dorian@cutebook.club reviewed Gathering blue by Lois Lowry
My review of 'Gathering Blue'
You know, in some ways Kira would love the city of The Giver. A communal collaborative place. I found Kira's world and experiences much more engaging and compelling that those in The Giver. I suspect most of that is just my personal preference. I enjoy the exploration lower technology guild style society more than the highly structured highly technical communal one. But also Kira felt like a more compelling character. She experiences suffering far more than Jonas did in The Giver, and so I found myself much more quickly rooting for her. I do exceptionally like the contrast of the endings however. Jonas, in an act of courage, fled his home in order to hopefully help his community. Kira's act of courage was to stay.
I'm still mulling over some questions that arose for me while reading these. Why are the dark societies that exert excessive control such a central …
You know, in some ways Kira would love the city of The Giver. A communal collaborative place. I found Kira's world and experiences much more engaging and compelling that those in The Giver. I suspect most of that is just my personal preference. I enjoy the exploration lower technology guild style society more than the highly structured highly technical communal one. But also Kira felt like a more compelling character. She experiences suffering far more than Jonas did in The Giver, and so I found myself much more quickly rooting for her. I do exceptionally like the contrast of the endings however. Jonas, in an act of courage, fled his home in order to hopefully help his community. Kira's act of courage was to stay.
I'm still mulling over some questions that arose for me while reading these. Why are the dark societies that exert excessive control such a central theme for for YA Dystopian fiction? What is is about that kind of narrative that is useful for us, and useful for children specifically?