Son Book Review – A Thrilling Conclusion To The Giver Series

What is Son by Lois Lowry about?

Son by Lois Lowry is a powerful and emotional conclusion to The Giver series, following Claire’s journey of love, loss, and determination to find her son.

Discover our Review and Summary of Son by Lois Lowry

If the trademaster gives you a choice – youth in exchange for life with your lost loved one – would you trade?

Claire is living in the Community. Recently, she has been given the role of Birthmother at her ceremony of the twelve. Claire soon starts to expect her baby, and when the time finally comes, her first look at her baby boy is interrupted as she is infused with a sickly sweet fragrance. After discovering she is no longer able to give birth, Claire is transferred to the fish hatchery and begins to settle there.

Claire starts getting used to the schedule, and one day she decides to visit the infirmary in the hope of seeing her baby. A miracle happens when Claire meets her boy, now known as Abe. As Claire starts seeing him more often, they develop a stronger bond. Just when Claire begins to feel comfortable, sudden news about Number 36 – Abe – disappearing sends her into agony, and everything goes black.

When she awakens, Claire finds herself in a different place. It takes a long time for her to recover and rediscover herself and her story. During this time, she stays with Allys, the local midwife, and they form a strong mother – daughter connection. When Claire’s memories come flooding back, she realises she must seek help to climb the great mountain to see beyond. For that, she must turn to the only one who has ever climbed it – Einar.

Will she be able to make the dangerous ascent to see her son, or will she fall to her death?

My favourite character in this book is Claire because of her love and determination to find her son, Gabriel. I also like Claire because her character shows a mother’s deep yearning for her child.

My favourite part of the book is when characters from previous books are introduced.  This shows how The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son are all connected and come together as the story unfolds.

Is Son Worth Reading?

Overall, I loved reading Son. I think it is a great way to end the series. It is thought-provoking and interesting read that immerses you in many different emotions, ranging from love to anger and rage, while taking you along on Claire’s journey to find her son.

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 and recommend it to anyone who enjoys powerful stories and has read the previous books in The Giver series.

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 Son, 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.