Lowry, L. (1993). The Giver. [Boston]: Houghton Mifflin.

In the Utopian world of Jonah, “sameness” means no pain or suffering, but also no love or true happiness.  When he is selected as the next “Receiver” in his twelfth year, he soon learns many of the truths hidden by his community.  When Jonah finally discovers a terrible fate will affect someone he cares about, he must take drastic measures to help his community make the changes that he believes must occur.

Like many other post-apocalyptic young adult fiction, The Giver creates a highly controlled society with limited knowledge or enlightenment. I was quickly drawn into this story, and soon discovered why “the stirrings” and other events caused this story to be frequently challenged. As the story began to close, I kept waiting for a satisfying conclusion, but it never came. I was shocked by the ambiguous ending, and closed the book with my jaws dropped and more questions than answers.  My initial frustration was quickly replaced with an avalanche of possibilities and theories as to what Lois Lowry meant.  I was also pleased to discover there are two other books related to The Giver, which I can’t wait to read!