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The Giver (The Giver, #1)

Lois Lowry

Start date: May 1, 2014

Finish date: May 31, 2014

Why we're reading this: It won the poll for the themed BOTM
Theme: Alternate Universe
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Theme: Alternate Universe

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Aug 14, 2008 Michael rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2008

Growing up, I read a lot of books for various English classes, some I enjoyed, some I didn't care for that much. Unfortunately, "The Giver" came along a few years after I graduated because, looking back, I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more than a good chunk of the novels I read back in middle school.

In the near future, Jonas is a 12-year-old boy who is a member of a society that seems to be a virtual utopia. People are unfailing nice, everyone gets along, there is little or no suffering o Growing up, I read a lot of books for various English classes, some I enjoyed, some I didn't care for that much. Unfortunately, "The Giver" came along a few years after I graduated because, looking back, I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more than a good chunk of the novels I read back in middle school.

In the near future, Jonas is a 12-year-old boy who is a member of a society that seems to be a virtual utopia. People are unfailing nice, everyone gets along, there is little or no suffering or strife. There are a set of rigid rules to be followed and observed for the members of the society. If the rules are violated, the person is made to apologize. If there is a persistent violation of the rules, the person is "removed" from society.

But how is all this possible?

While we get some hints at the price of this seemingly perfect society early in the story (no one recognizes colors, children only get to ride bicycles after their eighth birthday, sexual urges are controlled by means of medication), it's only once Jonas is chosen from his future profession that we find out the exact price paid for perfection. Jonas is chosen to be the the community's Receiver of Memories and to be under the tutoring of an old man known as the Giver.

Borrowing a page from "1984" and "Brave New World," "The Giver" asks the essential question of what makes us all human. In many ways, the themes of this story echo some of those in episodes of classic "Star Trek" where a seemingly ideal society has grown up, but at the expense of giving us the things that make us most human. Without strife, the humans can't really experience true joy. Without pain, there can be no true happiness. And one person is the keeper of memories of times before when there was great joy, great pain and every emotion and feeling in between. At certain points, I could hear Captain Kirk echoing in my head, arguing that such a society is stagnating, not growing, not changing and not fully living.

The storytelling style is extremely accessible and easily readable. I can see why this book is being taught in schools. And while it does have science-fiction elements to it, it's also a mystery.

In fact, I found myself making comparisons to another novel targeted at young adults I read last year--City of Ember. Both novels have strong similarities. ...more

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Aug 29, 2009 Jessica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: wishlist

I am writing this review as I am sitting at the library with the second book in this series, Gathering Blue, next to me about to be checked out. The Giver is an incredible book and I expect the same out of Gathering Blue. The Giver shows that if you take away some of the bad/difficult things in life, such as war, you will be missing out on some of the amazing things also. If humans are not allowed free will and the option to make choices, even bad ones, the world would be missing out on so many ...more

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Jun 26, 2008 Autumn Doughton added it

(Beware of SPOILERS)
To me, this book was like a Brave New World for a younger crowd. I read it in one sitting and thought that it was enjoyable, but I did think that the ending was a cop-out by the author. In the book companion Lowry defends the ending by saying that she is leaving much up to the reader. In some cases I like when authors leave parts of the ending to the reader's imagination... BUT the reader has just devoted their time and energy to an entire book that is the child of the author ...more

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Jun 09, 2008 ✿ ~Yessenia~♥︎ rated it it was ok

i liked this book i read it in 5th grade and i love it has lots to do with imagenation after this we did this project on it and it was so fun best days of 5th grade

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