Laura’s Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
The Giver was the 1994 winner of the Newbery Medal, a prestigious award for children’s literature. Despite this, the book was banned from some communities and remains controversial due to some of the subject matter.
The Analysis:
I think The Giver is a great book for children because while it is easy to read and comprehend, it does not feel juvenile in its content. The book lays out a fairly sophisticated concept of a utopian society and deals with some heavy subject matter in places. This coming-of-age story focuses on ideas of control, individuality, memory, and the past. It also touches on the more serious concepts of pain, war, and loneliness. The Giver borrowed ideas and themes from books like Fahrenheit 451 and The Handmaid’s Tale but presented them in a more appropriate way for a younger audience. I could also see the influence this book had on more recent young adult fiction like The Hunger Games.
As the reader learns more about the community in which Jonas and his family live, The Giver brings up important questions for consideration: Is order and sameness better than individuality and chaos? Can you appreciate good things without the bad? Is ignorance bliss? These concepts offer the reader a lot to think about inside the context of the book, as well as in real life. The Giver also highlights important issues for adolescents about fitting in, recognizing romantic/sexual feelings, and handling increasing responsibility.
I really liked about ¾ of this book, but the end was pretty disappointing for me. The utopian society created by Lawry was fascinating and I wanted to keep learning more about the society and the role of the Receiver of Memory. It felt like a quick wrap up and left me wanting more answers. There are 3 sequels to this book so I may have to see how the story continues. I definitely would recommend this book to kids in middle school, but I also think most adults would enjoy it too.
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