A review by revbeckett
The Giver by Lois Lowry

challenging emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Finished this book for the second time. I had first read it in 7th grade for class. I loved it then, and I love it now. Taking place in a dystopian utopia, a young boy named Jonas is selected at the age every child is selected to become contributing members of the community, that is, to be adults. The book is a cautionary tale against Sameness. In the effort to get rid of pain and the difficulty of making choices, society decided to create utopias of Sameness. As a result, unique differences are lost, forgotten, and cannot be celebrated. While negative things like war, pain, and true anger are forgotten, so are joyous things like sunshine, colours, and love. Even certain children are selected to be “released” from the community when they don’t meet the requirements, as well as the elderly when they get too old. When Jonas learns of these things, he is understandably disturbed. 

Published in 1993, everyone should read this book today. Our culture is seeking to create a utopia of Sameness: men and women are the same and don’t have distinct differences that should be celebrated, certain children are chosen to die rather than given a chance at life, and the elderly are assisted with suicide. ‘The Giver’ warns the reader that by acquiring a culture of Sameness, we lose everything that makes us human, and everything that makes life worth living despite all the pain. Because without pain, we can’t truly know what it means to LIVE—what it means to have joy. 

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