#46 in Dystopian
Son
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Our view
“Son” brings “The Giver Quartet” to a close that feels complete, following a mother in search of her child. Claire’s story starts in the first book’s community and unfolds in three sections; some readers single out the middle one, and the last ties the series up firmly. Some find the opening’s stress on maternal instinct heavy-handed before the novel wins them round. For those who know the earlier volumes and want an ending.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
Son is a 2012 young adult dystopian novel by American author Lois Lowry. The fourth and final book in The Giver Quartet, the story takes place during and after the first book in the series, The Giver. The story follows Claire, the Birthmother of Gabriel, who was marked for "release" in The Giver before being taken out of the community by Jonas. Claire, obsessed with finding her son, embarks on a journey out of the community in an attempt to follow and find him. The novel explores themes of love, obligation, sacrifice, and loss. Son received mostly positive reviews from critics.
Reading order · The Giver Quartet
Full order & progress →- The GiverStart here
8.08.0 / 10 - Gathering Blue
7.47.4 / 10 - Messenger
7.57.5 / 10 - SonThis book
7.77.7 / 10
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.7 across 248 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 63% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Dystopian average of 7.7. That is how 7.7 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 7.7 | 248 | 100% |
Frequently asked
What age is Son for?
Son sits on the Young adult shelf in the sources we use, which by convention means roughly ages 13 and up. This is a guide from the book’s category, not a publisher’s age rating.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Dystopian — with scores between 7.5 and 7.8, closest to this book.
