Gathering Blue

A bit confused as to how the second book fits into the same world as The Giver, other than it being some alternate form of society, too. But while it has a bit of a caste system at play, it doesn't have the same twisty, almost dystopian feel as the first story. Almost halfway through the book, it's also unclear whether the two siloed stories take place in the same world and if they are related at all. Then when looking at this as a standalone story, it still comes off as a very basic tale of a young girl displaced who is trying to find her place in a minimalistic, centuries-old type setting that has a few odd rules and dynamics. It is supposed to feel like a big reveal and conclusion at the end, but instead feels very anti-climactic and even uneventful after said ‘surprise'.