First off, I *loved* The Giver. I gave it 5 stars! So maybe my expectations for this title were a bit high. Gathering Blue ended up being like a sandwich for me. The top and bottom slices of bread corresponded to the initial few chapters, and chapters 19 until the end of the book, respectively. This bread easily earns four stars. Lowry is a gifted writer, and the character interaction and development really shines in both of those places. The filling, however, is like pressed turkey meat when you were expecting slices of the real, freshly roasted stuff, and would garner two stars. Thus, I averaged the sandwich and came up with three. I also ask my kids, when they are involved (and I read this to the younger one), how many stars they would grant a book. My son also said it was a three-star read. 
 Why didn't we like the middle, and largest part of the book? It's all due to the subject matter. Neither of us cared about Kira's special ability with the threads, or how to weave, or about any of the plants that can be used to make the dye that can then be used to color the threads that will then be used to sew into the Singer's robe and zzzzzz. I recognize it's a personal thing, and I am sure plenty of people either weren't bothered by all of this threading and craftiness, or actually enjoyed it. 
 My love for The Giver, the shortness of the title, and the promise of what might be in the third title kept me going. However, things did pick up for me at chapter 19, as I mentioned, and then it kept getting better and better...until ending with many questions and an even stronger yearning to get to the third one (The Messenger) so that we could determine if our predictions are correct. 
 My son and I did have fun talking about character motivations, and making guesses about things that were only being eluded to in the book. Discussing similarities and differences between the first two books seems a worthwhile exercise as well. 
 The main characters (Kira, Thomas, Matt) are all very well detailed and likable in their own way. The story is an interesting study on motivation, power, control, society and rank...I just wish it hadn't been mired in all the threading. On to the third title!