with Randall Flagg and Gabe with Roland。 Everyone should read this series！

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Giver Boxed Set: The Giver / Gathering Blue / Messenger / Son

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Giver Boxed Set: The Giver / Gathering Blue / Messenger / Son&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Giver Boxed Set: The Giver / Gathering Blue / Messenger / Son&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0