I have no idea why I haven't heard of Lois Lowry until now. I've seen this around reading lists appear over and over, and finally I've gotten around to reading this. The book has a great story, presenting a dystopian future of humans that are finally able to rid themselves of pain and suffering.. that comes at a significant price. In Jonas' universe, there is sameness, order, and rules. Jonas is handpicked to succeed the one person who keeps all memories of the earth, and he learns later on how the world used to be before his time, when there was pain and suffering in the world. The story is simply written but explores complicated moral concepts, and I can only wonder how youngsters that pick this book up process the moral implications of having a pain and suffering-free world. Lowry brilliantly describes the experiences of Jonas in a world that does not know warfare, hunger or even sunshine. The language used in the book was a simple but representative one, with one most interesting for me is Lowry's use of "Release" to indicate that a member of the community was leaving. The book also ends vaguely, but ends in a good note, which leaves a lot of room for reader interpretation. One of the most thought provoking books I've read so far on humanity and our moral capacity for the future. Everyone should read it!