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Summary: A new Perspective
Review: After having read The Giver by Lois Lowry, I find it an excellent book. When reading this book, I found it hard to put down because of how different Jonas's society was. The community, where Jonas lived in reminded me of Utopia, an ideally perfect place where people in the mid 1800s were seeking. They were unsuccessful because they could not start over. For in the book, the community was able to start over by giving up suffering, color, and meaningful words such as love.
I also found this book interesting because Lowry takes the reader through process of Jonas's thinking, which led up to his major decision, a decision he made himself, not by the society's conforming rules and regulations. I especially loved the ending, where Jonas, the Receiver of Memories, was able to seek the life he hoped for. His life changed the community's Utopian society.
This short book brought me into an entirely new world as I was reading the novel, and left me with a whole different perspective on Utopia. The perfect place in society is not everything; there are some losses. The most important lost is the meaning of love.
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Summary: A Thinking Book
Review: After having read this book 3 times, I get more out of thisbook every time. I have learned a lot of things such as how importantchoice is, how boring life would be with everything the same and how much I enjoy making mistakes. Instead of reading this book for plesure I read it to learn about life and to study a life where chocies are made for you and nothing bad ever happens. I liked this book a lot!
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Summary: You have to read this Book!!!!
Review: After I read this book it became my favorite, and it still is and it's been a year since I've read it!!! It gives a wild look into the future. The world in Jonas's community is blank! No color; No feelings; no nothing. Until............................ Read this wonderful book to see a view into the future and a boy on a mission to flee a world of darkness!!!!
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Summary: Excellent novel - Worth all the praise & adoration it gets!
Review: After Lois Lowry produced the entrancing 'Number The Stars' it didn't seem possible that she could produce a work, for children, to top it. With 'The Giver' she easily met that goal.'The Giver' appears to be a rather simple story of a young boy (12 years old to be exact) named Jonas who lives in a seamingly perfect society. He is given the task of becoming the 'Receiver of Knowledge'; an apprentice to the 'Giver of Knowledge'. But that is where the simpleness ends. The 'knowledge' spoken of in Jonas' job title is all of the memories of pain and suffering that were collected to rid all citizens of uncomfort. The Giver telepathically has to give Jonas all of these memories so he can suffer the pain of famine, war, disease, and death - to spare the community. The themes in this novel are profound. The thought of a 'utopia' is considered extensively, but it is clearly shown that a perfect world can not exist -- therefore, 'distopia'. The novel also deals with life, death, indivuality, and more; an amazing amount of thought-provoking subjects for a book with a grade 4.5 reading level. This book, however, may not be suitable for younger readers. Death is a common theme and the murder of an infant is described. There are mild nods to sexuality, but many young readers will dismiss these as benign. A must read for students as well as adults! Excellent job, Ms. Lowry. You gave America another profound and excellent novel - one that will be on schools' required reading lists for many years to come!
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Summary: The Giver, Lois Lowry. Reviewed by:Alison Cole, Monroe Ct
Review: After reading 'The Giver' by Lois Lowry, I was forced to re-think everything i have ever known to be true in life. Jonas, while reaching the age of twelve, is assighned to a job for the rest of his life, along with all the other twelve year olds. Growing up in a set community where all he knows is what he has been told.
His whole life is a lie, but he does not realize that.
After the ceremony in December, Jonas receives a job assignment unlike any other. His friends receive jobs such as Caretaker, and Recreation Director, while he recieves the mysterious job of being the Reciever. This is the start of everything he has ever known beginning to unfold. He is faced with many choices, and decisions that the rest of the community could never even understand. I recommend this book to anyone who is bored with their life, and feel the need for stimulation. This book definatley makes you think, and leaves you with a suprise ending that can be interpreted in many ways.
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Summary: Wonderful story with deeper meaning
Review: After reading a few of the other reviews for this book, I realize how great this book really is because of the lessons it implies, but mostly because of the audience the book has the power to touch. Written for children, this Newberry award winner is a truly wonderful story. Similar to the classic "Brave New World," the story idea is quite original, but the themes are what make the book so important. A ten year old reader commented that the book is confusing, and although I do not agree, I would say that the short book packs a powerful punch! This would be a wonderful book for family discussion, class assigned reading, or even a bible study. Recommended to audiences of all ages and of my favorites!
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Summary: Brilliant
Review: After reading some of the multitude of reviews already written about this particular novel, I felt an overwhelming urge to put my (i hope valuable) two cents into the pile. First off, I would like to say that I think that this book is brilliant. Well-written, a fascinating story of a utopia gone wrong, quite similar to Orwell's "1984." The premise is interesting, the style is fitting, and the layers of meaning are thought-provoking. Need I say more? Obviously. Looking at the mass of negative outporing which this book has recieved, I feel it is necessary to make some things clear, even though I am quite sure that this review will glean nothing but scorn from those I am trying to debate with. For all of the 12 year-old readers out there, I am somewhat surprised with the disregard and in some cases complete disgust that this book is being recieved with. When my class read this book when we were 12, we absolutely loved it, and thought much of how we view the world. Perhaps it is a level of maturity that is the issue, or a societal placement, but the fact that fascinating books like this are being left by the wayside frightens me quite a bit. Now, for the people whom I truly wish to pick a bone with: the adult figures declaiming this book as a piece of [garbage] which does not even deserve to be burned. My first comment would have to be that your are being incredibly closed-minded in regards to this book. One should not look at a book in a disrespectful light because one disagrees with it. I mean, you should realize this is a fictional book, and a vehicle for an author's ideas and opinions. It made so we can look at ourselves critically, not so Mr. Deer can go and play with Mr. Goat. Besides, by saying that you wish to protect children from this kind of [book], you are denying exposure to the real world and the many fascinating viewpoints that the world contains. Kids see the fact that life isn't happy-go-lucky every day (especially now since events from last September). Denying anyone the freedom to find out the opinions and ideas of others is a great crime which should not be committed. But hey, I'm just a 14 year-old kid, so what do I know?
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Summary: WAY too depressing!
Review: After reading some of your reviews I've come to the conclusion that I'm one out of a few people that dislike this book. I read this in grade five and I'm now in grade eight and I still remember that terrible part where those two twins were born and the smaller one had a needle stuck in the top of his head. I'm sorry but I found it revolting that abook that is reccomended for children would contain such terrible things.
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Summary: A Look at the Giver
Review: After reading The Giver, I was amazed at how the setting, thoughts, and characters all interacted to spin the story that you can't put down. It appears to be a perfect future with no hunger, no war, no pain, and the awareness that all was well. Based on things in everyday life, The Giver focuses on the life of Jonas, a boy that lives in an environment of peace, rules, structure, equality, and seeming perfection. But when given the title as The Receiver of Memory, Jonas begins to see his family, their life, and their world differently. Jonas leads the reader on a journey of self-discovery that forces you to think of how you, your life, and your beliefs are shaped. It is this journey that leads Jonas to question everything and find that all of life is not as we grow up believing. This book was great; it never stopped raising questions--some answered, some not. By seeing the world through Jonas's eyes, you can not help but see your own life differently and know that some questions have no answers, but we must always keep asking.
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Summary: How Disturbing!
Review: After reading this book, I felt very disturbed about the topic. It has no clear ending, and is just badly written. Don't read it.
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