Book Review: Son (The Giver Quartet #4) by Lois Lowry

Summary: 

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.

Release Date: October 2, 2012

Age Group: YA

Source: Library

Review:

I love Lois Lowry's books.  There's a reason why she is a Newberry Medal winner.  Her writing is outstanding!  It's clean, simple yet powerful, and so emotionally provocative.  I read the first three books in the Giver series before I started blogging, so I don't have any old reviews to link to, but The Giver was my favorite book of the series, until I read Son.

Being a relatively new mom, I could really identify with Claire.  I could not imagine not being able to even see my baby during the birthing process, let alone have my child taken from me.  The conditions under which the people of Claire's town lived were unthinkable.  

I think that the society was supposed to be utopian, but, like so many dystopian novels, it was not.  The people of the town were medicated and unfeeling.  They were passive sheep, content to follow their leaders without questioning why things were the way they were.  Except for Claire (and, later, Jonas).  She never took the pills that everyone was required to take, and thus had feelings different from everyone else.  Claire felt love, longing, and devotion to her son.  She felt a desire to change things, and acted on her desire to leave the town.  

Claire's old society was just a small part of Son, though.  Where she ends up after leaving was a whole new setting, with new issues.  Claire grows so much throughout Son, and I loved watching her change.  

I always had a feeling of things being unsettled after finishing Messenger.  I didn't realize that there was going to be a fourth book in the Giver series until I happened upon Son on my library's new releases shelf.  Son tied up all the loose ends from the previous books and brought all three stories together into one perfect conclusion.  I was so happy to revisit some of my favorite characters from the previous books in the series.  I also especially liked the conflict resolution Lowry provides.  Gabriel's battle with the Trademaster was so elegantly written, and a perfect ending to the story. 

If you haven't read the Giver series, I would highly recommend it.  I loved everything about Son and found it impossible to put the book down.  The Giver series is just outstanding, and serves as a standard for comparision in the dystopian genre.