Earlier this year I read Gathering Blue, then I read The Giver and I've finished up the trilogy by reading Messenger. I enjoyed the series a lot but this was my least favorite book.

This book takes place several years after the second book. The young boy, Matt before, Matty now, is now a young adult, a teenager. He lives with Kira's father and is hoping to be given his true name soon by Leader. He really wants to be Messenger. He often goes into Woods to deliver messages to other villages and thinks that would be a good name for him.

Village is still a safe haven for refugees from other places. But the sentiment seems to be changing. There is a proposal to close the borders to immigrants. Matty and his guardian don't understand. There is trading that happens and it seems to be related to the change. There are other changes. The professor is changing, growing hair back, losing a birthmark, growing taller. Village has never cared about how your look, unlike other villages nearby. What is going on? And why is Woods seeming to attack those who enter it?

Throughout this ordeal Matty has discovered something new about himself, an ability he never knew before. It scares him and he is afraid to share this secret even though he knows he should.

The story is interesting, taking place in a dystopian future. It doesn't have a date but it could be any future society with little technology. There are characters you will recognize from the earlier books, but plenty of new ones as well. I found it interesting to learn more about how the people in the area were related. The aspect of magic is interesting as well.

What I didn't like was that the story seemed to have more fluff than the other two. Also the other two could stand on their own, this one you need to have read the other two books to enjoy it. Plus the ending. Both my seven year old son and I didn't really like how the book ended. It did get quite suspenseful near the end of the book and you were really rooting for the characters and wanting to know what would happen, but I was disappointed with how it ended. It wasn't totally out of nowhere, just not how I wanted it to end.

If you've read the other two books you'll definitely want to read the final book in the trilogy. The characters deal with new complications and handle themselves well in their future world.

Recommended: Yes