Rating: 
Summary: Tied Up Book
Review: Gathering Blue"Mother?"
There was no reply. An orphan girl with a twisted leg. Her mother dies of illness, leaving her daughter that gets cast aside. Her father had supposibly taken by beasts. She gets cast aside by a fearful woman named Varnada. Luckily she gets to stay in the village, but not in her cott. She stays in the Council of Guardians with her defendent Jaminson. For the reason of a talent in weaving. She has to learn from a woman named Annabella. Annabella teaches her how to dye each color she needs for the robe, except one.......blue. The robe is what Kira needs to repair for Jaminson. Kira is not the only one who lives in the Council of Guardians. A carver named Thomas and a singer named Jo do as well. They all have unique talents that make them make a better future for this village. In my opinion this is a realistic fiction novel, for the future. Tops or Blah? Well....... to be totally honest.....blah is word for the beginning. It was all the information you needed to know before-hand to back up, and fully understand the ending. It wasn't a page-turner till about the last three chapters.That is when the story bacame tops. It struck me with surprise the way the story all tied up at the end. I do recommend this book for any age, mostley girl, but boy too. It's worth reading for the end! I won't give it away, but all the little details tie up in the end. This particular book is not a hard read it's easy to concentrate on. The character Kira and her surroundings made the book seem about future villages. I can't exactly connect with Kira, but agree with her. For example how her mother told her pain makes her strong. I believe in that, she does too. Really, honestly my favorite part of this book was the way the author wrote it. With all making sense at the end, it was quite suprising. The title didn't even make sense till then. I recommend it! If you finish the book you'll know why.
Rating: 
Summary: Gathering Blue
Review: In Gathering Blue, Kira is a young orphaned girl with a twisted leg. After her mother dies, Kira wonders how she could possibly survive. Then, Vandara, a cruel, old woman, takes Kira to trial because of her twisted leg. Luckily, the all-powerful Council of Guardians spares her life because of her incredible ability to weave. In her new life, Kira, and her new friend Thomas, set out to figure out some of the secrets of their world. This was a pretty good book, all but the ending. The beginning and middle were excellently` written and it had a good plot and story. In fact a very good plot and story. It's just that the end didn't have quite the ending I thought it would. The book seems to be building up and up and up for a fantastic ending where you just have to say, "It all makes sense now!" Instead it kind of abruptly ending with few answers and more questions. It would be a very good book if you just don't expect a good ending. Expect a bad-average ending.
Rating:
Summary: Gathering Blue, is an absorbing novel! Reviewed by Chloe
Review: Gathering Blue, a story about a courageous, young weaver named Kira with a fiery spirit and a crippled leg, is sure to touch your heart. Kira lived with her mother, Katrina, who taught her the skills of weaving that she would need in life. When Kira's mother passed away of a sudden illness, Kira felt alone, with no one left to protect her in the harsh town that she lived, where the weak were cast aside. With hard work and determination Kira not only has to find her own ways to live, but she had to protect herself and her home from Vandara, Kira's worst enemy, who wanted her to die because she was of no use to the village. Because of her talent, she was chosen to live in the Council of Edifice where she was appointed to restore the Singer's Robe, which was worn every year at the Ruin Song gathering. This book becomes interesting as the Author develops the other characters at the Council of Edifice, Thomas, the carpenter and a young girl named Jo who is being trained to become the next singer. Finally, there is Matt, her amusing little friend, an eight-year-old boy with his dog "Branchie", living in the Fen, the child of a dragger or a digger. This novel was very intriguing and really developed the characters well. I rate it with four stars because the book did begin to drag in some areas, not completely holding my interest through out its entirety.
