“A powerful and provocative novel." - New York Times
“Lowry is once again in top form raising many questions while answering few, and unwinding a tale fit for the most adventurous readers.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“The simplicity and directness of Lowry's writing force readers to grapple with their own thoughts.” - Booklist (starred review)
"Wrought with admirable skill—the emptiness and menace underlying this Utopia emerge step by inexorable step: a richly provocative novel." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Lois Lowry has written a fascinating, thoughtful science-fiction novel. The story is skillfully written; the air of disquiet is delicately insinuated. And the theme of balancing the virtues of freedom and security is beautifully presented." - Horn Book (starred review)
"Lowry returns to the metaphorical future world of her Newbery-winning The Giver. . . . Plenty of material for thought and discussion here, plus a touch of magic and a tantalizing hint about the previous book’s famously ambiguous ending." - Kirkus Reviews
"A quiet, sorrowful, deeply moving exploration of the powers of empathy and the obligations of love." - New York Times Book Review
"Lowry is a master at creating worlds, both real and imagined, and this incarnation of our civilization some time in the future is one of her strongest creations." - Booklist (starred review)
"Lowry moves far beyond message, writing with a beautiful simplicity rooted in political fable, in warm domestic detail, and in a wild natural world, just on the edge of realism." - Booklist (starred review)
"Lowry is one of those rare writers who can craft stories as meaningful as they are enticing." - Booklist (starred review)
"Son is a tender conclusion to this memorable story, and definitely the best of the books in this sequence since The Giver itself." - School Library Journal (starred review)
"Written with powerful, moving simplicity, Claire's story stands on its own, but as the final volume in this iconic quartet, it holistically reunites characters, reprises provocative socio-political themes, and offers a transcending message of tolerance and hope. Bravo!" - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Told in simple, evocative prose, this companion to The Giver (1993) and Gathering Blue (2000) can stand on its own as a powerful tale of great beauty. - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A consummate stylist, Lowry handles it all magnificently: the leaps in time, the shifts in perspective, the moments of extreme emotion — fear, joy, sadness — all conveyed in unadorned prose that seizes the heart. Give this book to your child, your grandmother, your senator, your neighbor: It’s a bipartisan tale for our times.” - Washington Post
“Lois Lowry's Son [is] a gripping end to the Giver series” - Los Angeles Times
"In the completely absorbing opening, Lowry transports readers back to the horrifying world from which Jonas came." - Publishers Weekly
"The strength of this novel is its compassionate portrait of a mother's commitment to her lost child." - Horn Book Magazine
“It's the kind of book that will stay with you for days as you wonder about what it says about human nature, society, and the future of society.” - YPluse.com
"Lowry masterfully presents another thought-provoking, haunting tale in this third novel, a companion to The Giver and Gathering Blue." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)