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    The Messenger
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    The Messenger
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    The Messenger
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Messenger

    Written by Stephen Miller

    Narrated by Graham Rowat

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Screenwriter, playwright, and novelist Stephen Miller crafts this harrowing tale about two people on opposite ends of the war on terror. Daria, an Iraqi refugee, has lost everything she holds dear- and now seeks revenge on those responsible. Recruited for a dangerous mission, she boards a plane to New York with instructions to make contact with- and infect- as many as possible. Meanwhile, American scientist Dr. Sam Watterman is asked by the government to help locate a new threat to homeland security.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books Audio
    Release dateJul 31, 2012
    ISBN9781464049033
    Unavailable
    The Messenger
    Author

    Stephen Miller

    Stephen Miller is a creator and entrepreneur who has grown his platform to nearly one million followers in just two years through his show The Miller Fam, a channel that displays the beauty of diversity and adoption featuring his large, diverse, adoptive family of nine. No clickbait. No fake drama. Just a story that says, “Where grace guides, we'll go.” With over fifteen years of ministry in some of the nation's largest churches, Stephen has recorded six studio albums and is the author of Liberating King and Worship Leaders, We Are Not Rock Stars.

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    Reviews for The Messenger

    4/5

    62 ratings46 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Again I feel like this 3rd book and number 2 should have been one story; and it also could have been so much deeper and more developed but overall not bad
    • 4/5
      Another good book by Lois Lowry and yes I liked the end although I wanted to know much more about the dark trading that was going on. I wonder why her books are so thin. Maybe back in the days they thought young adults did not like to read bigger books? (Before Twilight lol)

      Like another reviewer I thought that the one called Christopher was Jonas of Book 1. (I had confused him I guess but was there a Christopher in the other 2 books??
      I recommend this series of books highly! Lois Lowry has a lovely way of writing that draws you in and you want to know more. I wanted 2 more books at least ;)
    • 4/5
      Ok, okay, so I know that The Giver is no longer a trilogy but a quartet. . .But come on, it WAS a trilogy until Lois Lowry published the fourth book in the series, Son, which of course I need to pick up ASAP.On to the books. . .Like The Giver (which BTW is amazing!), Gathering Blue and Messenger both are dystopian YA books, and great sequels.Messenger was very moving. It connected both The Giver and Gathering Blue and had a lot of environmental commentary hidden inside the storyline. Matty, a child that Kira befriended in Gathering Blue, discovers that he has a power as well, which can be used at a huge cost. Messenger also touches on immigration, and what I can only assume are Lowry’s thoughts on the U.S. immigration policy.Now don’t get my wrong, Lowry doesn’t come right out and say anything about the U.S. immigration policy, but through her characters and the situations involved in Messenger, it’s clear that she’s stating her opinion without shoving it down your throat.Have you read The Giver? Check out Gathering Blue and Messenger as well. They were fabulous pieces of a series and also seem to be able to stand alone.Now let me get my hands on Son. . .Have you thought about reading the sequels to The Giver?Thanks for reading,Rebecca @ Love at First Book
    • 4/5
      Fantastic. Quietly creepy, with the forest and all the dark undertones. I was shredded when they killed off puppy Frolic, but then utterly gutted when they brought him back only to kill off Matty, the main protagonist. Ughhhh my heart ALTHOUGH after stewing on it all day, I can see how people see Matty's death as a little bit of a Christ allegory... I think I'm okay with it, (even though I absolutely detest religion in books that aren't about religion) because it didn't seem so heavy handed. That's just a personal preference, though. Can't wait to see how it all ties together in the last book.
    • 5/5
      Mini Book Review: This one just about broke my heart! I was crying my eyes out on the plane ride home (And yes my son was making fun of me, thank you very much). Cannot say more that that or I would spoil the story. I could feel the authors pain for her lost son and her hope for society (sorry met her at BEA last year and learned about her life), I really felt this was the author putting her heart out for us all to see. As I have mentioned before her stories are so simple, yet complex. You can pick up so much from her commentary on society and the discussions you could have about this are unending. I also enjoyed the connecting of the stories from The Giver and Gathering Blue. Lots of moments of light humour added just when you needed them most, which to me is the sign of a brilliant writer. My only complaint, as with the other books in the series, are that some questions not answered and I wanted more. Still want to know how the Trader got so much power, how leader didn't know and what happened to him at the end. Sorry I am needy I want everything wrapped up. Cannot wait to crack open Son. Unfortunately I got about 6 other books to review before that happens.4.5 Dewey'sI purchased this for my Kobo for my trip to Cancun (Read the whole thing on the plane ride home - thanks hubby for sitting with Jesse)
    • 3/5
      If you want to know what the book is about, read the synopsis. I stopped doing book reports when I was in grade school. If you want to know what I thought of the book, read on.

