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.


on Aug. 18 2010 at 1:01 pm
Blue4indigo PLATINUM, Sturbridge, Connecticut
24 articles 0 photos 382 comments

Favorite Quote:
I&#039;d rather be sorry for something that I did than for something I didn&#039;t do.<br /> -Red Scott

I do not agree! I read the book in elemantary school, and I loved it then (I still love it) The whole idea of the book is amazing, people giving up painful memories, feelings, colors to remain naive. It is just one of those books that when you finish it, you have to sit and think.

Review well written!


Ang1217 said...
on Aug. 18 2010 at 12:55 pm
You're supposed to feel lost - in real life you never know what your outcome it - some people think Jonas died, some people think he made it out, some people think he went crazy - if you re-read the book, you will have a different opinion of what happens everything, and that's what makes it awesome because not everything in life is so easy to interpret

Ang1217 said...
on Aug. 18 2010 at 12:52 pm
You're supposed to feel lost at the end of the book - Someone earlier said it should be taught to 4th graders, but Teenagers can't even understand it - It's one of those books that is easy to read, so we read it young, but you never get the symbolism until you're older. I read this book in 5th grade and thought it was ok, but now I have a new appreciation for it and understand the depth and meaning - - I'd say - don't disregard it just yet - read it again in a couple of years and THEN see if you get it

on Aug. 18 2010 at 8:29 am
DiamondsIntheGrass GOLD, Martinsville, New Jersey
14 articles 1 photo 278 comments

Favorite Quote:
Worry is simply a misuse of the imagination.

um... lois lowry is a she. but i agree. i didn't quite grasp the symbolism that many people talk about. the idea was good, but not well conveyed.

on Aug. 18 2010 at 8:26 am
DiamondsIntheGrass GOLD, Martinsville, New Jersey
14 articles 1 photo 278 comments

Favorite Quote:
Worry is simply a misuse of the imagination.

i had to read the giver as a book club book, and i heard so many rave reviews on the book, so i had high expectations.  but i agree, the book really fell flat.

speaking from the wrting aspect of this review, i think you might not want to include so much information about the story because by the end of your explanation it would've been confusing for someone who didn't read the book ("whats a 'release'?") yeah. but it was written very well.


Amiee said...
on Aug. 18 2010 at 6:17 am
i love the giver!! it's my favorite book!!  .....isn't strong and power with the touch of symbolism which i love! How can anyone not love it?

on Aug. 18 2010 at 12:36 am
sarahj72294 BRONZE, St. Paris, Ohio
3 articles 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and charm and gaiety to life and to everything&quot;

The Giver is one of my favorite books of all time. The ending is shakey but thats the beauty of it, you get to decide how you think it should end. So many books end in a way you didnt want them to end but this way you get to kind of play around with it

MiriamH said...
on Aug. 15 2010 at 10:06 pm
MiriamH, Mequon, Wisconsin
0 articles 0 photos 92 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;I just want someone to hear what I have to say. And maybe if I talk long enough, it&rsquo;ll make sense.&rdquo;

I completely agree, there are so many hidden symbols, you just have to look for them. In truth, this was an amazing book that I could read again and again and find new things each time. It would never bore me.

kisscandisun said...
on Jul. 27 2010 at 11:51 pm
It seems to me that you did not grasp the symbolism of the book. You need to see that this book was about a boy living in a Dystopic society so yes some parts are disturbing. But there were far more meaningful parts in the book then just the disturbing. And please make sure you fully understand the book before you bash it.

on Jul. 27 2010 at 11:32 pm
SillySarah BRONZE, Covert, Michigan
2 articles 0 photos 19 comments

Favorite Quote:
Live today as if there is no tomorrow.

I agree with you, this book was very deep. I actually enjoyed.

on Jul. 27 2010 at 10:42 pm
Tintinnabulation BRONZE, Glen Arm, Maryland
4 articles 0 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Long enough have you dreamed contemptible dreams,<br /> Now I wash the gum from your eyes,<br /> You must habit yourself to the dazzle of the light and of every moment of your life.&quot;-Walt Whitman

Wow, I had no idea anyone could feel that way. I loved this book. It contains a powerful message about life and freedom. What repulsed you so much about it? I mean, maybe it was disturbing, but it included good symbolism and posed goood questions. And it seems you are bashing the ending just because it is so suspenseful and difficult to interpret. That's what I like.

on Jul. 27 2010 at 5:14 pm
DarkMountain BRONZE, Portland, Oregon
4 articles 0 photos 39 comments

Favorite Quote:
My eyes feel so heavy when the stars are calling me<br /> - Join with us eternally -<br /> I&#039;m falling in deep trance and my powers are weakening<br /> I&#039;m falling in a world between dreams and reality<br /> ... I&#039;m sailing away to undiscovered seas...<br /> Oh time...

You said modestly.

on Jul. 27 2010 at 5:09 pm
DarkMountain BRONZE, Portland, Oregon
4 articles 0 photos 39 comments

Favorite Quote:
My eyes feel so heavy when the stars are calling me<br /> - Join with us eternally -<br /> I&#039;m falling in deep trance and my powers are weakening<br /> I&#039;m falling in a world between dreams and reality<br /> ... I&#039;m sailing away to undiscovered seas...<br /> Oh time...

