The Giver (The Giver Quartet #1)

Reader reviewed by Laura

This is a wonderful book that is a page turner from the start. This story is about a 12-year-old boy named Jonas who must choose between the world he has always known filled with sameness or one that is filled with emotions, including the joys and pains of life.
Jonas lives in a perfect, utopian community, where there are no choices. Everything in Jonas's world seems to fit in order. Each family has a mother, a father, and two children, one of each sex. The families are chosen by the Elders. No child is biologically related to their parents. The elderly, as well as the newest members of the community, are all lovingly cared for. Despite the sameness in the society, there is happiness. There is no crime, no disease, no pain, no rudeness and no unemployment. The community lives in a peaceful existence. He later has to decide on wether he want to run away and let the momries free on the community or to continue his asigned role.


Every person in Jonas's community is assigned a role, or job, which he or she is suited for emotionally, physically and mentally. When Jonas turns 12, Jonas is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory. As the Receiver of Memory, Jonas will be the one person to bear the collective memories of a society that lives only in the present.

Reader reviewed by Amanda

I didn't read this book for the first time until a couple of years ago, being that I was often put off when it was described as a "science fiction" novel. I hadn't yet broadened my genre taste to include something of everything and passed by this wonderful book for too long. This was my second read of it and it was just as amazing this time around.


The Giver is written by the amazing, wonderful, incredible Lois Lowry and tells the unique story of Jonas, a young boy living in a Utopian society. Everyone is the same in this society, they all have the same color skin, though none of them can see color anyways, so that doesn't matter. There is no such thing as love in this society, as it is an emotion that complicates things. In fact, emotions in general are non-existent in this society. When Jonas is selected to be the next Receiver of Memory, the most prestigious assignment in the entire society, he is shocked and somewhat angry to have been singled out in a world of sameness, though intrigued to learn that through The Giver, he can experience feelings, emotions, and the concept of colors in a manner never before experienced by a resident of the society. What Jonas must decide is whether or not he wants to participate in what the society is making its citizens go through or if he wants to remain within his new found perspective of life's opportunities.


I must admit that I have not read Gathering Blue or The Messenger, both books that follow The Giver, but you can bet I'll get them read before the year is done!

Reader reviewed by Pageant Babe

The Giver was a required reading book at my school. Like most I normally find all school reading books boring, not something I'd ever want to read for the fun of it. However The giver is much different. It focuses on a "perfect" community. Or at least it seems perfect on the outside. The book really shows people the importance of pain, happiness, and memories (the book and the bad) This book is one I will never forget. It is an amazing read.

Reader reviewed by wwegurl

Jonas lives in a perfect society, a utopia. Everything is monitored and nothing can go wrong. At least that's what Jonas thinks until he learns that he is the new Receiver of Memory. He has to receive all past memories. He will be the only one to have these and 10 years ago, all the memories of the receiver in training went throughout the society and it was a disaster. But what will happen if no body ever knows what these memories are?

Jonas and the Giver need to know. This book is somewhat confusing at the beginning but is very good once you get into it. I would reccommend this!

Reader reviewed by Alexandra

Jonas lives in a community where everything is perfect. There's no crime, poverty, illness, or unemployment, and every family is perfectly balanced and happy. Then, at his Ceremony of the Twelve, Jonas is chosen to be Receiver of the Memories. As he receives memories from the Giver, he realizes that there are other things his world doesn't have: color, pleasure, warmth, weather. Now that Jonas has learned about real life, he wants to do something about it, to save his community. With some help from the Giver, he will show everyone what they are missing. This powerful novel is sure to become a classic

Reader reviewed by Bren

The Giver is definately a confusing book. Lois thinks of a brilliant idea for this story. My 5th grade teacher read it to us so she could help us understand the book. This book is one of those books where you have to read between the lines a lot. It shows that nothing is perfect and everybody goes through emotions. The book gives a good moral for kids.

Reader reviewed by x_fashion4eva

I'm sorry but this book was very confusing and kind of boring. I read in the 3rd and 6th grades but still I couldn't get into it. It just wasn't right 4 me though. U might like it!So I suggest u just readit and review it 4 yourself!

Reader reviewed by BAlverez

This book was great all 5 times that I read it!! My English teacher didn't believe me when I told him that I had read this book in the 3rd grade but boy did I show him. Anyway this book is great but kind of confusing.

Reader reviewed by Sarah

This is one of the best books I've ever read. It takes place in the future, and the main character is a boy named Jonas. Jonas lives in a society where there is no color and no true emotions. The past is not known to anyone in the "community" and everyone has a designated mate and employment. But Jonas know the past. He has been the given the honor of being the new "Receiver of Memories." The job of the previous Receiver is to give the memories to Jonas. And with that, Jonas feels real emotions. He sees colors and knows the past. All the memories must be given to Jonas. He must carry the weight of the past. But Jonas realizes how wrong his society is and decides he must do something about it.

This was a wonderfully written book and it truly made me think about it. It may contain concepts too complex for younger kids to grasp, so I recommend this book for older kids and teenagers.

Reader reviewed by Kay Kay

The Giver. By Lois Lowry. Published by Dell Laurel Leaf. 1993.

The importance of the freedom to make choices and the drawbacks of living in a utopia where everything has sameness is on one of the themes of The Giver. The setting is some time in the future in a seemingly utopian community that is actually a dystopian community. This novel describes a world with no emotions, no war, no pain, and sadly, no love. I found it interesting because it is a very well written and thought provoking book.

The main character is a boy named Jonas. He is chosen to become the next Receiver of Memory. In this Utopian society, people do not want to be burdened with memories so they choose one person to hold the memories. As part of the job, The Receiver of Memory advises the community what to do based on memories from the past. His instructor, who he calls The Giver, is the current Receiver until Jonas completes his training. Jonas learns about pain, war, love, colors, and choices as he begins his training with The Giver.

Jonas tries to decide if choices are the best thing for the community. His quote I want to wake up in the morning and decide things! meant he wanted the freedom of having choices. He had decided that choices are good. But, then he realized that most likely sometimes people would make bad choices. He said, We really have to protect people from wrong choices. Later on he realizes that freewill is the better choice. Jonas also said, Theres nothing we can do. Its always been this way. Before me, before you, before the ones who came before you. Back and back and back. He was talking to The Giver about how there was nothing they could do to change the sameness in the community. However, Jonas and The Giver try to devise a plan to change the sameness in the community.

Lois Lowry wrote this book for reading entertainment purposes and to discuss the facts of living in a world without choices and memories. She also explains in detail how what seems like utopia could actually be dystopia. She has provided enough information to persuade the reader that having your own choices is better then being afraid of them or not having any at all.

I liked how Ms. Lowry wrote the book in the third person limited point of view and how she created such interesting characters. I believe she did a great job writing about the importance of choices, memory and being an individual. I could not put the book down because it was so flowing and enjoyable to read. I encourage you to read it also.