Customer Reviews

The Worlds of Lois Lowry 3 Copy Boxed Set (The Giver, Gathering Blue, The Messenger)

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This box-set is one of the most enduring trilogies I have ever read. The first book is an instant classic, The Giver. I actually read this book back in 1994, when I was in the 4th grade. I read it now again, and I am still just as enamored with it. I didn't even know there were two other books that followed until I did some research. The next two books are just as good, and the best part is that are not carbon-copies. One could actually read them by themselves, but it's so much better when you know the stories before them.

The only book in this set that I loved was "The Giver". The other two were ok if you really want to know what happens to Jonas, or if you want to know more about the world that Lois Lowry created. But honestly I'd rather have just read the first book and left the rest to my imagination. Gathering Blue was ok, a little drawn out and not very exciting. The messenger was more interesting then Gathering Blue. I feel that the fault of the two lies with my own expectations and the lack of wonder and the mystic of "The Giver". After reading "The Giver" I was left with so many questions and a sense of awe. After reading the entire trilogy I was left underwhelmed and disappointed. In my opinion "The Giver" is a must read, the other two could be skipped.

I didn't know before this year that _The Giver_ had two other books that were companion texts. I was excited to find them all three collected together in one attractive boxed-set. My students have been fighting all year to see who could borrow _Gathering Blue_ and _The Messenger_ next.

I have loved these books since I was 9 or 10. They are children's books about dystopian societies, each one featuring a different main character and village. Very good lessons about what is important about life and individuality.I was very impressed with the box set that has the cover artwork from the three books on each side. It also includes a poster that has a "map" of the three villages. A wonderful read for young and old readers alike.

These books, which are somewhat chronicaled, are well written and very intriguing. While many of the characters made me quite furious due to their way of thinking, the main characters always show great strength and a sense of justice in the face of what their surrounding communities are doing. While I didn't really care for the endings of each book (Lowry pretty much leaves the reader hanging), the books were very good, and they held my attention.

I can pretty clearly remember the first time I read The Giver. I was probably nine or ten, and had developed a love for reading. I read hundreds of books, but the only one that really stood out to me or made a real impression was The Giver. I was too young to catch some of the subtleties, but I could still understand the emotion and plot of the book. It piqued my interest and I have loved it ever since. I just recently decided I should reread the book and get the other two with it just for kicks. I found myself blazing through them, and enjoying them all even though I'm not a fan of children's books in general. Although the greatest book of the series will always be The Giver, the other two were still interesting reads. In some ways I think The Giver was cheapened a bit by having the story half-continue on into the other books (with the same character) However, that was not my choice to make, it is Lois Lowry's world, and her characters to do with as she pleases. Overall, I enjoyed these books, and they would be a good set to have if you liked the Giver or if you have kids.

I remember that my brother bought The Giver for school and he told me it was actually good (which is rare since he doens't like to read) so I decided to read it. I was absolutely emerged with it and keep the name of the author in my mind. One day I saw Gathering Blue and noticed it was by Lois Lowry so I read it without realizing it was a "sequel." I read it and loved it as well and then noticed that the inside flap had The Messenger, so of course I had to read it as well. It was when I finished the last book that I realized it was a trilogy. I loved how she wrote all three books because regardless of having read all three books or not you would not even notice they are related to each other as she writes the books as stand alone pieces. I highly recommned anyone to read these books as they deal with issues that make you think while enjoy a great story.

All three of these are wonderful children's books! Having the three in a set together makes a great gift also.
I suggest them for advanced 4th graders up to around 7th grade.

All I can say is: READ THESE BOOKS - you will not be able to put them down. They capture your heart and mind, and, what a wonderful time you will have reading Lowis Lowry. You dont have to be a child to read these books, I am not a child and I throughly enjoyed these books.

They should make movies of this trilogy. I adored all three of these books, though at times, they left me with a few unanswered questions. "How does Kira change her world without being killed?" for example, in Gathering Blue. Who exactly is Trademaster in Messenger and where does he go in the end? I guess Lois Lowry wanted her readers to use their own creative gifts and answer these questions for themselves. I wonder where one reviewer got the idea that Leader in Messenger arrived in Village "with an older boy who didn't survive the journey." There is no mention of a dead boy in Messenger, and it is clear to me from the descriptions given who Leader is.

Buying these books in a box set and reading them in order gives a reader the chance to see the common theme they share of society gone bad or in the wrong hands (or both) and the desperate need for things like love, compassion and creativity. Buy this set; you won't regret it. And bring on the directors and screen writers!