This is the third title in The Giver 'series'. In it, Matt from Gathering Blue is older, now Matty, and the majority of the book revolves around him and is told from his viewpoint. The Blind Man is also here, and the reader will also enjoy a character from The Giver returning to the series, although in a minor role; Kira also has a minor role. 
 Matty has made a new life for himself in Village, and we learn more about its people and how the community works. Matty's job is to travel through Forest to deliver messages (hence the Messenger title), since he seems to be the only one that Forest allows to repeatedly walk its paths. 
 Odd things begin happening in Village, which once again can led to some discussions with my son (age 10), since I read this aloud to him. Lowry is such a gifted writer, even if you can guess what is going to happen or are correct about why something is going on, you still can't wait to get to that part. I was pleased with the choice of characters and subject matter, though I was hoping for more interaction with Leader than is given. I heard the fourth book is due out September 2012, and I have high hopes and assumptions about who will be the main focus. 
 My son gives this one a "3.5 or 4", taking off points due to (view spoiler)[ "all of the detailed descriptions of injuries." That's fair, there are some grim parts, and I did cry at the end, often the sign of a very good book. (hide spoiler)] 
 Lowry does an excellent job at bonding you to the characters. Oh, and I tagged this as 'sci-fi' due to the preternatural aspect of Forest.