Gathering Blue

By Lois Lowry

The fascinating sequel to THE GIVER which inspired the dystopian genre and is soon to be a major motion picture starring Jeff Bridges, Katie Holmes and Taylor Swift.

GATHERING BLUE is a return to the mysterious but plausible future world of THE GIVER. It tells the story of Kira, orphaned, physically flawed, and left with an uncertain future until she is summoned by the Council of Guardians…

On her quest for truth that follows, Kira makes discoveries that will change her life and world forever.

Award-winning author Lois Lowry challenges readers to imagine what our world could become, how people could evolve and what could be considered valuable in this fascinating follow-up to THE GIVER.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Jul 31, 2014
• ISBN: 9780007597277

Lois Lowry

Lois Lowry is the author of more than forty books for children and young adults, including the New York Times bestselling Giver Quartet and the popular Anastasia Krupnik series. She has received countless honors, among them the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, the California Young Reader Medal, and the Mark Twain Award. She received Newbery Medals for two of her novels, Number the Stars and The Giver.

Reviews for Gathering Blue

[cindywho-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A surprisingly gentle story against a brutal background of a village that discards the weak and indentures its artists. I liked it better than the Giver.

[howifeelaboutbooks · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The Giver would be a hard book to write a follow-up for, so it's not surprising that it took Lowry seven years to do so. It's also not surprising, since The Giver is such an excellent book, that the companion would fall short. I understand that the community in The Giver was dystopian, but overall it seemed to be a positive place to live. The village in Gathering Blue is dark, sad, and depressing, and those tones took over the book for me. It was hard to focus on the story because the sad mood trumped the plot. I didn't really understand the ending until I read Lowry's notes in the Reader's Guide that was thankfully at the back of my edition.

As negative as the beginning of my review may sound, I do understand how this book plays into the overall series, and I appreciate what it does to broaden the worlds and allow characters to at least become aware of each other, so that can come into play later. I also loved Matt, and was thrilled to know he was the main character in the third book. He seemed like the most real character in the book, and stood out more than Kira or even Thomas.

[mhanover10 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second of The Giver Quartet. I'm not sure if it is connect to the Giver. This is about Kira who has a twisted leg and after her mother dies she is brought in front of the council to decide if she should be taken to the field and cast away or get to stay. This is an interesting dystopia story where people seem to live in a village where there is the council, a group who seem to have a decent life and a part of the village who are barely getting by. I found this story sad how the little ones were corralled and almost abused and how people were more mean than nice. The twist at the end was kind of a shocker and I was surprised at the outcome. It left me wanting to know more about this village and about the villager's lives. I'm looking forward to the next book since it seems to continue the story.

[faith_murri · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was interesting, but didn't hold my attention much, especially compared to The Giver. To be completely honest, it felt like half a book, and the first half only. It was unresolved and, to use a pun in line with the subject matter, had several loose threads.

Besides that, Kira was rather boring as a protagonist. Even when she learned horrible things about her world, she remained content to stay and be a part of the system. I loved Matt and Thomas though.

[vhartpowers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Most lives are lived in squalor, children are not cherished but treated as an inconvenience and there's constant bickering. Also, beware of the beasts in the woods.
Kira is a two syllable name and her mother is three. Her father died before she was born while on a hunt by beasts.
When Kira meets Thomas, who is a special wood carver, she starts learning things about her community that are unsettling. And at the annual Gathering she finds out the Singer has no choice but to stay.
She's not completely alone though, she has a few friends and one very dear friend gives her a very big giftie.

[laurat81 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love Lois Lowry's writing style, and the dystopian worlds she creates. The worlds are simpler, but cruler with characters who begin to doubt them.Gathering Blue is part of The Giver series, but could easily stand alone as it's own novel. I do recommend reading The Giver first because it would be a shame to miss it. I really need to get my hands on the rest of this series

[mirandalg14 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this one better than The Messenger.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting speculation on what society might look like after cataclysms and having to start over. I don't like that Ms. Lowry keeps ending her books mid-story - I want to know 'what happens next!!'

[sheilacornelisse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As a companion to The Giver, this story centers around Kira, an orphan with a deformed leg who has an extraordinary, almost magical, talent for weaving and needlework. Because of this talent, Kira is taken under the protection of the Council of Guardians. Kira soon realizes that her protected, privileged life has many mysteries and secrets.A recommended read for those who enjoy dystopian fiction.

[alaina.loescher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. I loved the main character and the way that the story unfolded. For those that enjoyed The Giver, but were saddened by how open the ending was, this book has a much happier ending. I loved the way this dystopian world was created and that there were two worlds within one introduced; one where everyone is out for themselves, and one where everyone lives to make other's have the most positive lives possible. The main character, Kira, is to become the bridge between the two.

