Book Review - The Giver

The Giver by Lois Lowry


My rating: 5 of 5 stars



In this novel of a dystopian future where "sameness" is the norm and politeness and normalcy is the status quo, we meet a young man chosen to receive the memories of all people. It will be painful, he is warned, and he will have to be brave. With the collective consciousness purged of any knowledge of famine, war, prejudice, pain, and fear it is important for one person to be wise enough to advise the governing council on their decisions, for only the receiver of memory has any idea what the repurcussions might be.

With the agony of knowledge also comes joy, however, and the discovery of emotion, pleasure, color, and a desire to be different and make one's own decisions. Is it better to be safe from the possibility of hurt, or is it better to hurt because by it you learn happiness, pleasure, and the texture that life may have?

By immersing you in a world of peace and a culture of safety and harmony, the author makes the question one that is difficult to answer. While it is a YA novel, the themes and writing style are fantastic, with depth and power and a poetic style that made the book impossible to put down.

All I can say is, why did no one direct me to READ this until now? A huge "thank you" goes to my friend Jill, who suggested it to me, and a huge "Go read this now!" to the rest of you.





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