nullitas@smartreads.ca reviewed The Giver by Lois Lowry
Thoughtful book
Although the book is meant for children it's worth reading for adults.
179 pages
English language
Published April 3, 2002 by Laurel Leaf Books.
Jonas lives in a seemingly utopian society. He is about to experience the Ceremony of Twelve to determine his role in life. He will be the receiver of secret memories shared by only one other in his community, and discover the terrible truth about the dystopian society in which he lives.
Although the book is meant for children it's worth reading for adults.
I've never read these books, despite having them come up in conversation and in passing many times. The first one was good, but for the most of it I found myself thinking about how cliche it felt. Young Adult Dystopians novels always seem really obsessed with social control. Not that that's a bad thing, and of course that's a set of ideas that is actually really important to young adults. But to me, it made this narrative feel really...trite. I enjoyed the second novel in the series much more.