The closing book of The Giver quartet is powerful and satisfying, tying together the plots and characters of the previous three books and introducing an unforgettable new character, Claire. 
 Claire is from the dystopian community of The Giver, having been chosen at a young age to be a Birthmother. But when something goes wrong during the birth, her usefulness in this role is done and she's assigned to a job in the fish hatchery. She never forgets her experience or stops wondering about the baby taken from her, and eventually puts her own life at risk to find what she lost so long ago. 
 The middle section of Son is lovely and emotional, as we see Claire transform herself in order to gain the strength and perseverance needed to find her missing child. The final section of the book falters a bit, as the plot veers more toward the stuff of fairy tales, but ultimately it provides a strong finish to an important series.