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The Giver Review
User Submitted The Giver ReviewsAugust 16, 2008 Superb book for young people As a teacher of learning disabled students...I can say that all of my pupils loved this book. Some of the ideas might need a bit of explaining, but it is a story that kids can really get into. August 13, 2008 As Heller said, "the atrocities that horrified us a week ago become acceptable tomorrow..." It's a bit difficult to put into words how I felt about Lowry's The Giver. The first thing that came to mind and just wouldn't go away is "horrific". And though one can't really be caught surprised with the unfolding of events since Lowry, as a measure of her skill as a storyteller, quite expertly built up the climax, there's still a part of me that kept thinking, "Surely it wouldn't be so bad..." Of course, it was inevitable that this seemingly eerily perfect world she created would topple. And it was all brought about by the power of memories and one's yearning for love. It made me realize that I've never felt so perplexed and awed by a story in a long while. Certainly dialectic and begging for a multitude of interpretations, The Giver is another one of those worthy reads that dared to explore, among other things, the boundaries of threshold a person can reach, along with one's capacity to break free of bonds just to truly realize what it is to be human. August 11, 2008 Controversial! The reviews of The Giver are absolutely hilarious. People, this is a book marketed to young adults; don't let it kick you around. The author, Lois Lowry, expects the reader to make inferences at certain points throughout the novel. You are going to have to turn your brain on and do a little teeny tiny bit of thinking. But that's okay! Just take a deep breath and try to remain calm. You will make it out alive, trust me. Seriously, the reader response to this book is almost as fascinating as the book itself. When the adults responding here are not complaining about The Giver being hard to understand, they are objecting to its violent content. Isn't that a little like saying our government's anti-drug commercials are too shocking for TV? When authors write about totalitarian societies, they usually try to frighten the reader into guarding against the emergence of such horrors in real life. It's ironic how the reviewers here, in their responses, betray the habit of being spoon fed their truth in much the same way as the characters in this novel. The members of Jonas' community cannot think for themselves, and the reviewers of this book can't even puzzle out the climax. Not only that, but their aversion to The Giver's violent content is exactly the kind of attitude that would lead to a safety-obsessed world like the one Lowry envisioned. I'm awarding The Giver three stars. It's an overall decent dystopian novel, but it's flawed in that it doesn't stand out as particularly memorable. A story like Animal Farm, by contrast, sticks with you for the rest of your life. Authors who write about totalitarianism probably want to make a deep impact on their audience and drive home a message. If the message doesn't stick, the book is a failure (at least to a degree). Nevertheless, all in all The Giver is a worthwhile read for all age groups. August 9, 2008 My favorite book I have read The Giver 4 times--twice to myself and two other times to other people. This is one of those books that should be read more than once, just because of all the information in it. The Giver starts off slow, and migh deter some younger readers, but once it gets a few chapters in it becomes very intriuging and thought provoking. This is a wonderful book for young kids to first realize and understand the freedoms and other important things we have in our world today. This also teaches that sometimes living through the bad in life is worth it to get the good. I really cannot say enough about this book. It is simply excellent. August 7, 2008 A Powerful Read! This book, to me, was just brilliant. I love the idea of another time and society, which were expressed so originally in this story. Rules, safety, everything made for what could have been a perfect society. But it is what lies beneath these things, what they choose to cover up, that makes the story really interested. Jonas, at twelve, grows up way too fast. It is traditional for twelve year olds of his society to be an adult at 12, but Jonas is the only one who truly experiences any real growth. Given the choice to protect the world they live in or unleash everything unknown, he has a powerful choice to make, and does so accordingly. This book gripped me right up until the end, which was the only slight let-down. While the end was good, it wasn't great, as the rest of the book was. But overall, I highly recommend this book to everyone. An instant classic. August 6, 2008 The Time machine retold First of all, WOW, WHAT A BOOK! Of all the newbery books I've read so far this one has been the best, and pushed me to read faster than any book I've ever read. The Giver introduces the reader to some interesting subject matter such as communistic living, where everyone has a place and everyone works for the greater good. While there is benefit to this style of life, you eliminate indiviuality, and the freedom of choice. Uniqueness is thrown out the window in favor of predictability and stability. What makes the book interesting is how the different characters handle the mode of life, especially Jonas, who is suddenly given a taste of the truth, and finds the world he is living in unbearable. The book reminded me of the movie "The Time Machine" (the one with Rod Taylor), In the movie when George gets to the distant future the people there live similarly to the way they do in the book, communaly with no thought to emotion, knowledge, or creativity. There is one scene in