      This book made me feel better about the whole trilogy. I also better understand the trilogy in general, although I won't be changing my ratings any.

      This book kind of wrapped up the stories of some of the characters from the first two books. Jonas, from the Giver, and Matty and Kira from Gathering Blue. It was kind of nice to see an actual conclusion for a change, although this book introduce more questions and then left them unanswered as well. At the same time, though, I find myself not really caring to find the answers to THOSE questions, and depending on your interpretation, there is a line in the last few pages of the book that could be considered "the answer" to the mystery of this particular book.

      I really do think that all 3 books of this trilogy have a valuable message and are great for making people think about things they might not otherwise think about. It does require paying attention when you read, though.

      Anyway, this book was as good of a read as the second one was. Both the second book and this one were better than the first, IMO.
    • 4/5
      This is the third book in the "Giver" trilogy. This book takes the first took books and finally brings them together. At the beginning of the book it appears Lowry doesn't want you to fully understand that we are dealing with the characters from the first books and then she suddenly opens it up that these are those characters. This story focuses largely on Matt (Matty here) from the 2nd book in the series. This book is my favorite of the three because of how Lowry blends the three characters from the books together. She does so seamlessly. There is no moment in this book that you feel that she is trying to force characters into actions that make no sense, which sometimes happens in a book that is part of a trilogy because the author wants certain characters to end up somewhere together. Lowry is able to make it seem organic that they all meet because of the stories that she has told in the previous volumes.

      I admire the social commentary aspect of these books because Lowry is able to tell the reader that as a society we need to care for each other without necessarily beating us over the head with it. She does so in a subtle fashion that makes you almost think it is your idea to want to change the world while reading this book. Lowry often in the series shows us that we have to have our feelings, skills, and desires, but that we should use these things to help other people that we come across. She does all this while creating a fantastical world that one wishes that they could explore. I admire Lowry for creating a book series that can teach young readers that values are important and that each life has an importance regardless of age or ability.
    • 4/5
      I read a lot of the reviews for this book before finishing, so I expected an abrupt ending. But after reading it, I felt like the author gave ample preparation for what was to come. I do feel like the last few pages had a different pace than the rest of the book, so maybe that's where this frustration is coming from. But I didn't have any problem with it. I'm assuming the next book in the series, "Son", will be able to fill in my curiosity about how Village is doing after the change.

