The Giver

I read The Giver by Lois Lowry several times in my past (childhood then again in high school or college).  Lois Lowry has written several companion books to The Giver, including a new one called The Son.  I wanted to read The Son but figured I should re-read all the other books first.  So, I decided to start with The Giver.  Even better, Connor and I decided to read all these books together, so we read this one, reading aloud over the past week or so.  This book is about Jonas, who lives in a futuristic community that has embraced Sameness.  Their lives are pretty perfect--no pain or real emotions in their orderly society.  When Jonas is selected to be the next Receiver, he realizes that there is more to their lives than he ever knew.

This is such a great book.  It got more and more engaging, and finally last night, we just had to stay up late and finish it up because we couldn't put it down.  The book has great characters and is super thought-provoking and deep.  I love how it (like many good books) is both funny and sad.  (I even had to pass the book over to Connor to read a couple times when I got teary.)  I'm glad we re-read the book, and I'm looking forward to Gathering Blue next.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)