[princessofthesea · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Subject Area: Language ArtsGenre: FantasyCritique/Summary:This book is in the fantasy genre because the author had made up the time and place. They storyline and setting are unbelievable in our world, yet the author makes them seem believable. For example, it is difficult to imagine people being held captive for their creative gifts, yet Lowry makes this seem very believable in her story. (Stars for Setting.)Age: Middle School

[salsabrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Narrated by Katherine Borowitz. A quiet, slowly disturbing story that will inspire discussion about governmental control, power and being a change agent.

[maggie_rum · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book fits in perfectly with The Giver trilogy. Gathering Blue gives us a strong female character facing difficult life in a difficult place, set apart by an amazing gift. The book also sets up for the final book, Messenger.

[the1butterfly · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this because I've become slightly obsessed with "The Giver" and I found out that this is part of The Giver Series. The connection to "The Giver" doesn't actually become clear until the next book. I was surprised just how barbaric the society pictured here is- how full of hate and lacking joy but also how very primitive. It was strange to link it to "The Giver," but it makes us question what kind of society would emerge after destruction (especially thinking about all the preppers who focus only on creating and guarding their own hoards and stockpiling guns).

[nittnut · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have always liked this companion to The Giver. The story is set in the same world as The Giver, but in a distant and very different community. Village, as it is called, is poor, disorganized and primitive. It is ruled by a council of guardians, but we don't learn much about them. The main character, Kira, was born with a deformed leg. Normally in Village, this would mean her death, but her mother saves her. Kira has a special gift, and when her mother dies, she is brought to the guardians and given a home and work to do, using her gift. She encounters several other young villagers who are also gifted. Together, they use their gifts to improve the lives of the other villagers. I like the message of hope and change.

[benuathanasia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a beautiful and interesting tale. It was a strange, post-apocalyptical dystopia, yet at the same time an expose of tribal dynamics in a patriarchal society. I can't wait to finish off the series and see how everything comes together.

[hopingforchange · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's Lois Lowry, so, of course, the book is evocative and powerful, and generally out of this world good, but I can't claim that it is up to the standard she set for herself with The Giver, so that explains the three star rating. I do really love the use of a female protagonist. I also love the imagery in this book. The main character is a gifted fabric artist and seamstress, and her focus on color and detail allows us to see the art, see the cloth, see the fabric of her decidedly dystopian society and of her new, though equally odd, home. Imagery is definitely a strong thread through all of Lowry's work. Just as we saw Jonas's visions (the flash of that red apple will be burned in my mind for a long time), we can now see the beauty of the singing robe as it comes together. Another beautiful work by Lowry.

[drachenbraut23 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Take pride in your pain; you are stronger than those who have none” We are still in the same dystopian world, but get introduced to a different society then the one we met in The Giver. This time we are shown a community with poverty, injustice, violence and very low tolerance levels, which is lead by a council of guardians. According to this community anyone with disabilities, or after injuries is deemed worthless, as they are thought to be unable to contribute effectively to their daily lives. Here we meet Kira, who was born with a twisted leg. However, this alone would have ment her death sentence if her mother would not have fought for her. Now Kira is in great peril, because her mother died recently of a severe illness. The villagers want her to leave, even if it would mean her death and soon she finds herself on trial with the council of guardians. Kira is lucky, because the council recognised in her a very rare talent which makes her very valuable to them, they rescue her. Kira is from now on housed within the council quarters and assigned a very honoured role within the village. Her work is it to repair the "Singers Robe" something only she can do. We also meet Matt who is Kira's only friend and a street urchin, they both discover very soon that not everything in the village and with the council is as it should be and try to solve the secrets surraunding them. Again, a very good read. Although, we didn't pick up where we left in the last book we are still in the same world. Maybe not as good as the first one, but still very thought provoking.

[mist_of_the_moon · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was an interesting contrast to the previous work, The Giver. The world described in its pages is just as rich, however, and presents a more interesting culture. I felt that the ending was a little rushed.

[aelizabethj · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was not a sequel to The Giver, as I had originally thought. Even so, this is a beautifully written story about Kira and her friends, a bit dystopian in the same vein as The Giver - but not as overtly done. The powers that be tend to be more subtle and manipulative. Some plot twists were a little obvious, but I loved the description of the plants and dyes that Kira learns to create in her job as a weaver, and I enjoyed the idea that syllables denote your age bracket in this society (Thankfully, I'd still be in the two syllable name bracket, but soon I'd be moving to three) I will say, the beginning of the novel reminded me a bit of the movie The Village, with the beasts that aren't really ever seen, so I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, looking for things that weren't there. Also, a passing mention of a teenage boy with very blue eyes had me grasping at straws - Gabriel?! Jonas?! Is that you?? I'll be moving on to the third novel in this quartet, for sure.

