{"id":6906,"date":"2025-10-30T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/?p=6906"},"modified":"2025-10-30T09:23:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T13:23:07","slug":"the-giver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/30\/the-giver\/","title":{"rendered":"The Giver"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CoverBy Lois Lowry
\n\u00a9 July 1, 1993, Clarion books
\nFile size: 26.5 MB
\n239 pages
\nISBN-13: 978-0547345901<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t sure what to expect when I started this book, which is my 6th banned book this year. I\u2019d read the blurb weeks before, when I\u2019d first gotten the book. But when I picked it up to begin reading at last, I didn\u2019t re-read the blurb, nor did I re-read the reasons it was banned. I wanted it to be fresh, a surprise. It certainly was that. And I loved every minute.<\/p>\n

The Giver<\/em> starts out in a comfortable, idyllic place, a pleasant community where everyone gets along, no one is rude or thoughtless, and every conceivable problem is already taken care of. No one wants for anything. Food is provided, jobs are fulfilling, partnerships are perfectly matched. At first, it\u2019s tantalizing. Inviting. Until the reasons for its stable nature are slowly revealed, and the underlying shadows stretch long across the words on the page. The characters aren\u2019t the villains. They are the unwitting victims of things set in motion generations ago. They don\u2019t know or even miss what\u2019s not there. Only Jonas\u2014and the Giver\u2014know the why of things. And they are forbidden to tell.<\/p>\n

This story sucked me in and held me in place from first page to last. It prompts some very poignant questions about what we, as people, want, and whether getting those wants are good for us or bad for us. It brings into question the whole nature of good and bad. By the time I finished the last page, it made me reevaluate the initial feelings of warmth I\u2019d experienced in reading those early chapters. And it made me think hard about the nature of choice, and the blessings those choices bring, though they may sometimes feel like a curse.<\/p>\n

As I read, there were elements that brought back images and symbolism from 1984<\/em> and its details of the heavily structured society that could not be bucked, as well as Monk and Robot<\/em>, in the innocent discovery of a larger world than the character had expected. And ironically, there were several strong elements that called to mind significant bits of my own book, Fallen, The Founder\u2019s Seed Book One<\/em>\u2014the assignment of life careers at a young age and the separation that brought from one\u2019s own peer group; the tellings that followed the death of an elder; the social\/cultural pressure to conform to expectations, or else; the taboo against leaving the community for any reason; the sharing of memories.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the main difference between these volumes is that The Giver<\/em> was written for young, mid-grade readers, whereas all the others were targeted at an adult audience. And yet, the subject matter, though it starts innocently enough, leads the reader to dark, scary places, and ends on an ambiguous note. (The author later penned three companion books to address that ambiguity.) Still, I think this is an excellent read for mid-grade or young adult readers, since it provokes thought about normal life details that we, in our own world, take for granted. It asks, \u201cwhat if?\u201d and then leaves the reader to decide for themselves which choice would be the right one. It could easily serve as an excellent discussion topic for classes in mid-grade and young adult literature as to whether one version of society would be better, or the other, and why.<\/p>\n

Yet, starting in 1994, this book was banned or challenged numerous times over the mentions of \u201csex, infanticide, suicide, starvation, and euthanasia in order to show the power of the book\u2019s main themes of suffering and individuality.<\/a>\u201d Those are essential elements of the story, true, and are the very heart of what makes it so compelling. But I don\u2019t see why they are strong enough elements to get the story banned\u2014except that they are uncomfortable topics, subjects that make us turn our faces away, make us want to ignore them and hope they disappear. Hint: they don\u2019t. Unless we face these issues, we don\u2019t learn anything. And in this book, those elements have plenty to teach us about choice, and what happens when that option is taken from us.<\/p>\n

Ironically, as pointed out by the author, banning this\u2014or any\u2014book is a seed that starts the chain of events which could potentially lead to the community depicted in The Giver<\/em>. Allowing those in power to take away one choice makes it easier for them to take others. If there is no power of choice left to us, then we would live in Jonas\u2019s world, a frightening place.<\/p>\n

Despite the challenges, The Giver<\/em> has become one of the most popular children\u2019s novels, has won numerous awards, and was adapted to film in 2014. Those accolades I can easily understand. (As an aside, the movie is also excellent; though many of the specific details are altered to make the story fit a different medium, the main gist of the story remains the same, and is wonderfully depicted. You can find it streaming free on numerous channels.)<\/p>\n

The Giver<\/em> is an excellent tale, beautifully written, compassionately told. I plan to seek out the companion books, though I\u2019ll wait a while before I do. I rather liked the ambiguity of the ending, and don\u2019t want to solve the mystery too soon. Most highly recommended.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Lois Lowry \u00a9 July 1, 1993, Clarion books File size: 26.5 MB 239 pages ISBN-13: 978-0547345901 I wasn\u2019t sure what to expect when I started this book, which is my 6th banned book this year. I\u2019d read the blurb weeks before, when I\u2019d first gotten the book. But when I picked it up to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8n0kX-1No","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7302,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/30\/cuttle\/","url_meta":{"origin":6906,"position":0},"title":"Cuttle","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"January 30, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Chelsea Britain \u00a9 2020, Bleau Press File size: 2.2 MB 246 pages ISBN-13: 978-1951796037 A contact on BlueSky recommended this book when we were chatting about climate fiction, so I started reading it without even reading the blurb. That was a mistake\u2014but not for the reasons you might think.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"White cover depicts a cuttlefish, air bubbles, and a gold medallion award from Indies Today. Text reads, \"Cuttle, A Novel. 'Insanely good,' --Literary Titan. Chelsea Britain.\"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/81xGuB4-98L._SL1500_-188x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4949,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2024\/09\/23\/animal-farm\/","url_meta":{"origin":6906,"position":1},"title":"Animal Farm","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"September 23, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"By George Orwell ABHISHEK Publications, \u00a92021 ASIN: B0DCNXJTDH Kindle Version, file size 29690 KB I'd never read this book before. 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Here\u2019s what\u2019s up: I\u2019ve signed up for a Blurb Blitz blog tour (say THAT three times fast) with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/TourBanner_Entheophage-300x168.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6227,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/20\/mickey-7\/","url_meta":{"origin":6906,"position":4},"title":"Mickey 7","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"July 20, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Edward Ashton \u00a9 202, St. Martin\u2019s Press 305 Pages ISBN 13: 978-1250275042 This is my first Edward Ashton book, so I wasn\u2019t sure what to expect. But the blurb fit the story perfectly and, given that first line in the book (\u201cThis is gonna be my stupidest death ever\u201d)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A man in a thick suit stands front and center, staring at the reader. Behind him, hovers a repeating image in red and grey that is too distorted to make out. Text is somewhat confusing because it makes the book cover seem like it\u2019s for the movie. It reads, \u201cMickey 17, now a major motion picture. Includes exclusive Q&A with Director Bon Joon Ho. Inspired by the novel from Edward Ashton, Mickey 7.\u201d","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Mickey7-196x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6308,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/17\/project-hail-mary\/","url_meta":{"origin":6906,"position":5},"title":"Project Hail Mary","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"August 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Andy Weir \u00a9 May 4, 2021 File Size: 11.6 MB ISBN-13: 978-0593135211 Ryland Grace awakens from a coma with no idea who he is, where he is, or what happened to put him there. Only time, and slowly returning memories fill in the blanks. He\u2019s a middle-school science teacher.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A single human figure in a white space suit attached to a long white tether floats in the midst of a background that is half gold and half black. 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