Book Details
Author: Lois Lowry
Ages: 11+
Rating: 7/10
Number of Pages: 240
Plot: Set in the future, this novel at first
appears to be set in a utopian society but as the book progresses we
learn that the environment in which humanity lives is of more of a dystopian
nature. The novel follows a 12 year old boy, Jonas, who lives in a community
where there is no war, no pain and no hunger. Everything in the community is
controlled by the 'Elders', a group of highly respected councilmen and women;
these 'Elders' have the power to decide what each citizen will do for an
occupation for the rest of their lives. At the age of twelve, all citizens are
told their occupation in a ceremony where the whole community gathers, it is
here where Jonas learns that he has been chosen to become the Reciever of
Memories. Through his new occupation and meeting The Giver he soon learns that
the 'perfect' community he has lived in may not be so perfect after all and the
mysterious method of 'release' is more deadly than described.
I found this book after watching the trailer or the film
adaptation, starring Meryl Streep and Jeff Bridges; the whole idea of the book
appealed to me as it was a unique twist on other dystopian novels that I have
read in the past. I thought that this would be my next favourite dystopian
novel but despite this there are aspects of the book that I think make the book
less captivating. I found the first few chapters quite slow and somewhat
repetitive but that was probably intentional (to show how controlled their
lives are). I really liked the character of Jonas, as the clever description of
Jonas contrasted with the other civilians and so highlighted the importance of
the character. However I thought that the age of Jonas was unbelievable, he is
portrayed as being twelve, I feel that because of the plot and the complexicity
of the things Jonas says throughout the novel makes him seem a lot older and
mature.
" Now he became aware of an entirely new sensation:
pinpricks? No, because they were soft and without pain. Tiny, cold, featherlike
feelings peppered his body and face. He put out his tongue again, and caught
one of the dots of cold upon it. It disappeared from his awareness instantly;
but he caught another, and another. The sensation made him smile." - Jonas
My favourite part(s) of the book were the memories that The Giver
gave to Jonas. The memories are described so beautifully and portrayed in a way
that shows how this is Jonas' first experience of things that we take for
granted in everyday life like snow and colour. Jonas' reaction to these new
memories also highlights the idea of how controlled the community is even in
the way they think.
I felt as if the book could have been a lot longer and some of the
relationships with other characters like his father could have been included.
The ending, which I am not going to spoil for those who have not read the book,
seemed to be quite abrupt and left me wanting to find out what happened to
Jonas.
Overall, the idea and concept really appealed to me, as I am a
huge fan of dystopian novels, but some of the aspects of the novel really
infuriated me because I wanted to know more.
Reviewed by Daisy Wallis
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