The Messenger Reviews

v=I still consider this book to be the only good book I've ever had to read for school. If I'm being truthful, I haven't read this book since I was young, but I still consider it to be one of my favorite books. So, in honor of the movie (which I am very excited to see!) I decided to write up a review for this excellent book. 
I think the thing that I liked most about this book is the imagery. I think that Lois Lowry really paints a picture. Many of the scenes are chock-full of vivid imagery that really comes to life in your head. Jonah lives in a world that's flat and black, so Mrs. Lowry puts extra effort into painting a picture with her words. The action scenes are full of description, and typically fast paced. 
This was my first introduction to dystopian societies, and it still remains one of the best in my mind. There aren't very many holes, and the world-building was excellent. This book was far ahead of it's time, and many books nowadays seem to be modeled after this one. I consider it one of the grandfathers of modern dystopian novels. 
My major complaint about this book is the ending. If you can even call it that. I've read one of the later books, so I know what happens, but at the time, I thought this book was a standalone, and the "ending" enraged me. Simply put, it's not the ending. Jonah goes over the hill and...the books over. You decide what happens next. Sure, some people might be into that kind of thing, but I think it's the author's responsibility to actually write an ending for her book. 
Other than the ending though, I adored this book. I couldn't put it down, and even though it's a short book, it didn't take me very long to finish it. I will always consider it to be one of my favorite books, and even though it may not be one of those books that I come back to over and over again, it will always have a special place in my heart. 
Four out of Five Stars