4/5
The Giver is the story of Jonas, a 12 year old boy who lives in the perfect world. Disease, disagreement and dissent have been eradicated – along with colors, individualism and love. The community elders decide who will marry who, what career each person will have, and even what word choice is appropriate.
When Jonas is named the community’s memory keeper, he is quickly exposed to a past that existed before all of the elders' rules. He absorbs emotions, triumphs and tragedies. He learns exactly how control is maintained and must decide what perfection truly means - is the joy of love worth the heartbreak of war?
Lowry excels in providing a vivid contrast between the perfect world and the memories passed on to Jonas. YA readers will enjoy the subtle suspense that builds throughout the story. Euptopia vs. dystopia is a common theme in the YA genre and it is nice to read a book in which the author does not feel compelled to blatantly reveal why one should fight for individuality. By creating a society that can actually be seen as appealing, Lowry lets readers decide for themselves between the safety of the elders's world and the freedom of the real world. The ending is open to interpretation, but personally, I think Jonas made all the right choices.
On a completely side note, the cover picture of an old man (The Memory Keeper training Jonas) seems to turn a lot of kids off. The cover alone often gets the books labeled as boring. I often have to convince them to give the book a try and I have not yet had one tell me they dislike it.
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