The Giver

Rating:4 ⭐Summary:Jonas lives in a community in which the people have little to no choice–they are assigned their spouse, their family, dwelling, and job. This may keep order and peace, however, is it worth it? Jonas is selected to become the community's Receiver-of-Memories, a highly honored position in the community. Jonas begins to receive instruction from the current Receiver, who he calls the Giver, and with it, comes the memories of the far distant past. Jonas realizes wonderful things–colors, warmth, love, family–have been taken from humanity for the sake of Sameness and peace. He also experiences memories of horrible loneliness, loss, war, and tragedy. Is the removal of such horrible memories worth the peace and safety that come from putting all of the memories and horrible feelings onto one person?Review:A very quick read that provokes many different thoughts. Is human existence worth the tragedy that comes with it? It reminds me of a lot of the points brought up in [b:The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas 92625 The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas Ursula K. Le Guin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389866872l/92625.SX50.jpg 89324]. Is one person's suffering worth the safety and peace for the rest of the community? As a kid when I read this, I really did not enjoy the ending. I wanted to know what happened with Jonas and with the Giver. However, I do find it a stronger ending by not knowing. We can look to the past and make our best judgment, but the future is unknown and may not work out like we had thought. A great read. one that I will read again in my life. I do wonder how the community got to this point and what happened and more about the giver, but it's good.