Written by Lois Lowry (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Guest review by Frances Hayton, 12, Grade 7
Age group: 10+
This book is the first book in The Giver quartet, followed by Gathering Blue, Messenger and lastly Son. The Giver has been made in to a movie with the same title, which was filmed in South Africa. It features a star cast including Meryl Streep, Taylor Swift, Jeff Bridges, Brenton Thwaites, and Katie Holmes.
Jonas’ world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war, fear, pain or hunger. But there are also no choices. At age 12 each person is assigned a job. When Jonas turns 12 he is selected to be the receiver (someone who receives memories from The Giver). The Giver alone holds all the memories of the past, of true pain and the pleasures of life. When Jonas starts his training he finally understands what his society has given up to become so perfect – humanity.
When I started reading this book I was skeptical, but as the plot developed I became more and more captivated by the strong characters and richly woven plot. Honestly this book made me think about humanity and its faults. It also made me realise that people would really sacrifice anything for safety.
This book ends on a huge cliff-hanger but luckily there is a sequel (Gathering Blue).
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