      When I started reading this book, I hadn't realized that this was the third book in a series. But it is a compelling stand-alone book, which never left the reader feeling confused or out of the loop. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
    • 4/5
      I'm not sure what to make of this book. It was a pretty powerful allegory, but some things could have been fleshed out better.
    • 4/5
      Genre: Science FictionGenre Critique: This book is an excellent example of science fiction seen through the use of ideas and themes (Utopian societies) that could be/become realistic, but haven't yet. This makes the story more believable for the reader.Review/Critique: I didn't know what to expect going into this book (having really enjoyed the Giver when I was little) but this book was amazing. I really enjoyed it, but felt that the ending could have been longer? I was sad with the ending, but I guess it did wrap everything up.Media: N/A
    • 4/5
      Mattie, a returning character from the previous book in this series – “Gathering Blue” – reappears as the main protagonist in “The Messenger”. Now living in Village with the blind man, he longs to be given his true name. However, when an edict is passed that will close the once welcoming Village to outsiders, he leaves to get the blind man’s daughter. Alas, the near-sentient Forest has turned thick and dark and tries to bar their way home.By this book, Lois Lowry’s series has become unmistakably allegorical. Themes touch on the destructive power of selfishness, the innermost nature of each person, and the importance of roles (for example, Mattie longs for his name to be “Messenger”). The ending is tragic and meaningful, although the book’s overall direction lacked the subtlety of the previous two stories.
    • 5/5
      Beautifully told. I love the way the author has woven the three stories together, The Giver, Gathering Blue, and now The Messenger. A powerful book with an important message.
    • 5/5
      The love story develops from two unexpected characters in their quest for their cause and what is right.The mystery and twists in plot kept me reading.The historical time period is one that brings many authors the "same" kind of plot----this one is not.I have noticed in several of her books, (this one included) the tendency for the heroine to rebell against her parents' wishes to do what is right. Enjoyed the book. Glad for the "thinking" book, that doesn't excessively whine about their problems, but moves through what must be done.
    • 4/5
      Matty's story is, like Kira's in Gathering Blue, both heartwarming and tragic. He discovers that he has a power that no other has but is unsure if her should use it or tell anyone. He lives with the Seer in the Village and they help each other manage their small home. The Leader of the Village also has a gift, he can see beyond. He understands that Matty has a gift but does not encourage him to spend it. It will be needed when the time is right. And it is - Matty is able to save Kira and the Leader as well as the entire Village from the evils of the earth just by using his gift.
    • 4/5
      The thrid book in Lowry's Giver series. Much to think about. Ending with the death of someone the reader cares about makes reading SON a necessity.
    • 4/5
      Messenger, another companion novel to "The Giver", tells the story of Matty, a boy who serves as the message bearer of the simply named "Village." Trouble is forming in the Village and Matty must travel through the surrounding forest to deliver messages about the Village closing off to all outsiders, as well as convince the daughter of the Seer, Kira (who we meet in "Gathering Blue"), to return to the Village with him before it is entirely closed off. However, upon his return, Matty learns the Village is closing off as well and he must make the decision to use a power her has to save the forrest, the Village, and it's people. This power, however, is destructive to Matty. The plot of "Messenger" is more complex then "The Giver" and "Gathering Blue" and would be more difficult for a reader to understand if they were not familiar with the other companion books. The genre of the book appeals to both male and female readers and is appropriate for middle school through early high school readers.
    • 4/5
      “He wept, and it felt as if the tears were cleansing him, as if his body needed to empty itself.” In this third installment Matt, Kira's friend from Gathering Blue is the main character. We also meet Jonas and Gabe again and find out a little bit more what happened to them. Shortly, after Kira was moved into the council Matt found "Village" beyond the big forrest and he moved there. Village is haven for anyone who had to flee their communities for varied reasons. Here, in village each person is important and everyone is acknowledged for their varies gifts they come with. People are polite, friendly and care for each other. Matt's job in this new and different community is that of a messanger, because he knows the surrounding forest like no one else in the community, he hopes that messenger will also become his true name once he reaches adult hood. However, since a "Trade master" gained influence in the village, life is changing for everyone. People become short-tempered, unkind and selfish and for some reason the forest is changing as well. Matt, Jonas and Seer are not sure what the force behind these changes are. Matt is send off with messages to warn other communities about the developments in "Village" and to bring Kira to the village before things escalate. Matt and Kira's journey through the forest is haunting and Jonas has to come to their aid. Actually, I enjoyed this one even more than Gathering Blue. Although, some of the questions from the first book are answered in this installment, others are still left open. Again, I thought this little story delivered well.
