Imagine a world where everything was perfect.
No fear.
No pain.
But also no love.
What would you do?
That’s the question the main character wrestles
with in this week’s Pick.
Jonas never thought he was different.
Not really.
Those things he saw—other people saw them,
too, didn’t they?
But when Jonas is picked to be his community’s
Receiver of Memory, he begins to realize just
how different he really is.
He wonders if things could change.
And is he the one to change them?
If you’re still feeling in-the-dark after
that little plot synopsis, that’s a good
thing.
That’s because the power of Lois Lowry’s
book, The Giver, lies in the unusual but incredibly
compelling storyline of Jonas and his, um,
unconventional community.
What I mean is, you’d hate me for giving
anything away.
This is one book you’ll want to read for
yourself.
OK, you want a tiny bit more?
The Giver is what you’d call a dystopian
fantasy.
In other words, it presents a futuristic “perfect”
world that turns out to be not-so-perfect.
One other thing.
Even though this book is allegedly for kids,
don’t be fooled.
It’s got some messages for teens and adults,
too—messages that will really rock your
world.
But like I said: You’d hate me for giving
anything away.
So I won’t.
