The Giver by Lois Lowry

Title: The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
ISBN: 0-440-2376-88
179 pages
Laurel Leaf, 2002 edition

One of my favorite books when I was a kid, 'The Giver' is an eerie sci-fi influenced book that I was excited to relive.

Description:

Set in a world where everything is uniform, every one has the same house and dresses the same and everyone follows the same routine, 'The Giver' follows the story of a young boy named Jonas who is eleven years old (called an Eleven, as they call everyone by their age group). Every family looks the same, has the same number of people and is expected to act the same. The "Community" as it is often referred to, is where Jonas lives and in the community there lives the Receiver of Memories who serves as the library of all the knowledge and memories of everyone in the Community. Jonas is tabbed to be the next Receiver of Memories. Through this new occupation, Jonas is enabled to experience a whole range of emotions that are not possible in the cold, calculated and monotone world in which he lives.

Review:

The world that Lois Lowry has created in 'The Giver' (which has two sequels) is a classic setting in children's literature. The Community is a very unique invention and some of the most compelling parts of the book are when Lowry explains another oddity of the place where Jonas lives. It would be hard to review this book without mentioning some of the controversial aspects (which, to me, are nothing to be worried about). There are a few references to what are referred to in the book as 'stirrings' which are references to things of a sexual nature. These are mentioned only briefly and are in no way inappropriate for kids to read (in my opinion) and are actually dealt with in a very realistic and toned down manner. The overall socio-political structure of the Community has also drawn some criticism but the quality of the book and its uniqueness in terms of the world that Lowry has created make it almost a must-read for any kid. Highly recommended.