The Giver by Lois Lowry | Teen Ink

The Giver by Lois Lowry MAG

By Bapalapa2 ELITE, Brooklyn, New York
Bapalapa2 ELITE, Brooklyn, New York
1044 articles 0 photos 1 comment

After reading The Giver, I was left confused and disappointed. It seemed as if it would be interesting, but you can't judge a book by its cover. The contents were dull and predictable. Quite honestly, I wouldn't recommend it to any reader seeking a fine piece of literature. It just doesn't suffice.

The Giver is about a young boy named Jonas. He resides in a futuristic society in which each citizen is assigned a job, a spouse, and children. The children are born to mothers who will never get to see them. Trying not to give anymore away, I will only say that Jonas is assigned an important job and is challenged with the release of an innocent child. Jonas is left with the option of leaving his home, job, and family to save the child, or facing the harsh reality of his community and job, and enduring the release of the child.

This book was dreadful. I became more and more dissatisfied with each page. It was a waste of time and hardly made sense. I'll admit, there were a few interesting lines, but far too few to continue reading after the first chapter. Although I finished it, I regret doing so. It was, by far, the worst book I've ever picked up. It proved to be mediocre, no better than what the average person could conceive. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.


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This article has 588 comments.


on Apr. 17 2011 at 8:18 am
xXsharellieXx BRONZE, New Orleans, Louisiana
1 article 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I would die whithout books."-Thomas Jefferson

This seems really weird to me, because I loved this book and thought it was, maybe one of the BEST things I have ever read. I understand that you are just being honest to your thoughts on the book but you should really consider reading it again. I think the fact that you didn't like it clouded your judgment, just a little.

on Apr. 14 2011 at 10:33 pm
littlebird BRONZE, Dallas, Texas
1 article 0 photos 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The worse life gets the closer you are to your happy ending," by unknown.

Ok im not going to say i liked the book because i didn't but Jonas does NOT leave everything for the child. He left to give memory, joy, feelings, color, personality, and identity back to the citizens and return it back to the way it was before samness. Yes, he took the kid with him because he would've gotten released but that is not the real reason. It was just a more reason to go.

on Apr. 10 2011 at 10:09 pm
ohmakemeover BRONZE, Centerville, Minnesota
3 articles 0 photos 98 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Touch comes before sight, before speech. It is the first language and the last, and it always tells the truth."- Margaret Atwood

I actually loved this book.  I thought it was very original and emotional, but we all have our opinions.

on Apr. 3 2011 at 1:45 am
Melinda Myers, Carnation, Washington
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
I think that there are mixed feelings about this book, as the previous comments show! Lois Lowry has an interesting way of going about this topic. I thought that the book was a little bit bland, but thenI tried to imagine not having the things that the Giver shows Jonas. What would it really be like to live in an environment without any colors? Or no sunshine?

on Mar. 26 2011 at 12:48 pm
awesomeaugust GOLD, Boston, Massachusetts
10 articles 0 photos 176 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground&quot;<br /> ~Theordore Roosevelt

Hahaha i can't say I haven't felt that way about one or two books that I've had to read in school, but I do think that' s a little harsh. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, so I won't say that you're wrong or that the author of this review is wrong, but books don't get Newbury Medals or become classics because they suck. Though there are cons (as there are to all books), The Giver deserves some credit for its complete originality. Even if you think you could write something better, I have a hard time believng that you could have come up with a storyline so out there, provacitive, and unique to Lowry's "The Giver." 

on Mar. 26 2011 at 11:30 am
BelleVie11 BRONZE, Ladson, South Carolina
3 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Although it is raining outside... Remember, the sun is always behind the clouds.

When I first read this novel, I was offended that the characters were completely unaware of the reality that surrounded them. I almost gave up reading it, that is how mad I got. But, I do not like to leave a book unread. So, I bared through it and I actually thoroughly enjoyed it. I love the dynamics and the detail. THe imagry was fantastic. But, I do not say you are wrong. For who are we to degrade a perspective? We all have our own.

on Mar. 26 2011 at 12:39 am
ElizabethW. DIAMOND, Oconto, Wisconsin
72 articles 2 photos 28 comments

I really have to disagree.  I found this book fascinating and refreshingly original.  But then, I guess it's all just a matter of opinion.

 

What kind of books do you like?  I just finished The Last Child by John Hart, and am completely addicted - he is currently my favorite author.


