Book Review: Messenger

Messenger by Lois Lowry

Dystopian. 5 Stars. 169 pages.

Synopsis:

Messenger is the masterful third novel in the Giver Quartet, which began with the dystopian bestseller The Giver, now a major motion picture.
 
Matty has lived in Village and flourished under the guidance of Seer, a blind man known for his special sight. Village once 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 risk everything to make one last journey through the treacherous forest with his only weapon, a power he unexpectedly discovers within himself.

My Review:

Guys. This. Book. My heart. I cannot take this book. Fun fact, this is actually the first book I read in the series. Purely by accident, of course. I had no idea it was part of a series, and this is one of the reasons I became so particular about making sure I had the first book in a series XD

I first read this book in fifth grade. It was in my school library on a recommended reads shelf, and I very distinctly remember experiencing this story for the first time. Matty has stuck with me for many, many years. This story twists your heart and wrings it out, and I tell you, going into this listening to the audiobook for the first time, wheeeww! I just knew it would do me in again.

It was particularly neat to reread this book after rereading Gathering Blue. Matty was always my favorite character in that book, too, but I don’t know if it’s because I had read this one first or not. But he’s still my favorite. He’s such a cheerful and kind soul with a generous heart. He’s a charming boy that makes my big sister heart just swell with pride.

Okay, I can honestly gush and gush about Matty, but I’ll switch gears here to Village. Another reason this story has always held my heart is because of the simply stunning execution on the thematic material. It’s no secret Lowry can deftly explore meaningful themes with an incredible depth. Her stories are poignant and they leave a mark. I saw someone once say that her stories are deceptively simple, and oh how accurate a portrayal.

The exploration of selfless sacrifice and the slippery slope of seeping selfishness astounds me in this story. I have never forgotten the tone and depth and warning of Messenger and I hope I never do. This beautiful, small little story has a heart as big as Matty’s. Ugh, I’m tearing up again just thinking about it!

Village has such a distinct culture. The welcoming, open arms. The service-oriented, broken people who have come together to protect and provide for the innocent, the wounded, and the fragile. And the cunning darkness that threatens these loving people. The poor choices they make are like a mirror image challenging readers to examine their own hearts. The little book challenges me to be better, to be more self-sacrificing, to welcome others, and to strive to show the utmost compassion. It challenges me to guard fiercely against the wickedness of our fallen world. And for that I will always love this powerful story.

I also adore seeing Jonas, Kira, Gabe, and Christopher again. These characters were my friends when I was an outcast and had no friends of my own. This book welcomed me and wrapped me in warmth and truth. I love the setting that feels as if I could step into it myself. And I love the characters I can hear as if they’re speaking to me. I love the depth of the themes and the power of the story. And God bless little Matty, for his story is imprinted on my heart.

Content: there’s no swearing, only some mild fantasy violence, and nothing more than a schoolkid crush in the romance department. But the themes, as I’ve already gushed, the themes will move mountains. I wish every kid read this book–shoot, there are a lot of adults who could learn from it too!! This is genuinely a book I could (and have been very tempted to) reread the moment I finish it. Just writing this review makes me want to reread it again. There are few books I can recommend as highly as this one.

More:

Book 1 in the Giver Quartet is The Giver (5 Stars)

Book 2 in the Giver Quartet is Gathering Blue (5 Stars)

Book 3 is The Messenger (5 Stars)

Book 4 is Son (4 Stars)

Learn more about these books on Goodreads with the links above. Although these stories are each independent of one another, I would highly recommend reading them in order. I originally read them out of order (cause I didn’t know there was an order and that they were related). Son should definitely be read last. The order of the first three matter less.

On GraceBought

See my thoughts on the previous books in the series:

The Giver and Gathering Blue