nullitas@smartreads.ca reviewed The Giver by Lois Lowry
Thoughtful book
Although the book is meant for children it's worth reading for adults.
Paperback, 208 pages
English language
Published May 11, 1999 by Yearling & Newberry.
The Giver
by Lois Lowry,
Lois Lowry
3 stars
(6 reviews)
Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.
Nerywood@tomes.tchncs.de reviewed The Giver by Lois Lowry
Review of 'The Giver' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
I first read this book in high school, but I'm glad I picked it up again to read.
At the beginning, the author throws you straight in, which can make the reader feel like an outsider and not sure about anything.
The copy I had (e-book) had a number of missing spaces between words, and weird line spacing (where the line would finish, then the next word would be on the next line). Both of these happen multiple times which sometimes may for some frustrating reading.
There are a number of things that happen in the book that happen in real life,
"But the committee would never bother The Receiver with a question about bicycles; they would simply fret and argue about it themselves for years, until the citizens forgot that it had ever gone to them for study."
There are a couple of times where the author moves forward …
I first read this book in high school, but I'm glad I picked it up again to read.
At the beginning, the author throws you straight in, which can make the reader feel like an outsider and not sure about anything.
The copy I had (e-book) had a number of missing spaces between words, and weird line spacing (where the line would finish, then the next word would be on the next line). Both of these happen multiple times which sometimes may for some frustrating reading.
There are a number of things that happen in the book that happen in real life,
"But the committee would never bother The Receiver with a question about bicycles; they would simply fret and argue about it themselves for years, until the citizens forgot that it had ever gone to them for study."
There are a couple of times where the author moves forward (or back) a length of time without indicating it to the reader, which comes across as confusing.
When I finished the book (which I did in one day) I'm not sure if it ended on a positive or negative note. I was almost in a haze for the rest of the day.
"Jonas frowned. "I wish we had those things, still. Just now and then.""
"It's the choosing that's important, isn't it?"
"The life where nothing was ever unexpected. Or inconvenient. Or unusual. The life without color, pain, or past."
dorian@cutebook.club reviewed The Giver by Lois Lowry (The Giver, #1)
My review of 'The Giver'
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.
Kadomi reviewed The Giver by Lois Lowry
Review of 'The Giver' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I am a big sucker for dystopian stories, and on that front this society of Sameness didn't disappoint.
The ending was highly unsatisfying though.
