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Messenger

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Messenger

By: Lois Lowry
Narrated by: David Morse
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About this listen

 Six years earlier, Matty had come to Village as a scrappy and devious little boy. Back then, he liked to call himself "the Fiercest of the Fierce." But since that time, Matty has grown almost into a man under the care of Seer, a blind man whose special sight had earned him the name. Now Matty hopes that he will soon be given his true name, and he hopes it will be Messenger. But strange changes are taking place in Village. Once a utopian community that prided itself on its welcome to newcomers, Village will soon be closed to all outsiders. As one of the only people able to safely travel through the dangerous Forest, Matty must deliver the message of Village's closing and try to convince Seer's daughter, Kira, to return with him before it's too late. But Forest has grown hostile to Matty too, and he must risk everything to fight his way through it, armed only with an emerging power he cannot yet explain or understand.©2004 Lois Lowry (P)2004 Random House, Inc., Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group Dystopian Fiction Science Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy Fantasy Parapsychology Extrasensory Perception Village

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Critic reviews

"Builds suspense to the last heart-wrenching page." (Booklist)
"Simply and beautifully written..." (The New York Times Book Review)
All stars
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After reading The Giver and its sequel, Gathering Blue, I was struggling to figure out how these two books related to each other. The Giver is about Jonas and his mission to rescue baby Gabriel from his ruthlessly repressive community. Gathering Blue told the story of Kira, a crippled orphan girl from a horribly brutal village, who has a gift of embroidery skill.

They come from different communities. They seemed to be two entirely separate entities. I was confused!

In this book, The Messenger, all the strands come together and make sense. Both Jonas and Kira come together in the same place. Kira's gift becomes more deeply developed into something mystical which helps her see the future. It is Kira's young friend Matty who unites her and Jonas. Matty brought Kira's father, Seer, to the village and is the only one able to travel back and forth through an increasingly dangerous forest separating the two places. He ultimately brings Kira safely through this forest into his own village where she is reunited with her father.

An evil character, Trade Master, is trying to destroy the peaceful village where Jonas has become Leader. His influence has poisoned the forest and the minds of the people. Only Matty, who is gradually becoming aware of his unique gift, can save them all!

The narrator has a deep, rich, expressive, gravelly voice and fits well with the slightly sinister storyline.

I enjoyed this story and have also listened to the sequel, Son, which reveals who is the true mother of Gabriel.

The strands come together....!

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