Book Review: The Giver

After finishing "The Giver" last week, I immediately wanted to march into my middle school and tell them what a mistake they made not having us read it!

Disclaimer: I have not seen the movie, so going into this book, I really had no idea what to expect.

A quick preview:

Jonas lives in a society that strives for its people to live a life of no fear, pain, or worry. At a special ceremony, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the future Receiver, one of the most revered jobs in his community. But as he spends more time with The Giver, Jonas learns things that change him forever.

I'm a sucker for a good plot, so I can pretty much read any book and enjoy it. However, this book contained a philosophical component that I couldn't get over. Maybe the philosophy class I'm currently in inspired me, but while reading I kept thinking about Aristotle and his belief in accepting an intelligent superhuman to save society from our flaws (I swear Lowry must have known about those beliefs Aristotle held).

While there are many dystopian novels out there, this one takes a unique perspective on the concept. Instead of the main character trying to "save" his/her society, Lowry's character learns about the community he lives in and how it became like that. He only takes action at the very end, but his decisions don't exactly affect everyone else.

I've only ever heard great things about this novel, and I'm so glad I read it! Even though middle school children are reading this throughout the country, I believe adults can actually get more out of "The Giver" and understand the philosophical aspects beyond the plot.

Gina

P.S. I'm already 100 pages through "The Book Thief" and have really enjoyed the unique writing style; I can't wait to get further into Liesel's adventures! (Again, haven't seen this movie either)

Bookworm

As I previously mentioned, I got a few books for Christmas that I'm very excited to delve into! I also finished a few more recently, so all will be shared with you!

Books Read Last Semester:

The Seasons of Rome - Paul Hofmann

If you have ever visited, lived in, or fallen in love with Rome, this book is definitely for you! Hofmann writes about his daily life in Rome during the 1990s, describing incidents scarily similar to ones that still occur today (even though it's been 20 years, there is still no Roman bus schedule).

The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion

Combine a socially inept genetics professor with a wild young woman named Rosie who's on the hunt for her biological father, and you've got yourself quite a story. I was recommended this book because Don (the professor) expresses behavioral oddities commonly seen in those on the autism spectrum; since I'm pre-occupational therapy, this book really sparked my interest early on. The way the relationships develop in this book are pretty weird, but that just made it even more hilarious!

What Alice Forgot - Liane Moriarty

After a fictional woman named Alice takes a fall at the gym, she forgets the last decade of her life and doesn't understand anything that seems to be going on in her current 39-year-old life. As Alice begins to remember things, her personality continually flip-flops. Not only did I find this book interesting due to Alice's amnesia (another OT thing), but it was also mind-opening to see how ten years can change someone's personality and view on life.

Books Received for Christmas:

The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks

Leaving Time - Jodi Picoult

Me Before You - Jojo Moyes

The Giver - Lois Lowry

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

I can't wait to dive into my new collections! The last two have short chapters and are perfectly laid out for reading before bed this coming spring semester.

Have you read and loved any of my new books?

Gina