Books I love - The Giver

It's book time again! The book I want to talk to you about today is The Giver by Lois Lowry.

So, this book is awesome. (And a quick read, too, if you're not sure if you have time to read it.) The main character, Jonas, lives in a perfect society. Everything is well ordered, everyone is taught how to be a good, kind citizen, everyone is taught how to deal with their feelings productively, everyone is taught how to serve others. At the end of each year growing up, all the children go through a ceremony in which they symbolically grow up a little (they cut their hair, they recieve different clothes, they get their first bicycles, etc.) At the end of their twelfth year, all the children recieve the assignment of the career they will follow for the rest of their lives. These careers have been carefully selected by a council from the community whose job is to study the lives of each child and watch their temperament, interests, and talents. Everyone is perfectly suited to the job chosen for them.

When it comes time for Jonas and his friends to recieve their careers, something happens - the announcer skips over Jonas. This never happens. All of the children have a number, everything goes in the order of those numbers - except this time. The speaker saves Jonas til last, announcing to the community that Jonas has been chosen for the most important position in the community - the Receiver of Memory.

As Jonas is taught by the old Receiver of Memory, the Giver, who gives Jonas the memories of the past, he learns the history of what has been and the possibilities of what could be.

I love this book. It's so good. Reeeeaad it.