The Giver Quartet

It has been years since I started The Giver Quartet, but I finally finished it the other day.  After Messenger I though it was over, but then Lois Lowry added Son to the end.  It wrapped up the story quite nicely.  Questions that went unanswered in Messenger were flushed out more in Son.  It brought together characters from all three previous volumes.  This is a strange series because each book seems unrelated to the others until it is tied in at some point.  The first book, The Giver, is the best by far.  Jonas is a very interesting character.  Gathering Blue follows Kira and Messenger follows Matty.  All are tales of survival in a dystopian world.  Son pulls them together.  I wish I had reread The Giver before reading it though.  Actually, I wish I had reread all of them.  I didn't remember lots of stuff and probably would have enjoyed it even more if I remembered more.  Son follows Claire, the birth mother of Gabriel (the little boy from The Giver).  I really enjoyed how it tied all the books together.  This series is definitely different and may not appeal to all.  If I'm being totally honest, The Giver is the only one that is a must-read.  The other three aren't as good, but definitely worth reading.  This was my first foray into dystopian fiction.  As you may know, I am a huge fan of that genre.  The Giver was my gateway drug.  Even if that genre doesn't interest you, I think The Giver is a book everyone should read.  If you like it, continue the series.  I think it is a worthy education.  Happy reading!