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Gathering Blue

 


Gathering Blue
Written by Lois Lowry
Originally published in 2000
215 pages
Rate: 7/10
My summary of Gathering Blue
    Kira is a cripple who lives in a village where every person defends for themselves. Typically, if a person isn't born 'perfect' or if they face any major injures they are left for dead. Kira was an exception, because of her grandfather's status at the time. There is a sort of government that intervenes if hostile fights break out and such, but they mostly leave the village alone aside from the Gathering ceremony that takes place once every year.

    Kira is orphaned at the beginning of the book after her father died from beasts and she watches her mother die from sickness in the Field of Leaving. Now that no one is around to stick their neck out for her life, she tries proving herself useful by creating intricate fabric designs. However, once villagers die, the village burns the person's houses down. Kira plans to rebuild, but a mother threatens to take her parent's land so they have to take their disagreement to the government. Will Kira be able to stay in a village that didn't want her in the first place?

My opinion on Gathering Blue
    Similar to The Giver, Gathering Blue was written by Lois Lowry, was third-person point of view, and it took place in a dystopian/utopian society. I was aware of the fact that the two books have little correlation with one another before I opened Gathering Blue so I wasn't surprised. Also similar to The Giver, I feel like the book could have gone on, but it was cool to see it end where it did.

    The characters in this book where really sweet and fun to follow around (Kira, Thomas, and Matt). The setting was a little hard to understand at times, some parts of the village were village-like and other parts were modern-day-like, I'm not sure I understand how that worked (but maybe it will be explained in the next book). The plot-line was pretty predictable, there was a lot of easy-to-catch foreshadowing. 

Quotes
"Take pride in your pain, you are stronger than those who have none." (Lowry, 22)
"Suddenly she wished that she could leave this place, despite its comforts, and return to the life she had known." (Lowry, 154)
"She wondered where he could have journeyed, all alone but for the dog, to search for blue." (Lowry, 166)
"In shock, she stared at him. She watched hos ruined eyes, and saw that they were able, still, to weep." (Lowry, 198)

More information

To read more about Lois Lowry check out her website using this link: Lois Lowry
Want to read Gathering Blue? Here's a link to Barnes & Noble: Gathering Blue
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