Gathering Blue

Book Summary:

In a society run by savagery and deceit Kira is left an orphan. In her society the weak are discarded and since she is physically flawed she must face those that would remove her from their group. Fortunately, she has an almost magic like talent that people high in the society want her to use for their benefit. As she works, Kira tries to discover the truth about her world, and will not stop no matter the consequences. If she finds the truth, it will alter her world forever.

My Thoughts:

I have always enjoyed The Giver, So I was happy that the Bookworms wanted to read the second book in the series. I think some people find it a little confusing that this book does not immediately follow the events that took place at the end of The Giver. Instead, it shows how other people are living outside Jonas' community. Here is the link to the Bookworms review of The Giver.

I think this and the other books in the series are great for young readers. They bring up a lot of talking points about society, what we value, and what our own responsibilities are. I also like that the main character in this book is a girl. So the series provides different viewpoints so more readers can identify easier with the story.

The Bookworms Thoughts:

This was the twenty-second book the Bookworms read together. This was Alejandro's pick for us. He, and the rest of us really enjoyed The Giver, and wanted to read it again. He decided that maybe we should read the second book instead of rereading The Giver. We had a good time comparing The Giver and Gathering Blue, how we view people, and how important our actions are. Here are some of the Bookworms thoughts on the story. Warning! There may be some spoilers.

Q&A With The Bookworms Book Club

How many stars out of 5 would you give this book?
Alejandro 3
Paige 3 1/2

Just as a comparison, Alejandro rated The Giver at 5 stars and Paige gave it 4 1/2.

Why do you think this story is called Gathering Blue?
Paige I didn't really think about it.
Alejandro Because they went to find what makes blue and found it. But they also found other things.

What did you think of a girl being the main character when a boy was in the first book?
Paige It was a different twist, but I didn't like her story as much. It was boring.
Alejandro Yes, her story was not as exciting.
Both Jonas' story was much more exciting.

Which community would you rather live in, Jonas' or Kira's?
Both Jonas'
Alejandro Jonas' has real jobs. Kira's has no jobs or they seem like really strange jobs.
Paige Both seem like they are sometimes fun but weird.
Alejandro I do think Jonas' community was more controlling but things weren't as whacky.

Which community is more like your community?
Alejandro I think mine is more like Kira's because it is more free.
PaigeYes. Kira's. Because I can do a lot of things.

What did you think about the rule that girls cannot read?
Alejandro I thought it was cool that one boy helped Kira learn.  It was clever to get around the rule.
Paige I think it was a stupid rule. Girls can read and it is a good experience to read.
Alejandro I didn't like the rule. I think everyone should get to read. Reading makes life funner.

Since you did not enjoy this book as much, would read the last two books in the series?
Paige I think I would read it after I finish other books I am reading.
Alejandro I will probably read the last ones.

Alejandro's Questions:

Did you like this book better than The Giver?
Alejandro It was not as good as The Giver.
Paige Yeah the first book was better.
Whitney I like the first book the best of the series.

Who do you think the boy at the end of the book was?
All Jonas!

Thank you Bookworms for reading and reviewing this book with me. It was a lot of fun and I look forward to our next book.