    • 4/5
      In this story, Matty has lived in a small village for six years with an older blind man named Seer. Village used to pride itself on welcoming newcomers, but sinister things are happening and the people turn hostile, voting to close their gates. One boy possesses the power to run through the woods unharmed by the malignant trees and he must deliver the message that the gates are closing soon to the surrounding villages.I didn't love this one quite as much as The Giver, but I still thought it was awesome. I think Lowry has this amazing gift of showing the good and bad of humanity in touching and surprisingly short stories. Beautiful and haunting.
    • 4/5
      Messenger is the third book in the The Giver series and the first one that actually had sequel-like relationship to its predecessors. It picks up a few years after the point where Gathering Blue left off and centers around the main character of Matty (yep, the same one from Gathering Blue). Matty is living in Village with the Seer/Father figure from Gathering Blue and at the beginning of the book, Matty is trying to figure out a special talent that he has discovered within himself but doesn't understand. We also get reintroduced to a character from the The Giver novel.For those who were a little put off by the abrupt ending of The Giver and the somewhat less abrupt ending of Gathering Blue, you may be pleased to find this book taking some of the loose threads from each and bringing them to light in interesting ways. Like Giver and Gathering Blue, Messenger is set in a claustrophobic world where not everything is as it seems. It also focuses on a unique mystical talent/ability of a young character. Unlike the previous two books, the talents and abilities of the characters, and even some of the events elsewhere in the book, are given a magical quality. In the prior novels it seemed as if the special abilities were special more because they were talents and knowledge that had been repressed or forgotten by society. In Messenger we are given to believe that the repression of society of part of what makes the talents special but that there is also a real form of magic going on here.While I found the magical elements fun and interesting I felt like they were a departure from the semi-realism of the dystopias presented in the previous books. There was still the sense that it was the corruption of humanity and society that was to blame for the problems and repressions that were happening. And while the nature of the things lost in Giver and Gathering Blue were a bit outrageous to think that a society might lose them, the magical elements of Messenger just pulled the novel a bit out of the realistic dystopia that I was reading.Even though I felt like some of the realism of the world was gone, I still found this to be a compelling and interesting story. I just had to shift my mindset a little bit. In fact in many ways, I found this story to be even more compelling than the previous ones and it left me more interested and wanting more.As the story progresses there are three main plot elements that become pivotal. First is Matty's talent. We get some insight into this and more as time goes on. By about midway through the book, I felt sure of what Matty would be called upon to do, but even when it did happen it was still emotionally stirring.Second is the Trade Mart. In Village there is a normal "Market Day" where people sell their wares to each other. In addition, there is a "Trade Mart" which happens at special times and is conducted by a strange citizen. The Trade Mart gives a sort of "be careful what you wish for" moral as well as presenting some strange and intriguing magic.Third is the Forest. The Forest is made into a living character, alive with magic. For some reason, Forest is tightening its grip around Village and is actually striking out violently at those who venture into its paths. This ominous magic acts as a sort of gathering storm preparing us for bad things to come.All of the individual concepts were very compelling. The storytelling was interesting and fun. I did find myself sometimes getting annoyed at some of the character interaction but most of the time it was well done (I know Matty is just a kid, but I sometimes felt like he was whining just a little too much). I enjoyed the combining of the magical elements with the behaviors and attitudes of the people in the book. As we learned more about Matty's talent and about the things threatening Village, I guessed the way the book would resolve the conflict. I felt like the general climax of Matty's aide was well done. However, I felt like the overall ending was a bit too clean cut. I can see Matty's talent helping with one of the primary threats to Village (and thus helping the characters that were present when he used his talent), but I don't buy into the effect his talent had at resolving the other issues present in the citizens of Village. I don't want to put spoilers here, but once you read the book, you should have an idea of what I'm talking about. Let me know if you agree or disagree.Overall this was a fun and compelling read. Lowry does a good job of presenting ideals and behaviors in such a way that makes us want to question our motivations and interactions. In a lot of ways I liked this book more than the previous two. In other ways, it felt a little harder to swallow. Still, I found it enjoyable and worth reading. I am hopeful that the 4th book in The Giver series continues the story and perhaps expounds on the somewhat jagged ending here.****3.5 out of 5 stars