Instead of repeatedly saying how much you hated the book, include some SPECIFIC examples of what exactly was wrong with it.  Also, you were far too negative in your review.  Lois Lowry doesn't deserve all this bashing.  How would you feel if you wrote a book, ok, so maybe it was controversial, some people didn't like it, but overall it was well written and intriguing.  Then someone writes a review that says it's terrible, the worst book they've ever read.  That's just not fair.  Good critics will write not just about the bad parts of a book, but on the good parts too.

on Jul. 27 2010 at 4:59 pm
DarkMountain BRONZE, Portland, Oregon
4 articles 0 photos 39 comments

Favorite Quote:
My eyes feel so heavy when the stars are calling me<br /> - Join with us eternally -<br /> I&#039;m falling in deep trance and my powers are weakening<br /> I&#039;m falling in a world between dreams and reality<br /> ... I&#039;m sailing away to undiscovered seas...<br /> Oh time...

You call the book dreadful, a waste of time, and the worst book you have ever read.  I cannot say how completely I disagree with you. This book is deep, profound, and powerful

MAX!! said...
on Jul. 27 2010 at 12:14 pm

I think that the giver was a book that the author wanted to make people open their eyes. I read it in my class, and my teacher and i disagreed on alot of the subjects. i think that the way he adressed ti issues he wanted to expose was interesting, but all those subject are not really appriate for all ages.

the giver had alot of nasty things in it that made me sick. i didnt sleep well, after the release of the twin, and when me and my mother talked about it. i then knew that that happens in the world today.


on Jul. 27 2010 at 9:00 am
xAllegria BRONZE, Singapore, Other
1 article 2 photos 112 comments

Favorite Quote:
&Ccedil;a fait tellement du bien d&rsquo;aimer les gens qu&rsquo;on aime, que &ccedil;a finit par faire mal. Je sais pas comment on survit a &ccedil;a. Non franchement, je sais pas. LOL (laughing out loud) &reg;, Lola.

I didn't like the Giver either! Not the worst book I've ever read, I'd say, but definitely a disappointment. The plot and setting were interesting but Lois Lowry didn't use them as well as he could have, which is a pity. The ending isn't very satisfying either. Open endings are fine sometimes, but in this case the author gave no indication that Jonas's job was finished or succesful, and it makes the story seem a bit useless.

The Giver is not very thought-provoking, unless you are an english teacher who is the type to make your class find a deep signification to each chapter. I think it was meant to be thought-provoking, but Lois Lowry did not dig deep enough for it to be so. It is somehow poignant at times, but Lowry doesn't use it to his advantage as much as he could have.

It's a good book to study in, say, 4th grade. 


on Jul. 27 2010 at 8:37 am
kaddancer BRONZE, Efland, North Carolina
1 article 0 photos 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Someone once said; &#039;It&#039;s the good girls who keep the diaries, the bad girls don&#039;t have time.&#039; Me? I just wanna live a life I&#039;m gonna remember, even if I don&#039;t write it down.&quot; --Brooke Davis

Personally, I really disagree with you. My AIG class read this together, and we really took it to a deep level, talking about what the stuff might mean. The "Community" as they call it (I think), is an atempt at an Utopia, or a perfect world. The book goes to show that nothing can be perfect, because if it is, it really isn't perfect.

on Jul. 22 2010 at 12:41 pm
WritingLoverForever PLATINUM, Bowling Green, Ohio
32 articles 2 photos 198 comments

Favorite Quote:
It&#039;s not about success; it&#039;s about significance.<br /> <br /> No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

Personally, I have to say I disagree with you. I thought The Giver was a very captivating book. Some of the significant plot points were perplexing, and the very end left me completely lost, but the overall story was impressive.

It was not the best book I've ever read (it probably would not be on my Top 10 list), but it was obviously better than the book Anthem, another story of the same general concept as The Giver. Both are stories of a dystopian society in which one person breaks away and becomes knowledgable on the aspects of the content life we live every day. But ultimately, The Giver was just better-written and the story just draws your attention more. Anthem was an utter disappointment, and the portayal of the society seemed more like a tyranny-type government than what the author intended.

I know plenty of people from school who do not really like The Giver, but I'd have to say I am not one of them.


KandyMay said...
on Jul. 21 2010 at 7:26 pm
KandyMay, Central Point, Oregon
0 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit&quot;

Personally, I thought that The Giver was thought provoking. Depressing at times, but thought provoking.

The way Lois Lowry wrote it was well done, but the idea-the plot-of The Giver was what I found most interesting. 

Simply because it was something new for me, it would be 3.5 stars on a scale of 1-5.

 


on Jul. 18 2010 at 11:59 am
fahreekin-crazy BRONZE, Sharon, Massachusetts
1 article 0 photos 15 comments
I *definitely* have to disagree with you! The Giver was truly one of the best books I've ever read. The symbolism was masterful. Lois Lowry= AWESOME :D