The Giver by Lois Lowry

[Inkweaver]

This is a really well-written book. It has a 1984 feel to it, but I find the storyline very interesting. It is about a society that is completely cut-out from anything that would make you feel (all color, books, paintings, etc.). Yet, there is one special "honor" that you could receive from a panel of elders. Givers, as they call them, have to keep all the memories that this society has cast aside and consult the panel of elders on certain decisions. I won't give away the rest, but it is a great read!

[Bowie20049]

WRONG! Not Givers...Receivers!

[Nyx]

A lot of people seem to like this book. I don't really see what's so exceptional about. It's okay, well-written enough but not amazing in my opinion.

[Bowie20049]

Personally, I don't like this book very much. The idea of a strange Utopian society I believe should belong to "Brave New World." Though I'm not sure if it was the first, but I know that it's one of the best.

[Iridescence]

When I read the part where that baby was killed, I almost started cursing or crying, no idea which. As it was, I simply dropped the book and refused to read any more. My teacher rolled her eyes and said I was being dramatic. I told her I didn't care and stuck my tongue out at her.

But I digress . . .
The book itself wasn't that big of a deal. I agree with Nyx, it's alright, but it's nothing to jump about.

[Starry]

Well, it's certainly a well-written book, and probably one of the most entertaining books I have ever had to read for school (twice). That being said, most of what makes this book special is the ridiculously-open-ended denouement.

What a lot of people don't realize is that there is a sequel, which serves as a sequel to both The Giver and Gathering Blue (which before this book were only vaguely related/in the same world). Unfortunately, this book (it's called Messenger, I think, by the way) is the least open-ended book you've ever seen. It tells you what happens after death! As well as tying up every loose end in the previous two books. That just kind of ruined it all for me.

[NightWriter]

It was an alright book, but not the best. In my opinion it was far to predictable. By the middle of the book I just about had the end predicted, and there were not many surprises throughout the story, which truthfully made it a bit boring. It's not terrible, but it's not that amazing either.

[Mercy]

This book is one of my favorites - as it pulled me into reading. Prior the The Giver, I hated reading and I took a lot of shit without thinking it was wrong. This was in the fifth grade, so it has been quite a while, but nonetheless, it remains a special book to me.

[Midsummernightsdream]

I think this book has some good messages, however, i do not like the style of writing at all.

[Jaywing]

I didn't mind this book, though I read it a few grade-years back. I agree with Most of the others that it was well written, but not the best, though. I did like it, it just wasn't my favorite book ever.

[pasttense]

The Giver was well written, but a bit dull. I guess it was meant to be a bit dull (the whole society", but I didn't really enjoy it.

[Fiction]

Eh. This book was nothing special. We read it with books and listened to the audiobook, (AT THE SAME TIME) so I ended up reading ahead and then sitting around while the audiobook finished. It killed the experience.
The book itself was imaginative, but, as Bowie said, it recalled better works.

[crystolo]

The Giver was a good book. The beginning was a little boring for me but it got better towards the end. I recommend this to anyone. The Anthem is also a very good book. Futuristic as well. I enjoyed reading it.

[More-Coffee]

Oh! I read that! it was good. I really like The Gossamer better though.

[Peppermental]

Get Ayn Rand out of here. The Giver is a pretty decent piece of literature. I remember at our literature discussions in school when everyone realized that by sending Jonas out to die for the sake of the community, the giver was still putting a higher value on the society than the individual. Oh and Jonas died in my opinion, gathering blue and the messenger be damned.

[Rouge]

Get Ayn Rand out of here. The Giver is a pretty decent piece of literature. I remember at our literature discussions in school when everyone realized that by sending Jonas out to die for the sake of the community, the giver was still putting a higher value on the society than the individual. Oh and Jonas died in my opinion, gathering blue and the messenger be damned.

I loved Gathering Blue. I haven't read The Messenger, and I didn't really like The Giver the first time I read it, but I might like it more now.

Anthem is a beautiful book, indeed. (only Rand I've read)

[Peppermental]

I have to concede that Anthem is a good book. Its more that my pure hatred of Ayn Rand makes me want to hate it. I liked Gathering Blue, and The Messenger wasn't half bad, its just that they were published 7 years after the Giver, which makes it seem like Lowery was just reviving the story line. The Giver makes more sense with Jonas dying, and I think its a more beautiful ending.

[bravenheart]

I find this book to be rather inspirational in a way, though it certainly didn't get me started writing. I am not sure how to explain it...the book was just touching to me.

[Sail Away Mayday]

This was actually one of the first books I read in a genre other than realistic fiction. I read it when I was in seventh grade, and I remember quite loving it.

I just started tutoring a seventeen year old girl who has the education of a fifth grader, and The Giver was the first book I assigned her to read. She loved it and read the entire book in a week, even though she isn't a very strong reader.

A great book in my opinion.

[Silver_Poet]

I remember reading this back in... fourth grade?... back when there wasn't a literary level high enough for my needs... xD It was a small school, which gained a grade each year. It was complicated... xD

But yeah, so I remember it being a good book... I enjoyed it, at least. Though that was 8 years ago... (God, I'm old...)

[OceanWater]

Oohh...we had to read this in class.

I found it rather interesting. Jonas's character was certainly a strange one. The ending was rather bad though. But if you read Messenger or Gathering Blue, there is a short Cameo of Jonas...

[Matty Lee]

The ending was bad? Perhaps you mean ambiguous or unhappy? There was something immensely pleasing about the ending to me.

[Kitty]

When I first read it I was kind of annoyed because it didn't tell you what happened to him (Jonas). But it was some of those books I just had to read all of them to understand and still was slightly confused at the end.

They were an interesting and memorable read, I just didn't love them. I did end up reading all of them as I found them at a library, they weren't books I looked out for though. I did not put them at the top of my 'to-read' list.

I disliked the style of writing, and found it kind of dull. Like I said not my favorite, but a good read nevertheless.

[bookmonster]

I liked it, I agree that it was fairly well written. I also agree that there are better books out there but this one is still very good. :)