You are human, but you can’t feel emotions. You are human, but you have never lied. You are human, but you have never loved, or been loved. This is the truth Claire lives, as a young woman who was raised in a community where no one is truly human. Son tells the story of a mother who illustrates the definition of love, evil, opportunity, and remorse. Here, motherly love is explored, along with danger, adventure, and heartbreak. Lowry shows how far a mother will go to find her lost son, the sacrifices she must make, and the evil she faces along the way.
This book begins with a parallel to Lowry’s first book, The Giver, where the main character, Jonas escapes from his inhumane community with a baby named Gabe. Son tells the story of Gabe and his mother, Claire, beginning with his birth going wrong. The book follows Claire after she breaks the rules of the community to find her stolen child.
Each part of the book introduces new characters and settings, which makes the story even more interesting. Although Jonas is not a main character until Part III, he and Claire are important in the early days of Gabe’s life. The newborn child becomes old enough to be assigned to a family in the community. However, he is considered inadequate by the community’s guidelines, and with time, the caretakers decide they may release the child into Elsewhere. When Jonas finds out, he acts quickly without thinking twice and runs away from the community to save this innocent child from a cruel death. However, Claire’s point of view is totally different when her son is taken where she may never see him again.
Claire begins her own journey, going to extremes to reunite with her son. Along the way, she makes sacrifices that will keep readers wondering if they too would have the courage to sacrifice such things.
The character development in Son is inspiring; it encourages you to be more selfless, appreciate what you have, tell your parents you love them, and cherish every moment you have with them.
Son was satisfying and made me think about it long after I finished. I would recommend it not only because it’s an exciting read, but also because it contains life-changing morals.