The End of the Giver -- what are your thoughts?

[Julie]

What do you think about the end of the Giver? If you've read it before, I wonder if your impression is very different than it was when you were a middle-schooler yourself?

[Kristin]

I do not remember my impression of The Giver as a middle-schooler because most of my middle school experiences were suppressed, sometimes purposefully and sometimes not. However, as I was reading, some things from the book did come back to me, like how the children were grouped and called by their ages, "sixes" and "elevens." I'm still a little unsure of the ending and was left wanting to know if they really made it to another community out in Elsewhere. I was so excited that Jonas took Gabriel with him!

[Jamie]

When I read The Giver in middle school I remember I loved it! I also remember thinking how happy the ending was! This time around the ending caught me off guard. I was yearning to know more about how Jonas was able to interact with the outsiders? I felt like the book worked us up to the moment when Jonas would finally interact with outside or when the society he left behind would be struck with feelings. Instead of fulfilling this unanswered questions the book ends. I was very disappointed with having to think of the outcomes of the book on my own. This leads me to believe that when I was in middle school my mind was more creative and not immune to the world yet. Therefore, it was easier for me to accept and be happy with the understanding that I had to create the ending all on my own. This further lead me to wish I still had that innocence mindset of believing there is ALWAYS a happily ever after.

[Stacey]

I honestly do not remember what I thought about The Giver in middle school other than that I enjoyed reading the book. I used to have and still sometimes have a hard time connecting to characters in books. The end of this book heavily relies upon having a relationship with Jonas and Gabriel in order to draw conclusions about their futures. I think I understood the book better this time around because I had a stronger connection to the characters (developed by years of school). People get the most of out reading this book if they put themselves in Jonas's "shoes" and try to think about "What if I was put in a situation similar to this?" Although it is set in a different time and might be hard to imagine, it would have helped me understand the book better if I would have thought this way in middle school.

[Andi]

So, when I was in middle school, I absolutely loved this book. I can remember the first time that Jonas experienced the color red and it felt like I was experiencing it for the first time. Yes, I get that lost in my books. However, when I was in middle school (5th grade to be exact), I hated the ending. I wanted it to be more specific. I didn't really understand what had happened. I knew that there were two possibilities - 1. They died or 2. They made it Elsewhere and started a new life. Because it was left up to interpretation, I was not happy with Ms. Lowry. However, now that I have read this book again, I love the ending. I find it extremely happy and I do believe that they made it to their destination.

Lisa - I was unaware that there were sequels! Ahhhh! I must read them immediately! :)

[Crystal]

When I was in middle school I remember I loved the book, and I enjoyed it just as much this time. When I read it the first time I was slightly more optimistic and I believed they made it to Elsewhere and just assumed they would be fine. It was not evident to me that perhaps Jonas was deteriorating and imagined that he was getting closer to civilization. This time around I suppose I thought about it more critically, but I still would rather believe they made it there safely! :) I have not read the sequels, but they are definitely now on my to-do list!!

[Holli]

So, the first time I read The Giver, I loved it...all of it. But this time I was taken by surprise by the ending. I felt like the last chapter kept building and building, and then it ended! I, like many of us, was left wondering if they really did make it...but I'll choose to be optimistic and believe that they did make it. I was so happy that Jonas decided to take Gabriel with him, that was a big risk. Great book!!

I was also unaware that there are sequels, so I will DEFINITELY be reading those in my sparetime :)

[Madison]

I don't remember being particularly affected by The Giver when I read it in middle school. I actually think that it was slightly over my head, and I probably didn't understand the message the book was trying to send. Reading it now, it is sooo much better than I remembered, and its message is powerful. Like many of the other people in our class, the ending left me wanting more (I'm so excited about reading the sequels). I'm not completely convinced that Jonas made it to Elsewhere...similar to what Crystal said, I think maybe the elements/the trip was starting to really get to Jonas and he was hallucinating (think about the part where they reached the top of the hill and the sled was just magically waiting there for them). No matter what happened to Jonas and Gabriel, I wish the ending had been a little less ambiguous.

[Beth]

The first time I read The Giver was in 5th grade when I was assigned to be in a special reading group. To be honest I didn't remember most of the plot because I didn't enjoy reading the book in 5th grade. I think it was a combination of the fact that I was being forced to read it outside of my English class and that I was too young to grasp the message. This time I enjoyed reading the book because I was able to connect with Jonas more. I enjoyed reading about Jonas questioning his surroundings and realizing that his world isn't perfect and that there is a whole other world "Elsewhere". Jonas’ compassion and love for his family and friends, especially Gabriel, was apparent and it was heartbreaking that he was not able to receive that love in return (except from the Giver). I think the ending was too abrupt and would have liked a sense of closure, although I'm sure it comes in the sequels (which I would be very interested in reading).

[Katie]

For some reason or another, I did not read The Giver in Middle School. I knew many of my friends enjoyed the book but were not happy with the ending. I find myself agreeing with their thoughts. I thought most of the novel was really interesting and I especially liked the vivid description of memories. However, I felt the ending was rushed. I wish the book had spent more time discussing Jonas and Gabe's journey in greater detail, in addition to providing a conclusive ending. I want to be optimistic and believe they succeeded, but it seems more likely that Jonas did not make it to "Elsewhere." I wish Lowry had put more time into character development as well. Then again, maybe the characters seemed flat because they couldn't feel true emotion. Overall, I enjoyed reading The Giver. However, I think it could go from a good book to a great one if it was expanded. I would love to read the sequels to find out what happens next.

