The Giver by Lois Lowry is a fictional novel based on a society where there are no differences. There is no pain, no sadness, and no death. Parents are assigned kids that are not their own offspring. Children reach milestones as they progress through school.

The novel follows Jonas, a 12-year-old boy with two very close friends named Fiona and Asher. As these three turn 12, they are assigned with roles (job assignments) that they will do for the rest of their lives. Jonas is selected as the next receiver of memories, which is a very important job. The position requires him to keep his training secret and that there is no time to play. Jonas works with The Giver who transfers memories of the past to Jonas. He receives great memories of fun and excitement, but also receives memories of pain and sadness. Jonas and The Giver are the only ones that know of the past and understand the life outside of the community.

Jonas comes to find out that the community is messed up for the corrupt things they are hiding from the citizens. If a baby is born and is not strong enough, they will send the baby to “elsewhere”, which means they kill the baby. Once the elders get to a certain age, they also send them to “elsewhere”. Jonas sees that something has to change and that the people in the community need to know what has been taken from them. Jonas decides to leave the community to show the people the real meanings of life but runs into many problems along the way.

The novel shows how being unique and having thoughts is mandatory in a community. The novel was organized with a very unique storyline. It keeps you reading, making you want to know what is going to happen next. It’s a book for all ages, drawing you in and leaving you with lots to think about.