Jonas is about to turn 12yrs old and find out what career has been chosen to be his life's path. In a village where everything is concerned with Sameness and society's rules are rigid to enforce this, it comes as a big surprise when Jonas is chosen to become the new Giver, the keeper of memories, for the village. His instructions are very different than anything he has ever seen in that he is told he can ask any question of anyone and he is given permission to lie. He doesn't know what to think! But once his training starts, he starts learning just how much he doesn't know about so many things like love, family, pain, and death. How can he continue to live in the village knowing what he does and how much everyone else doesn't?
I had heard so much about this book for so long and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. Reading it as part of my 10yr old's literature studies was even better because we read it together (he loved it!) and were able to discuss it together. I think it's an interesting study in that the village seems like a utopia at the beginning but as you learn more, you realize that it's more dystopian than utopian but since no one knows this it's quite the quandry. They are happy as they are and don't know how bland their lives are and what they have given up to achieve this. Only the Giver ever knows and he is only called upon for advise when something knew comes up...until Jonas comes along.
Page count: 179p/25,717p ytd/274,874p lifetime
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