[Brittany]

I first read this book in 4th grade, so some things I remembered and some things I had completely forgotten. I'm the type of person who gets really attached to characters in a book, so I have to believe that Jonas and Gabe made it to a family Elsewhere and lived happily ever after, or I would probably cry. I remembered that the ending was ambiguous, so this time around I was looking for more clues as to what actually happened...but again, for my sanity, I have to believe that he lived. I heard at one point that there was a sequel, but I also heard that it wasn't even about Jonas and that it wasn't that great, so I never read it...I'll stick to my happy ending.

[Lindsey]

When I first read The Giver I was in the 7th grade. I remember that I was highly frustrated with the ending because I felt that it did not really say what happened to anyone and I wanted to know where Jonas and Gabe were at the conclusion of the story. Reading The Giver as I am older is a little bit different because although the ending is ambiguous, I can understand why it is ambiguous. This way the novel is left for the reader to interpret it how he/she wants. Of course, most people want to read happy endings so it is easy to interpret it as Jonas and Gabe finding a family in Elsewhere, but there are still many possibilities. I am not nearly as frustrated with the ending as I was the first time I read the novel, I merely recognize that I have to think about the different possibilities. When I was younger I wanted stories to have set, concrete, happy endings; now, it doesn't bother me as much if things are left open-ended because that allows me the choice of choosing the ending.

[Patricia]

This was the first time I read The Giver. I was particularly struck by how everyone in Jonas's community lives without colors and without feelings. I also thought that Jonas seemed older than twelve. In response to the book's ending, I would like to know, for sure, what happened. While I am interested in what happened to Jonas and Gabe, I am also curious about how the community dealt with the "burden" of memories and how the Giver helped them. I also wondered if the Giver would be released since he had two failed Receivers in a row. I would like to think, and I hope, that Jonas and Gabe survived and were okay, but the book's vague ending makes me question that.

[Elizabeth]

I had not read The Giver until now. I really loved the book! I have never really enjoyed to read, but I have found that reading fun books that are below my reading level is very enjoyable. This novel provides many great themes for children and adults of all ages. It would help someone overcome pain and grief, help someone enjoy life a little more, and help someone know how lucky we all are to see in color, to love, and to have memories, both good and bad. It is remarkable to me that though this book is intended for the young adolescent, it truly has so much valuable material that is definitely useful and meaningful for adults as well. I never had the opportunity to read this book as a middle school kid, but I'm very glad that I have been able to as an adult!
The ending is particularly important. Jonas saves his home community, though the people may not view it as such, by giving them back all of the memories. Simultaneously, Jonas begins to make memories of his own: love for Gabe, sledding in the snow, climbing a big hill, and the feeling of the celebration of what I think is Christmas. Lowry leaves the fate of both his old and new communities and Jonas and Gabe themselves to the reader's imagination. I think this is what makes the book so enjoyable to read. There is much to be learned from Jonas' story, and this novel gives more and more feelings to the reader with each turn of a page.

[Elaine]

This is my first time reading the Giver too! My favorite part was learning about this very different community and I love how Lowry unraveled the details. I can see how Jonas would be a very inspiring character to many middle schoolers with his conviction to right the wrongs in the community and at the same time show the beauty and preciousness of things we take for granted, like music, color, and love. I think that's why adults really like this book as well.

The ending was essential, but slightly unsatisfying. I definitely want to continue reading about Jonas's adventure outside Sameness because I am curious to find if he survives in the outside world or not. Bringing Gabriel with him upped the suspense even more! I would definitely like to keep reading the sequels and see what happens next.

[Lizzy]

I read The Giver in middle school and loved it, which was rare because I wasn't much of a reader in middle school. I remember being bummed at the end of the story and thinking it was symbolic but I just did not understand it. When I finished the book this time around, I was still a little bummed, wanting to know more about Jonas and the community. Only this time, I was able to be a little more satisfied with the vague ending. I think it allows for more interpretation, which I have come to enjoy.

[Natalie]

I also read this book in middle and remembered quite a bit about it. I remembered that he started seeing red, and I remembered that he also took Gabe with him, and I remembered the scene when he saw the video about a baby being released. I don't really remember what I thought about the ending the first time I read it, but this time I kept wanting the narrator to go back and describe what was going on in the community. It didn't really seem too important whether or not they made it to Elsewhere as long as the ultimate goal was accomplished. He didn't leave for himself; he left for the sake of the community. However, my first assumption was that he made it to the other community. After I thought about a while, I wondered if he was just experiencing a very vivid memory as he was dying. I also wondered if he just made a big circle and returned to his own community since, since his community would be so different now with all the new information.

[Janey]

Unlike most, I thought the ending to be intriguing, and I was completely satisfied with it. Even though I am not positive where Jonas and Gabe had exactly arrived, I felt secure knowing that wherever they were, they would soon experience real pain, happiness, courage, joy- real life. I feel like this book made me re-appreciate some things I have in my life. When Jonas was experiencing color for the first time or realizing that his parents thought it ridiculous to say "I love you," the novel helped remind me of something that is easy to forget: sometimes the most overlooked or simple parts of life are what gives it the flavor. I didn't read this book in middle school, but I think that I would have loved it more then rather than just liking it now. I have read other dystopian novels such as "Anthem" and "Brave New World," and for some reason those had a greater impact on me. For younger adults, however, this book is great!