The Giver · SelfCare Wellness Society

The Giver

This review was sent to us by subscriber Patti Gruyer. Thank you, Patti!

In her email she said ...

"I'd seen the movie and recently read the book because my 12 year old daughter brought it home. It gave us great questions to think about and talk about. I hope it does the same for you."

The story is about a boy named Jonas who lives in a community where everything looks perfect.

There’s no pain, no hunger, and no war.

But there’s also no color, no music, and no big feelings like love or sadness. At first, it sounds nice… but the more you read, the more you see how much is missing.

Jonas is chosen for a very special job: he becomes the Receiver of Memory.

This means he gets to learn about all the memories of the world, both the happy and the painful ones. Through this, he discovers how important feelings really are.

One thing I loved about this book is how it makes you ask questions like:

What would life be like if we didn’t feel love?

Would life be better without pain, or would it take away what makes us human?

The ending leaves you guessing and I liked that. So did my daughter - she put a lot of thought into what she wanted the ending to be.

Here’s why I think The Giver is worth reading:

✨ It’s written in simple words but has big ideas.

✨ It shows why feelings, even hard ones, matter.

✨ It’s one of those books that stays in your head long after you finish it.

In short, The Giver isn’t just a story. It’s a reminder that life is special because we can feel everything... the good and the bad.

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I've watched the movie and then read the book. Of course, the book is better! And while it is written for young people...it's a fabulous story and I can't say it any better than what is in the book description:

Told with deceptive simplicity, this is the provocative story of a boy who experiences something incredible and undertakes something impossible. In the telling it questions every value we have taken for granted and reexamines our most deeply held beliefs.

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