The Giver (The Giver #1)

by Lois Lowry
4 Stars
Young Adult, Science Fiction
304 pages
Published 1993

Ellie's Review
Wow, I really liked this book. I was surprised by how deep it was since it's a juvenile novel. This will have me thinking for a while.

Book Summary
In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society. Gradually Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can be.

Newbery Medal Award 1994