Rating: 
Summary: Haunting, Excellent, A Masterpiece
Review: Gathering Blue is the perfect fusion of fantasy and reality. In the post-apocalyptic theme of the novel, the reader is immediately thrown into a place where there is no pity or love. Only the strongest survive while the orphaned children are given away and the weak are dragged to the Field of Leaving. Like it's predesscor, the society has powerful dominant figures who take control of their people by telling lies and hiding secrets. Many reviewers have said they are unsatisfied with the ending, but I think the ending was perfect. What really floored me after I read the story was the theme of art and it's inevitable powers. Everywhere we go; to the grocery store, on the Internet, on TV, we are seeing, hearing, smelling, or even FEELING art. It is in the movies we watch, the music we listen to, even the presidents we elect. Artists, like Kira, can shape the future through their creativity, designs, and power, as long as we don't try to control or confine their work in any way. This is what the commitee of elders were doing to Kira and her friends; by making them use their talents for their own needs. The fact that Lois Lowry presented this unique idea in such an unpreaching, yet straight-forward way sets this book apart from The Giver, Brave New World, and 1984; which all have roughly the same theme. I would recommend this novel to anyone, especially painters, weavers, and singers.
Rating:
Summary: Gathering Blue
Review: I read the book Gathering Blue by Lowis Lowery and absolutely fell in love with it. Lowis Lowery gave so much detail and put so much emotion into her latest book. The book is about an adolesant girl who's mother recently died of a fatle desease unexpectedly. Most of the women in the village want Kira (the girl) to go to the Field Of Death because the want her living space. Which was burned after the death of her mother to stop the desease from spreading. Then Kira and the spokesperson from the group of women go to the Council of Gurdians (a group of 10-12 men who are like judges). In the long run Kira gets to keep her life and starts a job of weaving. Chelsea~
Rating:
Summary: Seperate from The Giver
Review: I read The Giver in my freshman year of college and I will tell you it is indeed a powerful book; however when people say Gathering Blue is just not as good or is the companion I think they are lying. Gathering Blue has a much more haunting quality to it. The acts of the villagers is clearly the most important aspect of this book. This book seeks a different response from the authors previous book The Giver. I read this book twice and I have noticed more of the nuances that made the story so much more than The Giver. For those that say The Giver is better I recommend reading Blue a second time and catching the underlying themes passed over the first time.
Rating:
Summary: Another compelling look at future societies
Review: Gathering Blue, by Lois Lowry, is another great novel about a future society. Though it is called a companion novel to The Giver, Lowry's earlier book about a future Utopian society, Gathering Blue is by no means a sequel. It follows the life of Kira, an orphan girl with a twisted leg trying to survive in a society that shuns and discards the weak. After her mother dies, Kira faces a life or death trial in front of the Council of Guardians. She is given the important job of being the threader of the sacred Singer's Robe. There, she meets Thomas the Carver, little Jo, the future Singer, and Matt, a troublesome tyke. This novel makes you think of where our current society is heading, and what we will become if we do- a greedy, self-centered world with no diversity and much power. Gathering Blue is a wonderfully written book that is sure to make you wonder how you can prevent this society from coming into full existence.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Thought-Provoking
Review: This is the story of the future of mankind, but without the flying cars and other Jetson's gadgets. Instead, like the Giver, Brave New World, and 1984, this book is one of those dark, thought-provoking glimpses of the future that makes us question the values that our society is based upon. Enter a world where the weakest are discarded (sort of like the Weakest Link TV show) and only the strongest survive, where kindness is a rarity and all of the technology of the past has been lost. Like in the Giver, the main character is set apart from the others. The orphan Kira is a cripple, and the tale is of her struggle to stay alive in her Spartan-like culture. Her gift at weaving causes her to be appointed to an important position which involves her delving into the mysteries of her society's past (Hmm, sounds like the Giver AGAIN). This book was very good, and if you enjoyed the Giver, you will enjoy this book, because its JUST LIKE the Giver. Similar ideas, similar events, except the Giver was a little bit better. Overall a very good book, but i would recommend it to kids over 11. Younger kids would enjoy it, but might miss important messages.
Rating:
Summary: Another hit
Review: Lois Lowry's Gathering Blue made me think about how we live today, and how we could live tomorrow. With a setting similar to that of the Giver's, I was totally and completely absorbed. Gathering Blue is a futuristic novel about a crippled girl who is singeled out to do one of the most important jobs in her comunity. She meets two new children of extraordinary talents, and they become fast friends. While the plot and the writing was excellent, the ending was confusing. Though I won't give it away, in my opinion a better ending could have been selected. In conclusion the many futuristic turns such as how man sylables your name has definately contributed to the over all greatness of the book.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece!
Review: This is a fascinating story woven intricately with a setting loosely stated. Supposedly after the 'Ruin', people lose information and all technology as they live in a primative village. However, the seemingly good community is a world of lies and secrets that only high officials have knowledge of. Kira, along with her friends Thomas, Matt, and Jo, discover the secrets of their fate. Kira, Thomas, and Jo, gifted artists, are all orphaned and sent to live and work for the governing officials on ceremonial artifacts; Kira stitches the 'Robe', Thomas carves the 'Staff', and Jo sings and practices the 'Song'. Together these three things provide clues to the altered world inside their village. All three ceremonial things contain a space to fill in the story of the future. However, while they are to fill in that space, they all know that they will be told what the future will hold, and from what Kira sees, it is a future of lies and hatred, covered up by happiness and peace. When she finally is united with her father, whom Matt helps her find, and whom she was told was dead, lies are uncovered and truth comes out. She decides to remain in the village to alter the future and make the blank spaces of false happiness reality. A cunning story of deep thought. It keeps you pondering and reflecting on days after you finish the last sentence. One of Lois Lowry's masterpiece writings. A must-read!
Rating:
Summary: A Special Book
Review: I thought that Gathering Blue was a wonderful book. I was in the library, looking for a book I hadn't already read, and I saw this book. I noticed it was by Lois Lowrey, whom I liked, and checked it out. Then I went home to read it, and I loved it. Gathering Blue is a book with the main charicter being a girl named Kira. Her mother has just died, and hardly anybody thinks a girl with a twisted leg should live. The "hardly anybody" includes Vandara, and Kira's future is uncertain... Gathering Blue is a book that has more than one moral, but I think one of the most important is that everyone has a gift.
Rating:
Summary: Short But Sweet
Review: I think that Gathering Blue was a very good book. I would have liked to have a little longer book. it ended too soon!
Rating: 
Summary: Gathering Blues
Review: This book started out great, but it ended too soon. The author seemed to have just stopped writing and decided to end at the most exciting point. It wasn't one of best books that Lois Lowry has written. ....
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