the movie that is eerily like a scene in the book where someone falls into the river and drowns. I can't help but wonder if Lois Lowry watched the Time Machine before she wrote the book. The book is great and Lois Lowry is a brilliant writer, I can't wait to read more of her work. August 4, 2008 Creative and enlightening This book is one of the most thought provoking stories that I have ever read! I read it when I was in the 6th grade and I didn't get it... only after reading it again in highschool did I really see the wonderful creativity of this book. July 29, 2008 Should be a mini-series I hear that they are making a movie of this book that should come out by 2011. I only wish 2 things: 1)they don't take so many liberties; 2)that it would come out sooner, Christmas 2009, perhaps. I really don't know why I like this book. I've never read its "adult counterpart" 1984 by George Orwell. It is a Newberry award winner. While I read many Newberry winners as a child, I didn't read this one until I was grown. Maybe that's good because some things about this book may shock children. It is very cerebral until the end, not your usual children's book, in my opinion. I guess I enjoy it because it is disturbing and also hopeful. It teaches readers of any age to appreciate things that we now take for granted and gives us a look at what life would be like without them. A Dark but Wonderful Read! July 16, 2008 Unsettling, but a definite must-read I read this book the first time as an adult (late 20's). I remember it was a popular summer reading book back when I was in school. Everyone I know who has read it said it was good, so I figured I'd give it a shot. From the very first chapter, it had a spooky, ominous feel to it. It was a bit confusing during the first chapter, because it's set in a different world, and even a futuristic setting. The author quickly explains everything you need to know to understand this new world, but it doesn't make it any less strange. It reminded me a lot of "1984" to give you an idea. The last 10 chapters or so I was not able to pull myself away. It was a good read, don't get me wrong, but it was more of a morbid fascination that kept me glued to it. I could not believe what I was reading. It's horrifying not only to reading about the kind of world that was presented in the book, but to see aspects of it in the real world. It leaves you thinking (just as "1984" did): "Wow, this could actually happen someday if we continued down this path". It left me feeling very unsettled after I finished reading the book, and that feeling continued with me until the next day. People I've talked to that read it in high school told me that the book always stays with you like that. Not to mention, I finished it right before going to sleep that night, so I was left with some pretty odd dreams and an overall restless night. When I first finished, I disliked the ending, but after sitting with it on my mind for awhile, I have a better understanding of why she chose to end it that way. I remember this book being on my 5th grade reading list, but I feel some of the themes are a bit mature for someone that young. I'd say it was better for 15 and older. It just contained too many mature situations, death of a baby, for one. And the author was pretty descriptive. It was a book that I equally loved and hated. I loved the writing style, and the overall idea. It was a quick read, with no slow points to speak of. Her descriptions were amazing - very detailed. As the reader, you could really picture what she was describing. The characters that needed to be 3-D were, and there were some that needed to be less developed, and it went along with the premise of the story. I also hated the world she created because it scared me so much and it was just horrible. I recommend that everyone should read this book. It serves as a warning of what may become ("sameness",etc) if we continue on the same path. Don't let the "young adult" label stop you from reading it, it's a must-read for adults too. July 16, 2008 Experience the highest highs and the lowest lows - or be mired in mediocrity Eleven-year-old Jonas is a typical boy living in a futuristic world of mediocrity. Even the geography, (completely flat) and the color scheme (only black and white) are bland. The elder of two children (all that is allowed per family unit), he attends school and enjoys the company of friends like any other kid. But in his town, everyone's behavior is closely monitored, Big Brother-like, with physical punishment meted out for infractions of its many rules. The community gains 50 babies per year and at prescribed ages, persons are given certain freedoms and/or responsibilities (for example, bicycles are given to nine year olds). Once a family's children move away, former parents (babies seem to be born in vitro) move out of their homes and in with others in the same situation until their eventual move to the nursing home and, finally, "release." Jonas's life changes drastically when he is given his life job assignment, the most respected of the lot, Receiver (of memories). During his training, he gains the freedom of being allowed to ask any question of any person, but is unable to share his newfound knowledge with family and friends. He sees and feels the formerly unimaginable, love, hate, joy and sorrow, and, for the first time, experiences color. He also learns the truth about the procedure known as "release." Author Lois Lowry has created a simply written, amazing book with a memorable plot and engaging characters in this story about social conformity. Of the Newberry Award winners I've read, The Giver is my favorite. Similar science fiction: Feed by M.T. Anderson, The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, and Fearless by Tim Lott. For more The Giver reviews click here.
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