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed this book immensely. I thought it was a much better match to the series. It continued the story from Gathering Blue and brought them together. The ending made my cry, but I don't think it could have ended any other way. I still wish The Giver was tied to the other two books, but I'm glad I read these two books.
    • 4/5
      Pretty good story. It was CLEAN... you don't see that a lot in YA literature. I'm putting this on the outside reading list for my 9th and 10th graders. I think they will enjoy it. It's a quick enough read, and it's fast paced (though the ending sucks), so it will keep their interest.
    • 5/5
      A wonderful conclusion to "The Giver" trilogy. Lowry brings all of her main characters together in the climax of the story. The Leader's search for freedom, Kira's quest for expression, and Matty's pursuit of a place where all are welcome culminates in this story of Village. Village is the outpost of freedom and hospitality in a post-apocalyptic world where people are categorized and marginalized. In some places in this world life has been distilled and specialized so that while everything appears to be good, there are no challenges, no freedoms, and the creative processes have been surrendered to sameness. Individuality is discouraged and deviation from the norm is dispatched quickly. In other places order is determined by those who have political and social power and enforced by material reward. Some are haves and the rest are have nots. But Village is different, everyone determines their own true name and every gift is honored - all are welcome. But humanity's self-centeredness has not be vanquished and evil grows in the form of selfishness within Village and a threat from the Forest without. A sacrifice will be necessary to overcome the evil of humanity as Kira, Matty, and Leader strive to rebuild the world. Strong religious and political themes dot the landscape of Lowry's trilogy and while she leaves some loose ends, the characters and events come together nicely to move the reader into this world and struggle with the main characters to find their way through.
    • 3/5
      I picked up Messenger looking for answers and closure. This will be a little spoilery, so read no further if that bothers you. This is the third book in a series of related books that began with "The Giver". I was glad to find that Matt, my favorite supporting character from "Gathering Blue" had returned to become the featured character along with Kira's father, also from "Gathering Blue". Both of the books that preceded "Messenger", "The Giver" and "Gathering Blue" left their stories untold. Messenger proved to be an inadequate finish for me, and ultimately a disappointing one. I'm not sure what to call what goes on in this story, but the fantasy and mystical elements really spoiled it for me. We had bits of that referred to in the prior novels, but one could consider the elements in "Gathering Blue" as a form of artistic gift, and the memory transfer process in "The Giver" was in need of a rational explanation, I will admit. What goes on in "The Messenger" doesn't have any sort of rational explanation. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the story. It was just that there were elements to this that for me made it less than it should have been. I can see the allegory here pretty clearly, a comment on modern society. The Village that accepted all who came, the hungry, the sick, the needy, the damaged was changing. For the worse. We are closing our doors. Greed and jealousy were replacing the old values of caring, of sharing and openess. Unfortunately the manner of the allegory, with the Faustian trades of one's self for material things and improved superficial changes to one's body pushed the magical mystery tour into high gear. Perhaps most importantly, I could discern no reason why all these good people would rather suddenly make bargains with the devil. The simultaneous appearance of Matty's magical healing powers and the Forest itself becoming evil ran the story off the road, and as a result, the story became a fantasy and a lot less believable.If one has read the first two novels, or at least the second, then "Messenger" is going to provide some small bits of closure, but important storylines of the prior novel are still left unraveled. I don't think it would be all that worthy of a read if one had never read either of the first two books.
    • 4/5
      While the final book in The Giver Trilogy is sad, it fits well with the rest of the books. The main character is picked from Gather Blue, and otehr characters from The Giver are also there. Adventurous, scary and mysterious.
    • 4/5
      While, as the others, this book tackled some interesting themes that deserve their time in the spotlight, I confess myself a little bit disappointed by just how much was left unsaid in Messenger. In The Giver and Gathering Blue there were undoubtedly some mysterious pieces that were left unexplained, but at least they were unexplained for a good reason. In The Giver, no explanation is given as to how a Receiver or Giver and transfer memories, but then it's made pretty obvious that the characters don't entirely know either. It just is. In Gathering Blue, Kira and Thomas don't quite understand how it is that they things they make can give them messages of things happening elsewhere, but they neither take it for granted nor try to come up with some explanation. It is what it is.But in Messenger, it seemed like some potentially huge things were there only to drive the plot to a certain point, and that point had nothing to do with the issue. I'm talking about Trade Mart, mostly. People make trades for things there. A new thing for an old thing. Something they don't want for something they do want. But at some point, it goes beyond material objects and people start trading away pieces of themselves in order to improve their