2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss Lois Lowry‘s book, Son.


***Please remember to mark spoilers.***

Participants: Eirelyn, Kyla, Ilona, Brianna, Sheila, Mindy, Susy, Delmy

Suggested break down of reading so that you can check in and let us know how you're doing. The following breakdown is purely a suggestion and is therefore not set in stone.

Rather than putting dates for each section I've done it so that it takes into account that not everybody will necessarily have the book at the same time.

Week 1: 98
Week 2: 98
Week 3: 98
Week 4: 98

I really have to finish Dracula before starting this one....

I'll be starting soon. I have the ebook so I didn't see the amount of pages until now, but it looks like this one is quite a bit longer than the others.

I am starting today and also noticed the length and was a bit surprised. Looking forward to it though.

Thanks for setting everything up, Mary Pat!

***

I am really hoping to get to this one this month. Somehow I ended up with more book commitments than intended (how does this happen?! XD). I also saw the length and while that normally wouldn't bother me, in a busier month like this, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed reading-wise!

So far I have read Book I, and while I am slightly disappointing that we are starting off with a whole new character, I am also really curious to find out where this is going and how it will tie in with the stories of Gathering Blue en Messenger.

I have finished this book, even though it is longer than the others it is still a quick read.
Somewhat spoilery opinions (don't read until have finished):
(view spoiler)[
It started out pretty good with the introduction of Claire's character. It was interesting to have it told from another perspective.
However, I could have done without Book II, which hardly contributes anything to the story and could have been summarized in one chapter.
Then the finale, Book III is basically: the trademaster is evil, the trademaster is evil, did you hear me? the trademaster is evil! Real evil, super evil I tell you. Evil, evil, evil.
And I tolerated the character of the trademaster in Messenger, found him even somewhat interesting, but in Son I find him completely misplaced.
Looking back at this series, I really liked the first book, moderately liked Gathering Blue en Messenger, but Son is a disappointment and so not the ending that I had hoped for. (hide spoiler)]

I have also finished the book. Very quick read.
I have to remind myself that the series was written for a young adult/teen age group.
(view spoiler)[ I agree with Ilona that Book 2 and even Book 3 were not really necessary as everything relevant in those books could easily be explained in Son. I just kept feeling that there was a disconnect from the beginning to the end. Each book could have been a stand alone and you wouldn't miss anything. I have many questions!
What happened in each community after the characters left? Where there lessons learned by those left behind? How did the communities become separated? Why was The Giver community so technologically advanced and the rest of the communities stuck so far in the past, especially when they obviously had some access to each other through trade? The questions go on. (hide spoiler)]

Sheila, exactly!
(view spoiler)[ Yes, the beginning and ending also feel disconnected to me. The story of Jonas was not about the fight against evil at all, and now suddenly it is?!
I also wondered how Claire could never have experienced seasons, and then suddenly in her new community there weather did change. Aren't these villages supposed to be in the same world, along the same river/sea. How does that even work?
(hide spoiler)]

I just started this one. I'm okay with the new character introduction because we've had that in all the others as well. Plus...given the nature of her "job," I think I can see where this is going. :D

I'm through chapter 15 of Book 1, and I am enjoying it a lot! It's so much better than the 2nd & 3rd books.

I love that it takes place (view spoiler)[in the same community and at the same time as The Giver. I had hoped that the 2nd & 3rd books would be similar to The Giver and was a bit disappointed that they weren't. So I'm happy to see that this one is much more similar (hide spoiler)].

Claire is a very likable main character, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this ends. :D