Book Club / Book Bingo: The Giver

The Giver is the first in a YA science fiction quartet by Lois Lowry. I first read this book in upper elementary school, and I had no idea that Lowry ended up writing more books set in this world! It's about a futuristic community in which no one experiences deep pain or difficulty. They also can't see color or really experience love, and the environment has been controlled to be flat and the same all of the time. There are very strict rules to be followed, and people are assigned spouses and children after written requests to a committee. The main character, Jonas, has reached the age of job assignment (12-years-old), and he is made Receiver of Memories. What follows is happiness and sadness, joy and pain as he learns the past and present truths of his community.

(picture taken from Goodreads)

This book never gets old! It's so beautiful and emotionally wrenching at the same time. I remember, the first time I read it, becoming more and more horrified at the prospect of living in this futuristic world where nothing really means anything. This time, the passing on of memories bit by bit is what really struck me. When Jonas experiences snow for the first time, I can feel what it would be like never to have seen or felt snow before that moment. Lowry has a gift for detail, accomplishing quite a lot in a short amount of space, and I relish in the constant discoveries Jonas makes throughout the book.

This is my Re-Read choice for the 2014 Book Bingo Challenge! I loved re-visiting this book--re-read something that you love today! Don't forget to check back and subscribe!