Messenger Book Review – A Companion To Jonas | The Giver Series

What is Messenger by Lois Lowry about?

Messenger by Lois Lowry is a powerful and emotional third book in The Giver series, following Matty as he discovers his purpose in a village threatened by greed and division. A moving story about courage, identity, and sacrifice.

Discover our Review and Summary of Messenger by Lois Lowry

“You were never Messenger, Matty  – you were the Healer”

Life goes on as normal for Matty. He lives in the village that Jonas founded. Matty lives with Seer, and together they lead a happy life. He settles in, making friends with his neighbours and discovering his love for learning. He also develops an affection for his mentor’s daughter, Jean.

When Matty becomes a messenger for the village, delivering letters and parcels, he forms a deep connection with the forest path that links to other communities. He loves walking through the nature-filled pathway, becoming absorbed in the colours, sounds and animals. Through this, he discovers a deeper connection within himself.

However, when one of the village Gatherers dies in the forest vines, Matty senses something is wrong. Little does everyone know that is only the beginning. When Matty realises his Mentor has lost his truest self due to Trade Mart (a great event taking place in the market square, run by the notorious and evil Trade Master), he must act before it’s too late.

When Seer and Matty discover that the villagers are planning to build a wall between the forest and other villages, Matty must hurry to bring his friend Kira back before they are both unable to enter the village again. Now that the forest has become twisted, gnarled and unwelcoming, will Matty be able to make it through without harm and reunite Kira with her family in time?

My favourite character is Matty because he is a very thoughtful person and has worked hard to learn how to read and write. I also like him because he shows great grit and determination. My favourite part of the book is when Matty is travelling through the forest, because he faces many obstacles and uses his determination to overcome them.

Is Messenger Worth Reading?

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book as it focuses on family bonds and staying true to yourself. This book is great because it shows how personality is so important and why being honest matters.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 and recommend it to anyone who enjoys action-packed and family-focused stories.

The Giver quartet – full series by Lois Lowry includes, The Giver | Gathering Blue | Messenger | Son. Each book has a different main character and takes place in different communities, but they are all connected across the series.

If you liked Messenger, try these other thought-provoking reads:

1984: A powerful dystopian novel that explores what it means to be a human in a society built on fear.

Animal Farm: A powerful political satire that uses a simple farm story to show how power can lead to corruption and inequality

The Hunger Games: A powerful story of survival in a Dystopian government controlled districts.

Sunrise on the Reaping: A gripping prequel (Haymitch’s story, 50th Hunger Games) in the Hunger Games Series.

The Book Thief: An emotional story from a child’s perspective in a controlled/harsh society.