Son by Lois Lowry

Son by Lois Lowry
Reviewed by Nina 

Claire is hiding her love for her son from everyone around her. Her son has no idea anything is wrong. But when they get separated, Claire travels on a journey away from everything she ever known to find him again. She meets several people on her journey, and by the end of the book, she is strengthened both physically and mentally. Both mother and son overcome evil as the book ends, finishing off the series with a flourish. Son by Lois Lowry is the amazing finale to the Giver Quartet, telling a tale of a parent’s love for a son.

I enjoyed how Lowry incorporated a powerful message into the spiraling storyline of Son. Claire, fourteen years old, is giving birth to her son. She finds that she has an abnormal amount of yearning and affection for him, which is unheard of in the dystopian society that she lives in. She visits her son as often as she can, disguising them as tours or volunteering. Lois Lowry emphasized how a parent’s love for a child can help them both find the strength that they need inside themselves. Claire becomes stronger as she works towards her son, while his part comes near the end of the book.

Another reason I liked the book is the setting, starting with a dystopian society where everyone’s lives are planned out for them. I liked this setting because Lowry went back in time to the same time of the Giver, colliding the two stories until they separate again. The setting changes during the course of the book because Claire travels to many different locations to achieve her goal.  I really liked the inhabitants and environment of all of them, as those residents helped Claire, and the environment fascinated her as well.

Son was a thrilling conclusion to the Giver Quartet, and I would rate it a ten out of ten for its suspenseful plot, mysterious characters, and unique message. I think both boys and girls can read this, although I would recommend that everyone read the first three books in the series, The Giver, Gathering Blue, and Messenger, before Son.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 393 pages.