This is, by far, one of the best and thought-provoking books in the young-adult and fiction genre. There are a plethora of books published about perfect worlds and societies, where change is unacceptable and cookie-cutter human beings have become part of forced living communities, as a result of the leadership’s fear of human will and their determination to right the wrong courses society had taken in the past. The giver is one of them, but unlike the many that surround it, it stands out as one of my top picks for meaningful and thought-provoking books appropriate for young adults and the young-adult genre.

The book is centered around Jonas, a young boy who lives within a community of perfect individuals and families, void of sickness and differences, where, although, it is all they know, society is not actually what it seems.

 

Jonas’ curiosity throws him in the path of his mother and the chief elder, which spirals his life into a bubble of questions, revelations, and a thought-provoking analysis of his community and his life.

 

Once meeting The Giver, an older man who lives outside of the realm of Jonas’ community, he is faced with the reality of the “perfect” society in which he lives and is enlightened to the realm of possibilities that exist outside of the rules set in place by the elder community.

 

The Giver, which is the holder of all the memories associated with the community, walks a fine line between accepting his responsibility as the keeper of all these memories, advising the elders on their decisions, and exploring the possibility that maybe these memories are rightfully belonging to the members of this censored community.

 

I recommend this book to all individuals aged 12 and older, and for more context, I would recommend also watching the movie after you’ve read the book, as it does cast some critically acclaimed and academy award winning actors as well. This is my review on The Giver, and you can find this review posted on my LeafMarks, BookLikes, GoodReads, and BookBlogging profiles soon.

 

ISBN-10 0544336267
ISBN-13 978-0544336261
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I am in awe of this book. This is my first dystopian novel that I have ever read and let me say that it did NOT disappoint! It was so amazing being able to see a world so different from out own, where "free choices" and "feelings" are not welcomed into the society. Only "order." This book makes you realize that what we have is truly a blessing and reading this book about not being able to do what you want really opens your eyes to a whole new world of possibilities!

The world that Lowry has created is a unique one. She did such a fantastic job in describing the "rules" and the "order" that was set in place a long time ago in this dystopian world. I love her writing style. It is very simple yet flows so smoothly and she has this gift of knowing her words which makes things in her story more vivid to the reader. I know I had an easy time getting the clear images in my head thanks to her writing.

The characters were the big thing here. The are very much the same which is the point to the whole book. To get the feeling of the "Sameness." There really wasn't any depth to them except for Jonas and The Giver. Since they were the only ones who knew of the memories of the past, they were the only ones who knew of actual "feelings" not allowed to be known to the others in this "community." As the story progresses and he starts to learn more about love, anguish, sorrow, hunger, and the like, he starts to grow more as a character and he starts to question things in this world where quesitions are prohibited. The Giver is another character you love right from the beginning. Because of the fact that he knows a lot, he is able to comprehend things other characters in this book are not. You feel a sort of connection to him because he knows what we know and you want to help him help others realize what they are missing out on. Like colors!

I must congratulate Lowry on a fantastic job done with this book. It's fairly old in its time but I know it is going to go on for all of time as one of the best dysotpian novels ever written. I really love this book and I am so glad that I decided to finally listen to my friend and pick it up. It makes you really want to appreciate all the liberties we have. There's no way we would EVER want to live in a world where we have no say in the matter. I love this book and, though it's a sort read, I feel it will take an entire lifetime to get over the message of it. I highly recommend this book!