This book, if read from a truly looking at the surface way would appear something like boy in futuristic society gets memories from an old guy,boy figures out that they kill people there, boy runs away because they were going to kill his adoptive little brother. Now if the book appeared to be just that then you should read this book when you've been around the block a couple more times, for I have some friends who got exactly that from the book they came back to me after reading it saying "How can you even read this? It was so boring I nearly napped off in the middle." But if this book is looked at from a substantially deeper perspective you will find a boy who lives in a society were all even semi-deep emotions are non-existent, then the boy gets a 'assignment' to the giver where real emotions and knowledge are thrust upon him. The only criticism I have on the book (and the reason it has four stars instead of five) is that I found the last few chapters where he's starving in the cold where extremely unpleasant and she should have just cut it off at the point where he gets over the bridge. Overall a marvolously done book with a most fascinating concept. ( )

This book is good. I dont really like how the book starts and "The Giver" doesn't really come in until the end. But, I guess it keeps you waiting and anxious, so...

This book is about a boy who grows up in a Utopia type of community. Here they everything in their life is chosen for them by the head of the community. Each parent has to ask permission in order to receive a child and then they do not even get to chose what they receive. Jonas gets assigned the position as the new receiver. This is the most important job in the community because they are in charge of holding the people of the community's memories of the past. When Jonas gets this job he soon realizes that everything that he was taught growing up is wrong. In order to save his "little brother" from being "released" he runs away from the community with his little brother. When he leaves the community, all of the memories come back to the community.

This is my favorite book of all time. I read it when I was in the 6th grade, but I did not truly understand everything that was said in the book. Now that I am older, I can see the deeper meaning behind the story.

I think that this would be a good book to show the class that it is good that we have different people and personalities in the classroom. Life would not be good if everyone was the same.

This is an fascinating, almost chilling tale about a boy, Jonas, who is chosen to be his community's new "receiver". Jonas receives memories from "The Giver"; memories that are full or feeling -- pain, love, loss, color, and life -- that are deemed too dangerous for the community to be able to experience. I loved this story. It just comes out of the blue at you and I want to get my hands on the rest of the story becuase I'm not sure I competely understand the ending... ( )

Wow. Just wow. It has been a long time since a book stayed with me in this way. It was one of those books that you know has profoundly affected you but you are still not quite sure how. As a Teenager I loved one of Lowry's other books, Number the Stars. It really made me see courage in a different light. This book has affected me in a different way I think. The way the story is built up, the normalcy of it all, to have it changed makes you doubt and question your own perceptions. Lowry manages to make Jonas's feelings into the readers feelings. Although I am not a twelve year old boy I felt like I was feeling everything Jonas was feeling. Which for a book about feelings and memories is not only essential but also amazing. This was one of my banned books and although I can see why some would want it banned I think that it would be devastating! This book has so much to offer both purely stylistically and also as fodder for discussion. It is a book that one should not read and keep in their heart but rather one that should and must be talked about. This is truly an important book! ( )