Messenger

I finally read the third in a set of books by Lois Lowry, the final one being "The Messenger."

Oh, how I liked this book. What a wonderful YA read. The Village where Matty moved to, (Matty of "Gathering Blue") is a wonderfully accepting village. Unlike the city of "The Giver" with its sterile, clean society unaccepting of any defects or handicaps, and unlike the town in "Gathering Blue" with its mean, dirt roads, angry people and disgust of all born with defects, the Village welcomes all with open arms.

Matty has a gift. A power he keeps secret. A healing power he uses but at great risk to himself.

Something sinister is seeping into the Village. The Forest is acting badly, hurting people, being infected by this evil too. The Villagers are trading things (their souls, their generous spirits, what?) for possessions. They are poisoned and want to close the gates to outsiders forever.

Matty is tasked with getting Kira ('Gathering Blue' protagonist) from her village before the Forest completely shuts the Village in from outsiders. The journey is dangerous and on their way back, the Forest hurts them, almost kills them. Almost. Matty saves them all.

I cried. I got up from the couch and went to my bedroom and cried. I didn't want to explain to Isabel why mommy was crying or to Jacob why his mom's a dork. It was a great, heart-wrenching ending.