The Giver

So for my first post I thought that I would post a review on one of my favorite books The Giver by Louis Lowry. Probably most people were required to read this at some point in grade school. And I think the common conception about this book is either you love it or hate. I on one hand love it!
The story is so simple yet so powerful. Would we rather live in a society completely peaceful or live in a world beautiful and rich with emotion and feeling?

Jonas grows up in a society where life is simply perfect. There is no fighting, no pain, no complicated decisions to make, no bickering, no embarrassment, no... well nothing really. You are merely there to exist, live a productive life, and be released when you no longer serve a purpose. Jonas is approaching his twelfth year when the story begins (there are no birthdays in the community they only keep track of the year you were born). In the twelfth year of life you are assigned to a job within the community. Jonas is shocked to find out that he has been asked to be the receiver of memory. He has no idea what it will entail except that it will be painful and he will feel things that no one in the community has experienced.  There can only be one receiver of memory in the community and the current one is charged to give Jonas all the memories of the past. The current receiver tells Jonas to call him the Giver. Jonas is frightened but exhilarated by the memories that are given to him by the Giver. He sees color for the first time (no one can see color in the community for if they could there would be no equality of people), he experiences snow and sunshine, he learns the bonds between an animal and a human. However, with the joyful memories come the painful ones. He learns what it means to be lonely, the terror and pain of a battlefield, what it means to starve, and he learns the pain of love.

One of the most disturbing things about the community is that the "family unit". In the community, the spouses are selected for one another and a pill is taken to curb "stirrings", so there is no emotion in the relationship. Babies are born by birthmothers and then they are raised in a nurturing facility until the one year marked is reached then they are passed out to a family unit. So once again the parents don't feel the joy of raising their own child; it is just a responsibility that they must complete throughout their life.

The second thing that is really disturbing is the "releasing" that is performed on the old and the babies that cannot be an asset to society.This is what initially drives Jonas against the community is the lack of value that the community places on human life.

 This book is truly one of my favorite books, but I don't think that young children should read. Not to say they can't, but the themes in this book run deep and most children will not fully be able to appreciate the story until they are older. This books allows for reflection and the ability to examine what truly makes humanity beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

Objectional Content for Parents
-Jonas has a dream about his friend Fiona when he first begins to have his "stirrings". He is required to tell his parents about his dreams every time he has one, and he explains that he wanted her to take off her clothes so that they could go swimming, but he said that he felt that it was wrong at the same time. It is a brief scene and most young children probably won't catch the full meaning of what Jonas is feeling, because Jonas doesn't understand it either. Jonas' mother gives him a pill to curb the feeling, but later Jonas stops taking it because he realizes it is impeding his ability to feel.
-Jonas gets to watch the release of a child, and the saddest thing is he watches his Father perform it since he is a nurturer. His father has to chose between twins which to release, and he picks the smallest of the two. Jonas watches as his father inserts a needle into the child's head ultimately killing the child. It made me squirm alot when I read it, and it might be very emotional for a young child.

This book was a Newberry Medalist Winner in 1994, and I definitely think that it deserved it. However, I don't think it's appropriate for young children, but don't pass it up when you get older!