The Giver

What the blurb says:

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community.

When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now it's time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

What I think about the book:

The Giver by Lois Lowry is a receiver of the John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American Literature for children. Kirkus reviews calls it a richly provocative novel. It has received a lot of awards and I am not surprised.

The Giver is a combination of The Hunger Games, City of Ember and Pleasantville. Who wouldn't want to live in a perfect world where pain is almost nonexistent? Who wouldn't want to live in a world where everything is orderly. No one has to make difficult choices and fear making mistakes. Decisions are already made and instruction manuals direct the way of life.

Reading the book made me appreciate my freedom. It made me glad that I have free will. Of course I wouldn't want someone to make important decisions for me. I wouldn't want to fill out an application form so I could just have a husband and a child of my own. I wouldn't want to entrust my life into someone else's hands. Such a world is truly despicable, but it's convenient because you don't have to make choices. The Giver is truly a provocative book. It was so riveting that I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Favorite excerpt:

"Father? Mother?" Jonas asked tentatively after the evening meal. "I want a question I want to ask you."


"What is it, Jonas?" his father asked.


He made himself say the words, though he felt flushed with embarrassment. He had rehearsed them in his mind all the way home from the Annex.


"Do you love me?"


There was an awkward silence for a moment. Then Father gave a little chuckle. "Jonas. You, of all people. Precision of language, please!"