Name: Gathering Blue
ISBN: 9780385732567

Lois Lowry

Gathering Blue

Lois Lowry once again creates a mysterious but plausible future world. It is a society ruled by savagery and deceit that shuns and discards the weak. Left orphaned and physically flawed, young Kira faces a frightening, uncertain future. Blessed with an almost magical talent that keeps her alive, she struggles with ever broadening responsibilities in her quest for truth, discovering things that will change her life forever. As she did in THE GIVER, Lowry challenges readers to imagine what our world could become, how people could evolve, and what could be considered valuable. Every reader will be taken by Kira’s plight and will long ponder her haunting world and the hope for the future.

another lois lowry novel about a dystopian place where it's government controls the people. unlike the village from 'the giver', this book talked about a village where people are conditioned to be afraid of "beasts" and the village has a place for those unfortunate poor families, leaving them in a filthy area for distinction. 

this book highlights the difference of a person and being a woman. following kira's journey felt quite normal. looked down upon as a female and someone who's different or broken. still, she repeatedly thought about being strong despite the pain. being unique in her own way. that didn't spare her from negative feelings, making it natural and realistic for the readers. 

the ending was quite anticlimactic if compared to what happened in 'the giver' but i realized kira might've stayed to change the community instead of running away from it—quite understandable if reviewed side by side with what the lead character went through in 'the giver' .. but still, i was surprised the story had ended. 

another lois lowry novel about a dystopian place where it's government controls the people. unlike the village from 'the giver', this book talked about a village where people are conditioned to be afraid of "beasts" and the village has a place for those unfortunate poor families, leaving them in a filthy area for distinction. 

this book highlights the difference of a person and being a woman. following kira's journey felt quite normal. looked down upon as a female and someone who's different or broken. still, she repeatedly thought about being strong despite the pain. being unique in her own way. that didn't spare her from negative feelings, making it natural and realistic for the readers. 

the ending was quite anticlimactic if compared to what happened in 'the giver' but i realized kira might've stayed to change the community instead of running away from it—quite understandable if reviewed side by side with what the lead character went through in 'the giver' .. but still, i was surprised the story had ended. 

Megan Gardner

I'm not sure why this is considered a part of The Giver series. The two books have no relation other than the author.

Christine

Kira, an orphan with a twisted leg, lives in a world where the weak are cast aside. She fears for her future until she is spared by the all-powerful Council of Guardians. Kira is a gifted weaver and is given a task that no other community member can do. While her talent keeps her alive and brings certain privileges, Kira soon realizes she is surrounded by many mysteries and secrets. No one must know of her plans to uncover the truth about her world and see what places exist beyond.

Annika Arguemore

not as great as the first book but also an adventure. although it just features a confused little girl who learns how to sew and how heavy that job seems... it was quite the reading experience. the story gives off a pleasant and peaceful vibe while being read.

Jaden Nelson

I felt like this was more of an in between book in the series, just leading up to the more important ideas. That being said, it kept me interested, was a quick and sweet read, and helps make the 3rd book better by developing certain things(trying to be spoiler free). It was a nice story, had one great plot twist, and kept me happy and wanting to read the next book. This is getting repetitive so all in all, great book, not amazing, a little confusing, would recommend the book and entire series.

Raven 

this was more enjoyable than I thought it would be. the characters were amazing honestly.

Lacy W

So it wasn't that I didn't like this book because I did. I really did enjoy the simple yet complex way that Lois Lowry writes. I love that even though her books are considered middle grade, they hold a lot of very adult information in them so that teens and young adults, like me, can enjoy them. 

But this book was just missing the spark that I had felt when I read  The Giver. 

This book isn't about Jonas or the Giver but about Kira. She lives in a village after what I'm assuming was some sort of devastating war. This village is pretty crappy to be honest. Nobody seems happy, children are pretty much beaten on a daily basis, and those that aren't perfect are taken to the Field to die. 

Kira was born with a twisted leg but because of her mother she got to live. But now orphaned, she faces certain death. However, she has a gift with fabric that just might save her life...

Like I said before, I did enjoy this book but I just felt something missing. I can't quite place my finger on it. I will certainly be continuing on with the rest of the quartet because I have heard that everything gets tied together in the end and I'm quite anxious to see the conclusion of Jonas' story.

Callie Anna

It was quite good. I liked learning about the characters that I had come to know in Messanger. I read this trilogy out of order, but it didn't matter that much. I definitely think that they are worth reading and don't take much time!

Meredith Boster

It was GREAT. I read the Giver about two years ago, and decided to continute the series! It ended well, and I cannot wait to read Messenger.

Stefanie Sugia

"Fear was always a part of life for the people. Because of fear, they made shelter and found food and grew things. For the same reason, weapons were stored, waiting. There was fear of cold, of sickness and hunger. There was fear of beasts.
And fear propelled her now as she stood, leaning on her stick."
In a different community, a girl named Kira had just lost her mother due to sickness. Kira is a girl with a crippled leg, and she should've been thrown to the Field and left to die when she was a child because she would be no use to the community. And because of her mother's authority, she was able to survive. But now Kira is an orphan with no one to stand up for her, a woman named Vandara wanted to get rid of her and took her living space. The issue was then brought to the Council of Guardians; and thankfully, Kira was saved by a guardian named Jamison and got a place to live in the grand Council Edifice because of her rare skill at embroidery.
"Take pride in your pain," her mother had always told her. "You are stronger than those who have none."....

Read the full review here:
http://www.thebookielooker.com/2014/0...

