Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: 179
This book captivated me from page one. I know that sounds totally cliche but it did! The Giver is the story of a dystopian world where everything is the same and the citizens are governed by people who monitor everything they do and say. These people are taught from a very young age to not be rude, to say things precisely as they mean them, and to be honest (there's many other rules, but those are some of the main one's). Jonas is an eleven year old boy when the story starts and he is very wise, that's the impression I got from him. Apparently so does the so-called government he lives under because at his ceremony of becoming twelve he is given the job of The Receiver, which is a very honorable position in the community.
From here, Jonas' whole life turns around, he is encouraged to lie, be rude (ask questions) and not accept things as they appear. Throughout the story we see how Jonas grows and learns from The Giver. There a couple of plot twists that completely caught me by surprise but they really helped the story move and grow.
I loved this book. It was flawlessly written and is so simple, yet so complex. There is a lot of deeper meanings and messages. It also makes a person think about "What if we had to live that way? How would we survive without simple basics like creativity and choices?".
I can't wait to read the next three books in the series although they are not necessarily sequels, but companions. This book ends on a sort of cliffhanger so you'll be guessing until the very end and have to come up with your own conclusion.
Overall, an amazing book, which I initially had my doubts about, but I would know recommend to anyone! This is also a fairly short read so check it out!
See you soon!
Paige
Dear Paige,
ReplyDeleteI'm an author with a new collection of YA short stories, Ugly To Start With (West Virginia University Press).
Will you please consider reviewing it?
I've been writing and publishing for twenty years--more than one hundred stories and two novels--and Ugly To Start With is my best work.
My first novel, The Night I Freed John Brown (Penguin), won The Paterson Prize for Fiction and was recommended by USA Today.
My short stories have appeared in more than seventy-five literary journals, including North American Review, The Kenyon Review, Alaska Quarterly Review, and The Chattahoochee Review. Twice I have been nominated for The Pushcart Prize. "The Scratchboard Project" received an honorable mention in The Best American Short Stories 2007.
If you write me back at johnmcummings@aol.com, I’ll send you a PDF of my collection for your consideration.
At this point, my small publisher is out of available review copies, so I hope and politely ask that you consider the PDF.
I would be very grateful.
Thank you so much.
John Michael Cummings