So, I’ve been reading/listening to the Giver series. The Giver (by Lois Lowry) is a standard book that I read in middle school. A story about a post-apocalyptic world that’s developed a new type of society. Blah blah blah, I’m not going to retell the story here. The second book in the series Gathering Blue is about a different community, and the different way society could have rebuilt. Honestly, it’s a favorite.

The third book, Messenger, ties both books together. It documents a society that takes the best from both communities and made it better. It’s a tale about Village (I know, so incredibly original) and how they are a community that welcomes anyone, even with any sort of disability or impairment. There’s Seer, a blind man introduced in Gathering Blue, Matty, a young boy also introduced in Gathering Blue, Leader, the new name for Jonas from The Giver, along with a slew of new characters.

There’s a lot about self-worth, about individuality, about greed, and about selfishness. It’s about how your value isn’t determined by anything external, but by what’s inside. Which, to be fair, is a common theme in literature. But, it’s still a good theme.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

This book has a terribly sad ending, where Matty dies giving all of himself to keep his friends and family safe. Yes, Matty saves Kira and Jonas and Village, but he dies to do it. He gives all of himself, and even then, it’s not quite enough.

It’s inspiring and heartbreaking all at once. By the end of the book, you’ve fallen in love with Matty, with his open and generous heart, with his simple view of the world, with his childlike wonder. You’ve watched him grow from a small boy to a teenager, and that’s just even more heartbreaking, because it’s not the responsibility of children to fix the world, and yet… it always seems to be.

Anyways, that’s my little take on the book. I’m sure there’s more, but that’s good for now.