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.


_NoAir_ BRONZE said...
on May. 5 2010 at 4:10 pm
_NoAir_ BRONZE, Toronto, Other
4 articles 1 photo 463 comments

Favorite Quote:
There are as many ways to live as there are people in this world. Each one deserves a closer look.<br /> <br /> <br /> &ndash;Golly (Harriet The Spy)

Invo, I'm not going to disrespect your opinion, but just question yourself a few questions about the book. Every question has a moral. For example, "Why did the community remove colours and make the world grey?" Perhaps it was because of racism. Was it because giving your opinion of colours for your clothes can be a bad expression? Take an example of school uniforms, like they're pretty much colourless. You can learn so much from that book. Sorry, just wanted to let it out.    :)

on May. 5 2010 at 12:02 pm
Also, i noticed 90% of all the negative comments toward this book are people who didn't understand and/or take the time to finish. And would a little grammar/spelling hurt too?

on May. 5 2010 at 11:58 am
Honestly, this book was satisfyingly good. I found that you didn't understand the book fully for what its worth. Also, what do you dislike that makes each page for dreadful? Each page gets deeper into the storyline...page by page you learn more about this mysterious society. A "perfect" society, close to pure communism in a way.

bokworm SILVER said...
on May. 5 2010 at 11:57 am
bokworm SILVER, Moreno Valley, California
8 articles 0 photos 55 comments

Favorite Quote:
life is gets easier by what you do not by what you don&#039;t

i loved it you just need an openmind to fully under stand it.

on May. 5 2010 at 11:49 am
This book was confusing and boreing

Darley SILVER said...
on Apr. 30 2010 at 10:18 pm
Darley SILVER, Meadow Vista, California
5 articles 0 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot; What matters most is how you see yourself.&quot;

Really? I loved this book. for me it was hard to understand at the begging but then I really started to like it! Have you ever read the outsiders? I think you would like it. I recomend it. :)

sulamansk481 said...
on Apr. 30 2010 at 6:05 pm
nice book i loved it

lnvo97 GOLD said...
on Apr. 30 2010 at 5:52 pm
lnvo97 GOLD, Chicago, Illinois
15 articles 0 photos 40 comments

Favorite Quote:
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; <br /> Matthew 5:44

honestly i agree with you!!! i had to read the giver for school and i hated it!!! i will never pick it up again!!!

on Apr. 30 2010 at 5:32 pm
I disagree. The giver is an amazing book if you had the ability to understand it.

on Apr. 28 2010 at 3:44 pm
Wannabewriter BRONZE, Kingston, Other
3 articles 1 photo 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
TONS OF FUN!

I read this book for school also. I think it was kind of cool the way the author must have an amazing imagination.

Butterfly12 said...
on Apr. 28 2010 at 7:53 am

If you thought this book was disturbing, then you might as well stop reading books altogether as you'll never be able to handle other books that are far more disturbing than this, which is not disturbing.

The book is just too sophisticated for you.


1313 said...
on Apr. 22 2010 at 10:07 am
I disagree with the review.  The Giver is a really great book and really gets you to think about life.  It is a little confusing and probably isn't for everyone, but I liked it.

1313 said...
on Apr. 22 2010 at 10:05 am
All three books(The Giver, Gathering Blue and Messanger) are in a triology.  They might not all go together exactly, having different people in them and all, but they are put together in a trilogy.  That's what Lois Lowry calls them, The Trilogy, on her website loislowry.com under "Books".  "Books" is a list of all the works she has writen(at least it's supposed to be) and is writen by Lois Lowry(the site is).  Just thought I'd throw that out there! :P

on Apr. 22 2010 at 8:56 am
PrincessSparkle GOLD, Flint, Michigan
11 articles 0 photos 53 comments

Favorite Quote:
Whoever said Nothings impossible clearly never tried to slam a rotating door.

This Book is amazing. Its the kind that I truely love to crawl in bwed with. Even though Ive read it many times it never gets old to me.

on Apr. 21 2010 at 3:35 pm
fiction77 BRONZE, St. John&#39s, Other
2 articles 0 photos 13 comments

Favorite Quote:
Lionel Hutz: This is the greatest case of false advertising I&rsquo;ve seen since I sued the end of the movie &ldquo;The Never Ending Story.&rdquo;

did you read gathering blue and messenger? (very good)

Olivea said...
on Apr. 20 2010 at 9:01 pm
Olivea, Tottenham, Other
0 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
The defects and faults of the mind are like wounds in the body. After all imaginable care has been taken to heal them up, still there will be a scar left behind.<br /> --<br /> Francois de la Roche Foucauld

I have to disagree with you. I really enjoy Lois Lowry's writing style. I thought that it was very unique. The ending was a cliffhanger because it is important to draw your own conclusions.

jjjjkkkkll said...
on Apr. 20 2010 at 12:20 pm
I totally disagree with you.This book was a very good book.Altough the ending was confusing I still like this book very greatly!!

dancestar GOLD said...
on Apr. 20 2010 at 12:18 pm
dancestar GOLD, Westford, Massachusetts
13 articles 0 photos 127 comments

Favorite Quote:
BE WHO YOU WANNA BE NOT WHO OTHERS WANNA SEE!!!

Even though The Giver wasn't my favorite book, i thought it was worth my time to read. the plot was different and unique. But i have to admit i was REALLY disappointed with the sequal Gathering Blue and the book after that- Messenger.

on Apr. 18 2010 at 10:06 pm
literatureXlover BRONZE, New Bedford, Massachusetts
1 article 3 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Dont worry about the people in your past. Theres a reason they didnt make it into your future.&quot;

i read the book last year and i fell in love with louis lowry .. i think hes/she [iam not sure :x]is a great writer and i do recommend this book and any other books by him/her ..yes it can get confusing and the endings not that great ..but he/she has a great way of writing and his/her books are very good ..in mi opinion.

on Apr. 17 2010 at 9:46 pm
RheaD.Ravenfinger BRONZE, Juneau, Alaska
4 articles 0 photos 94 comments

Favorite Quote:
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

I liked the book but I felt let down at the ending. I didn't get to know whether Jonas helped the people to remember or if he survived and what happened to the baby. The book had a lot of good ideas and was well written but I think the writer ended it too soon.