[tigerlily12-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Love, love, love. If you liked the Giver, then you must read this. As with The Giver, you are left wanting much more at the end of the story. I hear that all of these stories are connected in a later book in the series, which I can't wait to get my hands on.

[aerrin99 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book gets a very strong 'meh' from me. For its size and its author, I expected to be able to rip through it in an hour or so. Instead, I found myself putting it down, walking away to read an entire series, and then reluctantly coming back to it. Suffice it to say, it didn't hold my attention. I find this world far clumsier and preachy than that of The Giver. Worse, maybe, I find the characters duller and less interesting and the dialect immensely distracting. I admire an author who can create a sense of a society like-but-different through language (the other series I read instead of this one - The Uglies - did that very nicely in fact), but Lowry's just reads as awkward. I actually winced in several places. Worse, the book never /quite/ seems to figure out what it's doing. Kira's world sucks. She has a gift/ Wouldn't it be great if she could... and then the story grinds to an awkward halt without ever really finishing the sentence.This felt like a book far too consumed with what it /meant/ and not nearly consumed enough with story. Sadly, I feel like it wasn't all that successful in either case.

[jamski-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Gathering Blue" is the tale of Kira, a young woman in a more-or-less agrarian society whose mother has just died. Born with a twisted leg, Kira faces several challenges, not the least of which is that in her village, crippled children aren't accepted. At all. As in, drag them out to the field and let "the beasts" take them. Without a home or a Mother to defend her, her only friend is a wayward village tyke and his mongrel dog, and the only thing saving her from a one-way trip to the field is her uncanny talent as a weaver, a talent that even mystifies her. When she is given an opportunity to mend a robe for the Village Elders, Kira can't begin to imagine where the task will lead her. Perhaps to her future…and maybe, to her past…

I hope that was properly obscure. I really don't want to give anything away!

The second book in a quartet that begins with Lowry's Newbery Medal winner, "The Giver", "Gathering Blue" is of a piece with the first book, though you wouldn't guess it from the first fifty pages or so. The setting is completely different, the characters are different, the time frame even seems different. Still, as you read you will feel that the two worlds aren't really all THAT far apart…and that makes the setting very unsettling indeed. I can't say a whole lot more without giving key plot points away, but it should suffice that this is a TERRIFIC piece and really adds to the epic that is the Giver "series". It is dark, it is ominous, and it is totally engrossing.

To be completely honest, I didn't even know this book existed till I heard of the release of the FOURTH book in the series, and it was actually my son who wanted to read that one. So, though we already had a dog-eared copy of "The Giver", we went ahead and ordered a boxed set of the first three books so we could read them all in sequence…which YOU should do. They're short, fast reads and well worth the day or two each spent in Lowry's sprawling world.

There are some folks who would tell you that this series is not for everybody. The word "dystopian" definitely applies, and it may not be your cup of tea. In fact, it might even be accurately said that they're offensive. Heaven knows they've been challenged often enough.

But. I say: EVERYONE ON EARTH SHOULD READ THESE BOOKS. There are lessons to be learned, and you will be better for having experienced them. Go, right now, and get them. Read them. Live them.

There. I've done my good deed for the day.

[lissabeth21 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked The Giver, but it felt incomplete. I started Gathering Blue and was completely confused. I liked this also and could see the parallels in theme. Both interested me; I like dystopian fiction. But the last chapter got me! Now I'm really looking forward to continuing the series!

[rdwhitenack · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Decent book, yet never felt like much was happening until the last 40-50 pages. I think many readers would give up on the book before the 100 page mark, unless they were huge fans of the Giver. The book cannot stand on its' own; it must have the Giver support it. Despite this, still looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[amcguinn_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kira is orphaned and left to fend for herself in a village where she is clearly not wanted. Thanks to her gift for weaving, she is spared from the Field and its beasts. However, she soon learns that her new life has many mysteries. This story, told by Kira, pulls the readers in during the first few pages with the description of Kira's mother's death.

[allify · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Now this is how a book should be written. It drew me in from the start and kept me going up until the end.

[bereneezypie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really liked this book. I thought it was a very interesting way to open up children to the dystopian and/or sci-fi genre of literature. As always, Lowry's attention to detail in terms of plot and characters is amazing! It kept me hooked!

[occobsession · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite books! It makes you believe that everyone in life has something to look forward too, like finding something about your past that you never new before.

[rebecca401 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In the same vein as The Giver, Gathering Blue chronicles the life of a young, orphaned girl named Kyra. When her mother dies and her home is burned to prevent the spread of disease, Kyra has nothing and no where to turn. Even worse, she is crippled, and in a society that values usefulness over all else, she has no future at all....Until the Guardians agree to let her stay as the mender-weaver of the all-precious Singer's coat.