"The Giver" by Lois Lowry

"The Giver" by Lois Lowry was not on my radar as a potential read. It was published 30 years ago, in 1993, when I was 32 years old -- and, as a book aimed at children/young adults (and often taught in schools), I obviously have not been exposed to it through my kids.  

But then I learned that Lori Lavender Luz and her colleagues at Adoption Unfiltered will be co-hosting a discussion of the book, using the lens of adoption, on Thursday, Sept. 28th -- and my interest was piqued.  I'd been dithering over what my next read should be, happily downloaded a copy to my e-reader and started reading. 

12-year-old Jonah lives a placid, even-keeled existence with his parents and younger sister. There are strict rules and rituals that govern even the smallest details of their lives.  Every night, they share and examine their feelings in great detail.  Jonas is nervous about the upcoming Ceremony, at which he and all the other 12-year-olds will find out what roles they've been assigned for the rest of their lives.  He's also having strange dreams, prompting his mother to give him pills that stop them. We slowly come to realize that beneath the surface, this seemingly idyllic community is not quite what it seems...  

This is not a long read (it took me just a few hours, spread over the weekend). The language used is simple -- but the ideas & themes presented are complex, sometimes unsettling/disturbing, and (to some) controversial. There's a lot here that will sound familiar to those of us in the adoption/loss/infertility and even childless communities. Not surprisingly, it's a book that's often challenged/banned.  

I can't say I LIKED "The Giver" -- but it did make me think, and I'll be thinking about it for a while yet. It's the first book in a series of four. I'm not sure I'll be following up with the others, but I'm not sorry I read this one. And I'll look forward to the discussion with Lori & her co-hosts on Sept. 28th. If you're interested, you can find more details here! 

3.5 stars on StoryGraph, rounded down to 3 stars on Goodreads. 

This was Book #34 read to date in 2023 (and Book #2 finished in September), bringing me to 76% of my 2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books. I am (for the moment, anyway...!) 2 books ahead of schedule. :)  You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2023 tagged as "2023 books."