Donald

Jordyn Wassen

I loved this book when i first read it at the age of 12. However, rereading it 2 years later made it less interesting. Either way it was still good just not as fantastic as i remember and wasn;t like the best book i've ever read.

Nadine 

Just beautiful- great 2nd book in the Giver quartet. I listened to the audio book with an introduction by Lois Lowry. The books are separate but each envision a different future in alternative scenarios.

Kelsi Proulx

Hmmm...definitely didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as The Giver. I felt bored through a lot of it and am honestly not sure why this is even part of the series. The world seems completely different and there aren't even the same characters as The Giver. The only similarity I could see is they are both dystopian.

This one was about a young girl named Kira who is crippled from birth. She should have been sent to the field because she was unable to contribute to the society but her mother fought to keep her so she was allowed to stay and do simple work. Her mother dies and she is almost kicked out but is kept because she has talent as a weaver. The pacing and excitement of The Giver just isn't present in this one, the things that happened just didn't seem important and I didn't feel nearly as connected to Kira or the other characters. 

I will still read the third book as I have heard it continues with the original storyline, hopefully it is better.

Pela Kolsto

It was pretty good, I would say that it was pretty slow. I would have liked if it were a little more fast-paced. Anyway, I think that this book was pretty good.

This would've easily been a 4+ star book if it didn't just end the way it does. It needed more of a conclusion, I think. Like, I get what was set up, but I still felt it was abrupt.

Lame and suddenly orphaned, Kira is mysteriously removed from her squalid village to live in the palatial Council Edifice, where she is expected to use her gifts as a weaver to do the bidding of the all-powerful Guardians.

Gathering blue

Leigh Osborne

Really enjoyed this book as I never knew they were companions to the Giver. Lois Lowery really knows how to make you feel for the character.

Emily

It was a wonderful book, just was hard to initially get into because of its difference from The Giver. However, once you get to the third book, Messenger, you begin to connect the dots.

Abby Hoggatt

Lisa Collins

2.5 stars because I couldn't decide between two or three.

The extent of my love/hate relationship with this book can’t be explained properly with words. I was excited to read it after I read The Giver because I loved that book. I figured the next book in the series would arouse the same love, but that’s not so, it would seem.

The first book in the series was slow, but still entirely interesting and I was very prepared for the same type of experience in the second. Gathering Blue is slow, that’s true, but when it comes to interestingness I felt like it went through phases of interesting and boring, hence the love/hate relationship. What do you say about a book you’re on the fence about?

For these reasons I’m confused as to what I should rate it, let alone how I should feel about it in the grand scheme of things. I’m thinking it may be one of those books that you have to read a second time to really appreciate and collect all the information. Obviously the story was interesting to some extent if I want to read the next book, but I’m currently wondering how exactly it’s all going to be tied together, and if I’ll enjoy it. Of course, that curiosity is what will propel me farther into the story (and the quartet of books).

In other news, I really liked the characters. They’re dynamic and all have their own reasons to be loved (or hated!). I loved that the main character wasn’t whiney but was still able to acknowledge that her life could be easier… and then when her life was made “easier” she had the very human reaction of homesickness. The other characters were wonderful too and I’m hoping they’re in the next book(s).

For the most part I don’t regret taking the time to read this book, but I’m seriously hoping I like the next book more than I did this one. Gathering Blue wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t capturing my attention the way I thought it would. Perhaps in the future I’ll give it another try and see if nothing has changed in the way I feel about it.

adria

Just as fantastic, if not more so, than The Giver. Absolutely adored it.

Michelle Boyea

Another great book by Lois Lowry. I was expecting this book to have the same characters as The Giver, but I was definitely wrong. While Gathering Blue is part of The Giver quartet, it focuses on an entirely new set of characters and plot than The Giver.

These books were very different and I honestly cannot decide which one I like more. They were both wonderful reads.

Gathering Blue was a simple read and easy to understand. While I would not say it was very engaging, it was also not boring either. It held your attention but it wasn't a book where I felt a compelling need to keep reading. With that being said, I love Kira and Matt. I think Matt was my favorite character. He has such a strong sense of self-preservation and adventure. And he is loyal to Kira which I found remarkable since they did not show the concept of loyalty with the others. While they cared about each other, they were also primarily out to defend themselves. But with Kira and Matt, they both showed that they were capable of thinking of others besides themselves. Kira cares about Matt, Thomas, and Jo. And all 4 care about each other. Loyalty is a very strong theme throughout this book.

I love Kira. She is a strong and resilient girl. Even though she has a deformity, she does not let it stop her. She does not submit when they try to kick her out. She stays loyal to her friends even when she has the chance to leave. And she measures up to every task that is put before her. She is a strong example that you can do anything you set your mind to.

I felt that this book ended with a cliffhanger, which I will not describe here, if you want to know, leave a comment or message. While it was not a large cliffhanger, I am anxious to read the third book now. Hopefully it will contain the same characters. Although the first book also had a small cliffhanger as well. I hope that the quartet answers all my questions.

Spoilers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
Do not read further unless you want some of the plot given away









Current questions from Gathering Blue

1. Why is there no blue in the village?
2. Does Jamison care about Kira or does he simply want to control her talents?
3. Is there magic with Kira's, Thomas's, and Jo's talents? How did they simply "know" what to do?
4. Will Kira be reunited with her father again or will Jamison discover he is still alive?
5. Was Annabella murdered? Same with Jo's parents.
6. Why are the parents in the Fen so cruel with their children?
7. Why is the Singer in chains?

Angie

Laura Allen

I really liked this book. Not as much as The Giver, but it's still pretty good. My only complaint is that the ending seemed rushed and predictable.