Becca17 GOLD said...
on Mar. 24 2011 at 2:06 pm
Becca17 GOLD, Belleville Ontario, Other
10 articles 0 photos 36 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Seven Deadly Sins:<br /> Wealth without work<br /> Pleasure without conscience<br /> Science without humanity<br /> Knowledge without character<br /> Politics without principle<br /> Commerce without morality<br /> Worship without sacrifice.&rdquo; <br /> ― Mahatma Gandhi

I suppose you have some good points on why you disagree with the novel. In fact when I finished reading it, I at first felt the same. But then I started looking back into behind the text and became a bit frightened at the possibility that maybe Lois Lowry's fictional depiction of what might happen in the future could in fact turn out well...nonfiction. :/

Aderes47 GOLD said...
on Mar. 23 2011 at 3:24 pm
Aderes47 GOLD, Cambridge, Massachusetts
11 articles 0 photos 897 comments

Favorite Quote:
You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love. <br /> Henry Drummond

What? This book is great and interesting. It's also very scary!

on Mar. 22 2011 at 7:11 pm
AFreeSpirit97 GOLD, Dallas, Oregon
11 articles 2 photos 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words.&quot; -Elbert Hubbard

I honestly have to dissagree. I read the book in class, and everyone wanted to keep on reading it untill we were done. We were all hooked in by the first chapter or so. And with the ending, everyone had their own opinion about how it might go on.

But, I do agree by your statment, "... but you can't judge a book by it's cover." Though, they way you ment it was different. I thought the book was about an old man, and class was going to be as boring as ever. But I, personaly, was proved wrong, and so were many as my classmates.

I really liked it myself. Though it's not my style any more, I would love to read it again if I had the chance.


on Mar. 18 2011 at 1:12 pm
I hate this book so much. I am reading it at school and it freaking sucks. GOD it is so boring. I have to answer 80 questions about the book. I am in school right now. WAS THIS AUTHOR HIGH WHEN SHE WROTE THIS!!!!!!!

Lilies BRONZE said...
on Mar. 14 2011 at 2:46 pm
Lilies BRONZE, Columbus, New Jersey
2 articles 0 photos 18 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Reach for the stars, even if you have to stand on a cactus.&quot;<br /> - Susan Longacre

wow. i actually really liked this book. just goes to show how much opinions differ.

on Mar. 6 2011 at 1:04 pm
drmstarlet21 GOLD, Matthews, North Carolina
13 articles 0 photos 76 comments

Haha nice, what is that about? I've never heard of it.

And my English teacher is all about creative project ideas. We're starting our projects for Macbeth right now, and everyone had to come up with their own. Mine is a literary magazine. I am writing little pieces and saying they are "by" a few of the characters. I wonder where I got *that* idea...thank you, Teen Ink!


Emiline! ^-^ said...
on Mar. 6 2011 at 12:08 pm
Haha, you're lucky, we read An Enemy of the People last year (it was a play), and everyone was saying it should be removed. Only we couldn't write essays on it, because it was the writing teacher's favorite book. :)

on Mar. 5 2011 at 10:01 am
drmstarlet21 GOLD, Matthews, North Carolina
13 articles 0 photos 76 comments
My English class read A Separate Peace earlier this year, except no one finished the book. I stopped at like page 20. Our essays at the end of the unit were ALL on why it should be removed from the curriculum, at our teacher's suggestion :)

Emiline! ^-^ said...
on Mar. 4 2011 at 11:11 pm
A Separate Piece? I started that last year (because it was on my classroom shelf), thinking it would be good, and then gave up after page 7 because the guy was just wandering around doing nothing. :(

on Mar. 4 2011 at 9:18 pm
drmstarlet21 GOLD, Matthews, North Carolina
13 articles 0 photos 76 comments

It puzzles me, too.

To all of you people that are saying it's a classic, all that means is people really liked it years ago. Personally, I don't think it is that good. I understand that it was made-up, especially with the utopia society, but the characters in general didn't seem very real to me. I couldn't connect with them at all.

I feel like The Giver is similar to Animal Farm and 1984. Does anyone else agree?


on Mar. 4 2011 at 9:10 pm
drmstarlet21 GOLD, Matthews, North Carolina
13 articles 0 photos 76 comments
I agree that this person didn't say why it was bad with much clarity. I read it in middle school in English class and my whole grade hated it, as does most of my school. It's been years, so I don't remember now why I didn't like it, just that I didn't. However, if you think The Giver is bad, try reading A Separate Peace. Now there's a horrible "classic"

on Mar. 4 2011 at 8:19 pm
MochaCappuccino SILVER, N. Bethesda, Maryland
7 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Dance like no one&#039;s watching.&quot;<br /> &quot;When you copy from one person, it&#039;s called plagiarism. When you copy from many people, it&#039;s called research.&quot;

I've never read this book, but I can't really tell whether it's good or bad because you never really gave a reason as to why the book was subpar. You can't just say that it was the worst book ever because it was mediocre and it was mediocre because it was the worst book ever. I appreciate your opinion though. :)

on Mar. 4 2011 at 8:02 pm
flyingpinkgiraffes, Chardon, Ohio
0 articles 0 photos 103 comments

 thought it was amazing.  i read the sequel too.  i guess its an either you love it or hate it kinda thing....

and i know the ending was weird, but she wrote it like that to make it more interesting,  and leave you guessing.  I personally admired the ending