The Giver

A Book Review

by Sam

The setting of The Giver is a very unusual society, in which everything is predictable, there is no pain or war and you are not in control of your life. There is no love, and most important of all, there are no memories. The main character is a 12-year-old boy named Jonas. When "the 11's" turn 12, they are assigned a job. Jonas's job turns out to be special and rare — but you will want to find this out when you read the book, not now.

Another important character is an elderly man known as "The Giver," who is the only person in the society who can have memories or feelings. Jonas receives special meetings with the Giver, during which Jonas gets some of the Giver's memories and feelings. They are the only ones with these powers.

This book really makes you think. It is 180 pages long, and after almost every chapter you'll want to stop and sort out what happened. For example it is hard to imagine a world in which your parents think love is not real, that it's a meaningless word. It is also strange to try to understand a world in which the government decides your life for you. The book is very suspenseful and makes you want to keep reading the next chapter — there is always a question that lies ahead.

There's a good chance you'll like this book — it's different than any thing you've ever read.