The Giver by Lois Lowry

This book was recommended to me a few years ago but I never got around to reading it. It is in constant use in the library as a novel study so it can be hard to get your hands on it. Then it was chosen as a book club selection and returned to the library at the same time so I took it as my lunch break reading.

I don't always love utopian/dystopian books but something about this one grabbed me right from the start. I loved it and have Darcy reading it now.

This is the story of Jonas a young man about to become "a twelve". You quickly learn that in his society, uniqueness is not valued. You don't get to choose your spouse, when you will have children or even how many children you will have. Once your spouse is chosen for you and you spend a few years together then you will have the opportunity to apply for a child. You will eventually apply for two children, one male, one female. These children are born to assigned birth mothers, so very few women have to undergo pregnancy. No one has their own birthday, all children born in a year advance ages at the same time. In fact, there is a ceremony each year where the milestone is marked and some new privilege is granted (such as a coat with pockets, a haircut that allows you to remove your hair ribbons or a bicycle). However, when you turn 12 your life's work is assigned to you. You will have had the opportunity to volunteer in different areas of the community so you will know where your aptitudes lie. Jonas, however, has enjoyed many different types of work so he has no idea what his assignment will be and he is very nervous about the different possibilities. But when he does finally receive his assignment, it is completely different from what he expected and it begins to change him in ways he didn't think possible. He learns that their perfect society may not be so perfect after all. What will that mean for him?

This is a short book, really aimed at younger readers so it is a quick read. I loved the characters, I loved the questions it raised. Yes, having these life decisions made for you can save a lot of pain and sadness in life, but it also removes a lot of joy. How do you balance that? What is more important?

There are more books in the series but not with the same characters. I am hoping to read those too but our library doesn't have them. I'm definitely interested to read more about this society.

All in all, this was a big hit for me. A great read!