Book Review: The Giver by Lois Lowry

Book Title: The Giver (The Giver Quartet Book #1)

Author: Lois Lowry

Publisher: Houghton Miffin Harcourt

Publish Date: 07/01/1993

Summary: In Jonas' society children are watched by the Elders from the time they are brought into a home. At the Ceremony of Twelve they are given a job or “their assignment” in the community. There is no suffering in the community, but also everything good and beautiful is gone. There is no music, or colors... or love. Spouses and children are assigned. Feelings are non-present. No individual has the freedom of choice.

When Jonas is skipped at the Ceremony of Twelve his world is turned upside down. He learns about things he never knew existed. He see's that his world needs to change; and he does something about it.

Violence: Jonas witnesses an elephant killed by poachers. Another elephant hovers over the dead, mutilated elephant. Jonas also witnesses a war in which he see's blood and death. After a sled ride Jonas bleeds and vomits. Jonas and a baby are lost in a snowstorm. All of these scenes are mild with little decription.

There is one part in the book that made me shiver. Jonas watches his father inject an unwanted baby with liquid from a needle. The baby cries, then stops moving. Jonas realizes that his father killed the baby. The baby is then put in a box and dropped down a shoot. Jonas is told that his father does not understand what he is doing, he has no feeling and doesn't understand what he's doing.

Sexual Content: Jonas has a dream about wanting a female classmate to undress so that he can wash her. When he tells his mother about the dream she says that “Stirrings” are normal and that he is ready for “the pills” which will take those feelings away. After feeling what love is like Jonas decides not to take the pills.

Jonas and his friends spend some of their required volunteer hours helping bathe people living in The House of Old. There is nothing sexual about this part.

My Thoughts: I love The Giver! We read it as a family read aloud a few years ago and we all really enjoyed it. I have read it twice since then.

Lois Lowry is a wonderful writer. After reading The Giver I feel thankful. Thankful that God gave us color, and music, and feelings. Thankful for the freedom to choose who we love, what we do, and how we live. Thankful that anyone can be whoever they want to be.

Final Rating: *****