Raegan’s Book Review of Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow
I’m so excited for you all to read Gather! Set in rural Vermont and told from a dry and sometimes witty first-person perspective, this book knows exactly how to play with your heartstrings. This is a story about a boy named Ian and his dog Gather, but it’s also a story about struggle, community, and overcoming hardships.
I thought that this book would be the perfect November read. It was such an easy book to get through despite sometimes dealing with really heavy topics like poverty and addiction. Many of the themes touched on the idea of being thankful and coming together, which is exactly what November is all about. And don’t worry, the dog doesn’t die in the end!
“When all things go to hell in your own life, the word gather means something else all over again. Because there’s a lot of good people, some who you know, some who you only just met. And the ones who matter, they listen. They gather on your side and at least they try to help you, even if it might not all work out. I know that for a fact.”
Discussion Questions
✩ What does the word Gather, the book’s title and his dog’s name, mean to Ian?
✩ The book is written in the first-person perspective, how did this change the reading experience for you? Do you think the choice was intentional or just a preferred writing style of the author?
✩ The author uses many unique names– Gather and The Sharpe– throughout the story. Do you think names affect how a person is and the way people treat them?
✩ Throughout the story, we meet a cast of flawed characters who are all trying their best to get by. What was your favorite example of a person making a decision that is right for them, but wrong for others?
✩ Ian tends to keep a lot to himself, do you think keeping his life so separate from others was a good decision for him or a bad one? Do you tend to keep things to yourself?
✩ Storytelling is a large place of comfort for Ian. What does storytelling represent to Ian?
✩ This book represents classism by highlighting the daily lives of underprivileged people. Have you witnessed classism at your own school or in your own community?
✩ Nature is very important to Ian, and he is often thankful for what it provides him. Discuss some of these instances and how showing gratitude is viewed in this book.
✩ One of the themes deals with the different ways a person can be “rich”. How do you define the word “rich”? How do we see that definition represented in the book?
✩ How did you think the story was going to end? Were you surprised with the ending? Were you satisfied?
You’ll love Gather if you also loved…
? The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
? Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
