My Review: The Giver - By Lowis Lowry

When I was in middle school, I read a book called "The Giver," by Lowis Lowry. This was a required reading for our lesson plan. And I'm glad it was. This novel was the first to capture my imagination and give me an appreciation for creative fiction. Years later, as a young adult, I re-read this story and it was just as enjoyable now as it was then.

The premise of this story centers on a young boy, named Jonas, and the community in which he lives. At first glance, his community appears to be a utopia; there's no war, no pain or suffering. But when you look deeper you soon realize Jonas' world isn't as utopian as it looks. Although there's no suffering, there's no love and no free choices either. Everything from jobs, and homes, to spouses and children are all assigned, not chosen. This is done under the seemingly noble intention of keeping people from making the wrong choices.
When Jonas turns twelve, he is selected to receive special training from a man called the giver. The giver holds all the memories of true pain, suffering, love, joy, and all the things that other members of the community have long forgotten. Jonas is selected to be his successor. As Jonas receives knowledge from the giver, he slowly becomes aware of how superficial and shallow the people in his community are.

I enjoyed this book because of its unique storyline and setting. A world with no emotion, no free will, no freedom of choice, and no individuality seems like the stuff of true fantasy. Lois Lowry portrays such a world in striking detail but also does an equally good job of helping the reader relate to Jonas and his journey. This was what I found most enjoyable about the book. You really get the sense of frustration Jonas has as he awakens from his ignorance and gains a new awareness of his world but is unable to share his experience with his fellow community members. This ultimately ends up alienating him from his friends and family.

Although The Giver won the Newberry Award for best contribution to children's literature, it's not without its controversies. Since this book deals with mature subjects, such as euthanasia, infanticide, and suicide, some school districts have banned it because parents complained that these subject matters were not appropriate for children. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that this book promoted communism! However, I'm glad that I had the opportunity to read this book when I was middle school. I feel that this story gave me a great appreciation for creative fiction but also expanded my view of the world. Just as Jonas' perception of the world had also changed. This book was written well and simply enough that I was able to grasp these serious subjects with little trouble. I have no doubt that children, who read this, will also be able to understand the mature subject matter. Some may not be comfortable exposing their kids to that stuff but they will learn about it eventually, just as Jonas found out the truth for himself.

This book was the first piece of intellectual material I ever read. It enriched my knowledge and I am thankful for having been exposed to it at an early age. Whether you like it or not, The Giver, by Lois Lowry, will definitely leave a lasting impression that anyone of any age can appreciate.