From the Bookshelf of The Perks Of Being A Book Addict…

The Giver (The Giver, #1)

Lois Lowry

Start date: September 1, 2019

Finish date: September 30, 2019

Discussion: Group Books of the Month (BotM)

Why we're reading this: Chosen as our dystopian themed BotM for September 2019. Previously read in September 2014.
[close] Chosen as our dystopian themed BotM for September 2019. Previously read in September 2014.

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Group Books of the Month (BotM)

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What Members Thought

Mar 01, 2009 Angela Randall rated it really liked it

Shelves: 20th-century, we-own, 1990-1999, ange-recommends, fiction, sci-fi, dystopian, kids, young-adult, fantasy

This was a fascinating little read. Obviously with the eyes of an adult and a penchant for dystopian worlds it's not hard to see what's going on and where the world's flaws are. But it's still gripping as you follow through a young boy's eyes and learn what's really going on.

The story itself is actually quite similar to Shades of Grey, which came a long time after The Giver, but I read just recently.

What's a little frustrating is that aside from one or two little things which are fantasy, it's ...more

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Aug 13, 2014 Pete rated it liked it

This one was an interesting struggle for me. I enjoyed reading it and found much of the society completely fascinating and interesting to imagine (can't really say too much here without spoilers). Trying to imagine what it would be like in that society and what strange events must have occurred to cause a society to develop like this kept me moving through the book despite a lead character who was one-dimensional and an author who seemed to assume that the reader would find the characters' motiv ...more

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Jan 28, 2011 Monica Albright rated it did not like it

I was not a big fan of this book...I know a lot of teachers have their students read this book, but I found it hard to read...and some of the concepts I feel are above the students level. Some of it is really deep, and I'm not sure the average student will get a great deal out of the story. ...more

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May 31, 2011 Vicky rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, own-book, series-read, setting-alternate-earth, zz-cover-color-black, zz-cover-color-grey, z-author-american-usa, childrens-mg

I thought I had read The Giver before, but after reading it I'm not so sure I did. /shrug It's a good book - though I'm not sure I buy in to the immense amount of hype that surrounds it.

There are some good messages in it - how pain and pleasure both need to exist to appreciate one or the other, how memories are important to learn from - but it seemed a bit abstract for the younger readers it's aimed at to really get a grasp on it. ...more

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Jun 22, 2013 Jael rated it really liked it

It was an easy read, I am not sure why I didn't read it before. Gave me a moment to think about the topic but still I feel it was not a complete story. I don't know something was missing... ...more

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