Book Review: Son

He is evil, and like all evil, he has enormous power. He tempts. He taunts. And he takes. 

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I can't remember when I first read Lois Lowry's The Giver, but I know that it has remained one of my favorite books throughout the years. I read all three books in the series (Gathering Blue, and The Messenger being the remaining two) and loved them all equally as much. So, when I found out that the final installment of the series was out, I had to get myself a copy. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. 

I read Son in one sitting. I opened it up and couldn't put it down. It was enthralling and engaging and reminded me that Lois Lowry is such a talented author. Son follows the story of Claire, a girl born and raised in the same utopian community as Jonah, the main character of The Giver. I was immediately transported back to that strange world where life is lackluster and odd. It didn't take me long to remember small things about the previous novels even though I haven't read them in years because Lowry is so consistent in her world and incredibly descriptive. Claire is a birthmother but has what seems to be a c-section that leads her to find out who her son is and puts her on a journey to find, love, and be a part of her child's life even though he was taken from her without her so much as touching him. 

The story is divided into 3 parts: before, between, and beyond. I will admit that it was a bit of a struggle to get through the between section, but once I did, beyond did not disappoint. The wonderful thing about Son is that all four books finally collide and you have closure to all the other characters that you love so much from the rest of the series. The only reason that the middle section was a struggle was that I was so anxious to figure out the ending that I just wanted between to be over; that said, I did feel that between was a bit too long, but don't be discouraged by it.

My only complaint with the book is that I feel like the end did not fully conclude Claire's own story. The ending is satisfying for the series, but there are characters who are introduced and incredibly important in Claire's journey that once you are through the between section, you never hear of again. 

Overall, I really loved the book and felt that it was a good conclusion to the series that I will pass on to my own children. I felt that Lowry did an incredible job of showing the importance of love and emotion in life and portrayed pride, vanity, and foolish desire in an incredibly scary and awful light. Essentially, the books regurgitates the storyline of good conquering evil, but it also shows us that evil is not always just bad people, but perhaps the darkness inside of the human spirit. 

As a side note, I'm ridiculously excited that The Giver is being made into a movie. 

Love always,

Ems