Son

My husband had never read The Giver.  I was shocked b/c it is such a classic good book.  However, I guess when it won the Newbery he was in high school.  Most high school students don't keep track of Newbery winners, unless you are the child of librarian.  My kids will always know. :)

Lois Lowry just published another companion book to The Giver last year.  I was wanting to read it, and I finally got around to it.  We listened to the audiobook while on our vacation drive of 2,165 miles.  Since my husband had never read The Giver we listened to that one first.  We love listening to audiobooks on long drives.  They are the best!

After The Giver was fresh in our minds, though it doesn't really need to be b/c you can read Son on its own, we started Son by Lois Lowry.    Let me clarify, you don't even need to read The Giver to understand Son.  It stands on its own, but It is handy to know the background The Giver provides.

I would give Son 5 out of 5 stars.  It is a clean book, you really connect with the characters, it is not predictable, but it is deep and thought provoking.  Son also has many deep themes that can be discussed in book clubs or classrooms.  Such themes include sacrifice and loss as well as family.  Another plus for Son is that boys and girls alike can enjoy and relate to this story; though girls will like it better b/c one of the main characters, and the one you read about first in the story, is a girl.  Usually boys are turned off to girl characters.

Amazon had the following book description:

"They called her Water Claire. When she washed up on their shore, no one knew that she came from a society where emotions and colors didn’t exist. That she had become a Vessel at age thirteen. That she had carried a Product at age fourteen. That it had been stolen from her body. Claire had a son. But what became of him she never knew. What was his name? Was he even alive?　 She was supposed to forget him, but that was impossible. Now Claire will stop at nothing to find her child, even if it means making an unimaginable sacrifice.

Son thrusts readers once again into the chilling world of the Newbery Medal winning book, The Giver,　as well as Gathering Blue　and　Messenger　where a new hero emerges. In this thrilling series finale, the startling and long-awaited conclusion to Lois Lowry’s epic tale culminates in a final clash between good and evil."

Son is a great companion book to the The Giver series.  I love Lois Lowry's deep writing, and Son is another example of how stellar she is as an author.  

Go check it out; you won't be disappointed!