Happiness at the risk of pain

 I couldn't remember whether or not I had read Lowry's The Giver before Book Banned Week. I have heard a lot about the book and its premise. I read the first chapter of the book in hopes that I could recall any details about the book, but I quickly realized that I actually read the book before. The Giver received the Newberry award and is currently in the process of becoming a movie.

Description: Jonah lives in a perfect world where there is no pain, hunger, or war. Children receive parents and their names are given by their society. At the age of twelve years old, each child is assigned a job for life. Jonah receives the honor as being his society's Receiver of memories. He must work along with the Giver, who currently secures the memories of many years. At first Jonah is both scared and excited about his job, that is until he learns about the truth and there is no turning back.

Why it was banned/challenged: In 2003, The Giver was challenged as a suggested reading for eighth-grade students in Blue Springs, Mo. Parents called the book “lewd” and “twisted” and pleaded for it to be tossed out of the district. The book was reviewed by two committees and recommended
for retention, but the controversy continues in 2005. And in 2006, the book was also challenged, but retained at the Unified School District 345 Elementary School Library in Seaman, Kansas. Source: ALA 2005 and ALA 2006


Review: The Giver is a very deceptive book. The language and plot of the book are very simple, however, the ideas and themes behind the book are very complex. As I started the novel, Jonah's world seemed safe and warm. Of course with many dystopias, the future seems perfect because the main character(s) are not aware of the past and/or what has led to their current state. The novel becomes much darker when Jonah begins his training with the Giver. Only after learning about the past and the truths about his society in a year, Jonah no longer wishes to live in his community and wishes to leave. How he leaves and whether or not he succeeds is the remaining story of The Giver.
  I really enjoyed this book. The plot, pacing, and characters were great. The writing is fabulous. I loved how Jonah's questions and his reactions to the Giver's answers mirrored my own. The novel challenges the reader to think about the extremities of how far we are willing to deal with happiness at the risk of being in pain. Should sameness take over individual freedom as a precaution of living in peace? And what I found more striking is: how do we use the past to guide us to do better in the future? As you can see The Giver is an excellent choice for a book discussion. Due to its darker themes I can understand why parents would be apprehensive in letting their children read it; however, that decision alone seems to be what Lowry is fighting against in her novel. Children should not be completely sheltered by the dark side of society. Like everything else there should be a balance of both good and evil or the bad and good side of life.
  The only reason why I gave the book 4.5 stars instead of 5 is because of the abrupt ending. I wanted the ending to be more flushed out. I still had many questions left. I would have liked to see what happens to Jonah. I know there are two other books in what seems to be a trilogy, but I would have liked this book to stand on its own. Overall, an excellent book and highly recommended.


Rating: 4.5 stars


Words of Caution: There are some disturbing scenes that may be too much for children below 4th grade. Recommended to 4th graders and up.

If you like this book try: Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry, The Messenger by Lois Lowry, or Matched by Ally Condie