Rating:
Summary: An Exceptionally, Well-Written Novel
Review: Gathering Blue is a great novel about a girl named Kira who was born with a crippled leg. Her mother, Katrina, was a remarkable weaver and taught her daughter most of the skills that she would need in her life. Yet one day, Katrina died of a rare illness and was sent to the Field of Leaving. Kira was young still, and had never experienced death before, not in the small two-person family that she and her mother had been. Now there was no one who could take care of Kira, for she didn't have any close relatives. Only one person willingly offered to protect and amuse Kira - her friend, Matt, an eight-year-old intrepid boy who absolutely hated taking baths! He lived in the swampy, disagreeable Fen, probably the child of a dragger or digger. He had found a small dog and named it Branch, because he had matted its torn tail with twigs and leaves. There was one person who absolutely hated Kira - Vandara. Everyone knew her. The woman was tall and muscular, with long, tangled hair tied back to her neck. She had a scar that marked her chin and continued down her neck to her broad shoulder. It reminded everyone of Vandara's courage and vigor as well as her malevolence. She wanted Kira to die because she was of no use in the village, for she couldn't do the work that other girls her age could do. Kira, in my belief, is a brave, optimistic girl who is strong-willed and diligent. She continues with her life after her mother's death and uses Katrina's wisdom to defend and guide herself thereupon. After Kira was born, men tried to take her away from Katrina because she was crippled. They wanted her to go to the Field of Leaving, but her mother insisted. "I knew I would not have another child," Katrina pointed out. "Your father had been taken by the beasts, and so I would not give birth again...I could see the beginning of something remarkable in your eyes. And your fingers were long and well-shaped - " "And strong. My hands were strong," Kira added with satisfaction. Her mother laughed. "So strong they gripped my own thumb fiercely and would not let go. Feeling that fierce tug on my thumb, I could not let them take you away. I simply told them no." This story takes place in the future and is a adventurous, sci-fi book. If you liked reading The Giver, the probability is that you'll like this book as well. Antithetically, you might not want to read this book if you weren't a big fan of The Giver! If you haven't read The Giver, you might want to check that book out before you jump into this one, because Gathering Blue is a companion of it. In comparison, The Giver is a book about everyday life in a community with no feelings, color, music, war, or pain. On the other hand, in Gathering Blue, there is pain, sadness, and battles. Kira has to learn to deal with the death of her mother, and Vandara's scar was a symbol of a long-ago strife with one of the forest creatures. In The Giver, everyone has a role that is specially designed to help the society function precisely. The same concept is played in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, where the Alphas, the Betas, the Gammas, the Deltas, and the Epsilons have to work together to reach one goal. In The Giver, Jonas's life changes when he turns twelve as a result of being selected to become the next "Receiver of Memory." His mentor, The Giver, teaches him the truth about the choices his ancestors made. Therefore, Jonas begins to understand the pain involved in bearing the burden of truth. In Gathering Blue, everything begins to fall apart for Kira after Katrina dies, and little by little, she is faced with mysterious obstacles and unanswered questions. As I read this book, I visualized the setting and conflicts so I could understand every sentence without missing any major detail. I tried connecting with it to see if I had - or knew someone - with the same experiences as the characters in the book. I enjoyed reading this novel and rate it four out of five stars because the ending is a bit confusing. It's a complete shocker, though, and it keeps you at the edge of your seat throughout the whole book. You'll definitely want to continue reading this book until the very last page! After having finished reading Gathering Blue, I had many questions about the characters and events. I would've rated it five stars if the author had a slightly different aspect of the ending.
Rating:
Summary: Gathering Blue
Review: Gathering Blue is a wonderful book about growing up, and independence. Although it is a far cry from her sister book, The Giver, the people in Kira's world do not know what real 'love' is. There is secrecy being shielded from the watchful peoples' eyes. The book does not move too fast, nor does it move too slowly. Lois Lowry makes sure that the people reading the book do not learn too much information too quickly, which would mean losing interest in the book. It might not be as good as The Giver, but it sure is a good book.
Rating:
Summary: Another Amazing Work of Art
Review: Lois Lowry has done it again! Another fascinating story indeed. The ending of this one was much like The Giver's ending. Only this one felt...more incomplete. But it was still a good ending and a great story. It went a little slow and didn't really seem to be getting anywhere while you read it, but it's still definitely worth reading. Kira, a girl born with a twisted leg, lives in a world where those that are weak and physically unable to do things such as farm are taken to the Field, the place where the beasts dwell...the place that is most feared. But her life is saved by her mother as a child, and once again her life is spared as a teenager, but this time by the Council. She is appointed to work on the sacred robe. To repair the art woven into it that tells a story of the past that is extremely important, the Ruin. But as Kira begins to settle down in the comfortable and luxurious atmostphere, she realizes something horribly wrong with her world. Something that will change everything for her...
