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It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. Thus opens this haunting novel in which a boy inhabits a seemingly ideal world: a world without conflict, poverty, unemployment, divorce, injustice, or inequality. December is the time of the annual Ceremony at which each twelve year old receives a life assignment from the Elders. Jonas's friend Fiona is named Caretaker of the Old. His cheerful pal Asher becomes the Assistant Director of Recreation. But Jonas has been chosen for something special. When his selection leads him to an unnamed man known only as the Giver, Jonas begins to sense the dark secrets that underlie the fragile perfection of his world.

Average Customer Rating:

Very quick and great read.

Customer Rating:

This is probably one of the books that I read through the fastest. It kept me interested throughout and was difficult to put down. This is one of the first books to ever make me keep reading so I could find out what happens next. I told myself I was only going to read one more chapter and ended up reading three more before going to bed. One of the great things about this book is that it is very short and very easy to read. This isn't one of my favorite books I have ever read but it was very enjoyable and I definitely recommend it.

Very Powerful Book About How We Cope With New Ideas

Customer Rating:

I read this book twice. The first time, I read it in one night, which I rarely do. The second time, I finished it in two nights. It's basically about a 12-year-old boy named Jonas who lives in a perfect world. There is no crime, no poverty, no illness. Everyone is happy and all is well. Then he and his friends are given their careers. Jonas gets the job of retaining memories of how things used to be--before the world became a perfect place to live. He visits an old man called "The Giver" who is the one who gives Jonas the memories. Over time, as Jonas receives these memories, his entire view of the world changes as he learns what is real and what he has been taught. For example, he starts to see color. Apparently, this peaceful, ideal world is in black and white. I thought this was a fantastic idea. Then Jonas stopped taking pills that he, his friends, and adults take. These pills inhibit sexual desire. In fact, no one has sex. There are birth mothers who carry babies and that is how the human race continues. Well, when Jonas stops taking these pills, he starts getting these desires, such as falling in love with his childhood girl friend. He also recalls pain, illness and war. So it's not all pleasant stuff that he's being taught. This book is actually more gloomy than books I typically read but the author did a terrific job of pulling me into Jonas' world and I had to keep wondering what was going to happen next. Some of it made me cry. *spoiler alert* He discovers that babies who aren't developing normally are euthanized and when the elderly reach a certain age, they are euthanized as well. But you see, the people in this world are told that the babies are going to another family and that the elderly are having a big party before they head off somewhere else. It is Jonas' love that develops for the baby his father brought home to nuture (because the baby wasn't developing normally--he had delays in his development) that leads Jonas to run away with the baby before the baby can be euthanized. Well, Jonas manages to escape with the baby and he's searching for the place where people will be like him (now that he's changed). The final thing Jonas experiences (after who knows how long he's been gone) is sledding down a hill at Christmas time and looking into the window of a house where a Christmas tree is hung and there is a fire in the fireplace and there's love and happiness. Then the author makes it clear that this is a memory that he dies remembering. Very sad. I still get teary when I remember it because I really wanted Jonas and the baby to make it. Now on the flip side, it wasn't a completely sad ending. When Jonas escaped, the memories he contained "leaked out" and the people began to remember these things as well. The book ends with the people coming to the Giver and wanting to know what to do about these memories, some good, some bad. The problem with the perfect world was that people lost their humanity. Even though pain is part of the human experience, good emotions are part of it too, and to give up the bad, they had to give up the good. Love and compassion seemed to be the thing these people needed the most, and at last, they will get it back.

Beautiful Read	Customer Rating:
This book is beautiful. I had to read it in middle school, and then read it again multiple times when I was in high school and college. I suggest it to anyone. It really makes you think and it is so easy to relate to the main character. The world portrayed by this author is so vivid! Read and enjoy!

Easy reading

Customer Rating:

I got through this book in one sitting. It was quite captivating. If you are a fan of "The Outer Limits" or "The Twighlight Zone" you might really like this book since it was like reading an episode of a story from one of those shows. The only reason I give it only four stars is that it felt as if the author could have done more with it in the end. It was like he got bored writing the story and punctuated with an ending.

Amazing.	Customer Rating:
I read this in 7th grade and loved the book. I recently ran out of books and I read it over again (I'm a college freshman) and loved it even more. The plot is amazing, the characters make it even better. This is truly a piece of art, and the meaning behind the book is astounding. I would definitely suggest this book for a good page-turner to all ages.