The Giver

The Giver

By Lois Lowry

Published by Dell Laurel-Leaf (1993)

Pages:179

Genre: Science Fiction, Utopia

Jonas lives in a community where his whole life is ordered, from meals to school to what day he gets his first bike. It's a world of black and white. When Jonas and his class mates receive what jobs they will be trained for, Jonas is given the job as the receiver of memories. He meets with the Giver every day and learns what true living is. He learns about things like color, true cold and snow and heat and joy and pain. He even gets to learn what love is. During his time when he is training with the Giver his Dad brings a baby home to help him learn to sleep through the night. Jonas becomes attached to this baby as he shares with it the memories the Giver has shared with him. Then he learns about what it means for someone to be "released" and decides to save this baby before it is released.

I had heard about this book for a long time. It was a really interesting idea. For me it was really interesting to think of this "perfect" community and realize how imperfect it really is. The ending did drive me crazy. I dislike endings that leave me hanging. But it was still really good and I would recommend it to others.

Other Books by Lois Lowry:

• Gathering Blue (part of The Trilogy)
• Messenger (part of The Trilogy)
• Number the Stars
• The Anastasia Series
• The Sam Krupnik Series