Rating:
Summary: There is so much more to this book
Review: This book really made me think. This book takes place in the far future but because of mans thirst for power people have been forced back into a primiative lifestyle. However, within this lifestyle there are a select few chosen people who have technology but this is kept hidden. Should we fear technology? Another issue that is raised is the usefulness of those who are crippled. The main charecter Kira is a crippled girl but is spared her life in order to be imprisoned into working on the singers robe. Also the book goes further into this matter but I won't add those spoilers. Another great part of this book is the extreams the people of importance in the community will go to cover-up truths. I also love Lowrys definition of the beasts that threaten man.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not even close to great.
Review: "The Giver" is one of my favorite books. I read it first when I was in third grade. I'm 20 now and still find it enjoyable, so when I bought "Gathering Blue" I ran home (not literally) and tore into it. I wouldn't say it was bad, more like disappointing. I was expecting much more from Lowry since I would easily call "The Giver" great. Is it me, or does this book just seem a little "dumbed down". I don't know if the author meant for it to be, or not, but it seems to be written for a younger crowd. It was very simple, we knew something was odd right from the start. I wasn't shocked at all when Kira's father showed up. Often times I felt like I had already figured something out, and I had to stop and wait for the character to catch up with me, if that makes sense. For example, when she finally figures out that maybe her mother was killed, yeah I came to that conclusion three chapters ago. When she was wondering what "giftie" Matt was after, I felt like saying out loud "he went to go find you blue idiot." With The Giver, the twists and surprises where actually twists and surprises. They weren't obvious, like "Gathering Blue". And the ending was rushed. It felt like the author got tired of writing, or didn't want to start a new chapter, and just smashed it all together in the end. She left a lot of loose ends. What happens with Vandara now that Kira knows the truth? Why is the singer forced to be chained up? What will she put on the robe? Ect... The book also lacks the suspense that I enjoyed in "The Giver". It also lacks the amazing detail that "The Giver" has. The best word I have for it is "clunky". However, I would still recommend it. Younger kids will enjoy it more, like those still in elementary school. Older kids and teens might get bored with it. You will enjoy it if you liked "The Giver". It's a good book to read to kill time. And it is enjoyable at times, but don't expect great things.
Rating: 
Summary: gathering blue
Review: i hated this book. it was really boring. i would never read this book again.
Rating:
Summary: Lite reading (L-I-T-E lite)
Review: I was excited when I found this book, and heartened by the reviews of it. I was disappointed, however, when it arrived. Perhaps I have become more cynical as I have grown, but this book did not have nearly the lyrical, thought-provoking quality that _The Giver_ had. Part of _The Giver's_ beauty, to me, was that the society did, at first, seem 'better' than ours; a seeming utopia. The flaws were teased out, first with an unassuming childlike quality and then increasingly with a critical adolescent eye. Instead, here, the society is broken and flawed from the start. We see it. Kira sees it. Her friends see it. Our perception of the society doesn't really change at all as the book progresses. Perhaps that's the biggest flaw here. There is no real development. Yes, the characters find out things they didn't know before, but they don't really develop as characters. There is no change in perception. The only possible exception, Kira's perception of her guardian, is so poorly fleshed out (he appears rarely, and then only to deliver orders) that the revelations are not shocking at all; you had the feeling that something was going on, you were just waiting to find out exactly what. Although the ending feels unfinished, it isn't unfinished in quite the same way that the Giver is. In the Giver, were the next page to be written, it could fundamentally change the "meaning" of the story. The beauty of it is that as a result we aren't quite sure what the meaning is, and so we have to figure it out for ourselves. Here, we know basically what's going to happen to all of the main characters. We know what state they're all in, we know what's going on, and we have some good idea of how that's going to change, both short-term and long-term. There is no real doubt as to the meaning here, and so it lacks the intense punchline -- or lack of one. Worse, still, it had "study questions" in the back, plus a justification essay by the author. I don't want study questions that prod me into their way of thinking. I don't want to be reminded of grade school. I -certainly- don't want to know that the author felt that justification of the novel was necessary! It was a quick, lite read (and I use the word 'lite' intentionally). Don't bother buying it. Get it from the library. You probably won't ever re-read it, anyway.
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