physical appearance, for example. How? It's most certainly a deal-with-the-devil thing, but while the negative changes occur in people because they traded away their souls for material possessions or a better physique to impress the opposite sex, I couldn't help but wonder how it was all happening, or how it started to happen. Was it the man running Trade Mart exercising a power of his own? Was it entirely metaphorical? So much more could have been done with this, but instead of was just used as a way to get people to isolate and close off Village so that Matty could have a reason to go into Forest.And then there are the parts that get amplified, once again seemingly so that the plot could advance toward a specific point.We do, happily, get to find out that Jonas survived and that the ending of The Giver was not his dying hallucination, which now nicely ties all three of the books together. But his ability to "see beyond" has changed. It was kind of assumed in The Giver that it meant his growing ability to see colour, to perceive how things should have been. It tied in well with the Giver's ability to "hear beyond", which was him hearing music. But in Messenger, Jonas's ability has turned into the power to see across long distances. It serves its purpose, but that's my whole point. It serves its purpose, and much like the purpose of Trade Mart seemed to be to place Matty outside Village, the change in Jonas's ability seemed to be to put him in the right place to convince Matty to sacrifice himself to heal the world.Moving, certainly, and Matty's sacrifice was definitely a touching scene that did bring tears to my eyes, but it seemed to be so pre-determined that it was hard to look back on anything before the ending and feel the same anxiety about what was going to happen.I praise this book for the same reasons that I praised the others, for the author having the guts to assume that kids can handle more than bland notions about how the world really works beyond Saturday morning TV shows. But so much more could have been done with this that it's hard to close it without feeling a bit let down, like I've only read part of the story. It's a shame that what started out with a bang ended with a fizzle. Still a touching fizzle, but it didn't have the same drive behind it that the previous books did.I do recommend reading this one, and I did enjoy it and won't say otherwise. Especially if you enjoyed the other two books in the series, you don't want to miss finding out all the little ways that they ultimately tie together. But if you liked the other two for the same reasons that I did, you may find yourself as disappointed as I am by this last novel in the trilogy.
    • 4/5
      A fantastic read. It was a bit slow, and had only a bit of action, but, at the same time, it had action in emotions and the ways people live. I did enjoy this amazing book, that tied together death, love, change, and a new world all together.
    • 2/5
      This is clearly the weakest link in Lowry's loose trilogy of speculative YA novels. There's an air of unaccountable mysticism about--we receive no explanation for the Gifts of the main characters, the nature of the sinister Trade Market, or what, precisely, is going on in the Forest that leads our hero to eventually martyr himself. It's that ultimate sacrifice that leaves me mostly unsatisfied with the novel; if the Forest is an illusion, it's unnecessary for Matty to sacrifice himself, and the Deus Ex Machina results of his actions imply that he could have just done it much earlier, saving himself. Was Lowry trying to give us a Lewisian Jesus allegory? Who knows--but it's not really enough to satiate the reader.
    • 4/5
      A good conclusion to the tale that began with The Giver and Gathering Blue. Having read the first two some time ago, I was glad to see a few memorable characters return and finish their stories. I liked the character of Matty and the message of the story, but I was a little disappointed by the book's conclusion.
    • 5/5
      Subject Area: Language ArtsGenre: FantasyCritique/Summary:Because this book has a time and place that are made up by the author (Village, forest, etc.) it falls in the Fantasy genre. The storyline is completely impossible in reality. For example, it would be impossible for a forest to start attacking travelers.However, the author makes the impossible seem believable in the way that she writes. It is also interesting to consider the metaphor that the author may be presenting. (Stars for Setting)Age: Middle School - High School
    • 4/5
      Messenger continues the story of Matty, who was known as Matt in Gathering Blue. Matty now lives in Village with the blind man named Seer. His life has improved immensely in the time that he has spent in the friendly and welcoming community. Now, however, there is something sinister in the air. The once caring community has started to become selfish, a vote is looming to close the borders of Village to outsiders forever, and Forest is taking on a life of its own to harm and even kill those who try to pass through it. It's now or never for Kira to come to Village, and Matty, as Village's messenger, is the only one who can venture through the increasingly dangerous Forest to bring her.I felt as though a major purpose for this book was simply to provide closure to the previous two books in the trilogy- The Giver and Gathering Blue. Although this made the plot feel a bit off, I was personally thrilled to find out what had become of my favorite characters from the past books. I also felt as though the mysterious powers finally became clear to me in this book. It was a short read, but a good one. I'd recommend it, but only if you've read The Giver and Gathering Blue first, as you will be missing out on huge elements of it otherwise.