Review: Messenger

Messenger
Lois Lowry
Dystopia/alternate universe

For the past six years, Matty has lived in Village and flourished under the guidance of Seer, a blind man, known for his special sight. Village was a place that welcomed newcomers, but something sinister has seeped into Village and the people have voted to close it to outsiders. Matty has been invaluable as a messenger. Now he must make one last journey through the treacherous forest with his only weapon, a power he unexpectedly discovers within himself

Well. Not a bad read. Very metaphorical. Messenger is a campanion novel to The Giver, which I'm sure most of you have read. I myself read it last year in English class last year, and although it was annoying to read a novel sloooooowly and analyzing the smallest of details, I'm glad I did. With these books, unless you're in the right mindset and reading critically, you're likely to miss the point. By the way, in between The Giver and Messenger there is Gathering Blue, which I recommend reading before Messenger.

Matty is a very interesting character. About 16 years old, we don't learn much about him other than the fact that he lives with Seer and that he came from an abusive family, but I think we read more about his background in Gathering Blue. He's a typical teenager- goes to school, hangs with his best friend, moons after the pretty girl next door. He also takes voyages through the forest and passes messages to other communities on behalf of Leader (Jonas). He is the only one who can travel through the forest unharmed. I really liked him. I enjoy reading about characters that act and speak and think normally despite all their supernatural powers. On the other hand, Matty is rather ignorant of a lot of things, but it's not his fault and he catches on quickly so don't let it bother you.

A word about Forest-

Forest is symbolic to all the problems and negative forces of humanity like greed and cruelty and misery that sometimes needs a sacrifice to heal (i.e. people start to be more careful driving after they lose a loved one to a car crash). Once you understand that, you can grasp the point of the story and the set of books in general (it isn't really a trilogy). I didn't figure it out until I read the interview with the author at the end of the book which I was lucky to have, because without it I would have been unsatisfied as I was before I read it. I hope this review helps. :) Grade: 65%

Anyway, I can't really tell you much more without ruining the whole thing for you, so that's all for today. Have a good week!

-Esty