Tuesday, May 3, 2011

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Title: The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Reviewer: Stephanie
Genre: Teen Science Fiction
Rating: Love
Alerts/Warnings: there is brief mild mention of "urges" and war, as well as an instance of infanticide (This is a good book, but it is definately one of teens and even then one to talk with an adult with.)
Premise: 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 is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back. (goodreads.com)
Opinions: One of my favorite genres is about utopias. The Giver is the first book in a trilogy about utopias, false utopias and dystopic societies. The idea of a perfect society is so interesting to me and how far people will go to get their perfect society also boggles my mind. This book is about a society of control. There is no lying. There is precisness of language. Everything is regulated down to the way you can wear your hair and at what age you give up your comfort item. Then Jonas becomes the Giver and begins to see what his society is really like. And what they have given up to become that way.
I really like how you get a clear picture of who Jonas is both before and after he becomes the Giver. I also like that it gives you both the positive and negative aspects of this society. But you start with the positive and you feel the shock when you go to the negative.
This is a great trilogy that will make you think and ponder life as a society and how we choose to live. Very much a book I needed to talk about after I had finished reading it.

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