Where Jonas lives, life is predictable, safe, and orderly. People hardly make their own choices; every aspect of a person’s life is carefully planned. Everything’s decided for them by the Committee of Elders. Where Jonas lives, there is no snow or sunshine, no colors or music, no animals or nature, and worst of all, no love. In December, Jonas and the other Elevens will become Twelves and they will be assigned jobs for them to do in the community. They will have many responsibilities. Jonas is chosen to have the most honored, mysterious, and important job: The Receiver of Memories. A Receiver of Memories is the one person with access to memories of the past. Jonas begins his training with the current Receiver whom he calls Giver. Giver gives memories of the past to Jonas – memories of things that Jonas never knew of. At first, Jonas receives memories of good, happy things like love and sunshine. But the Giver must also give Jonas memories of loneliness, wars, poverty, hunger, grief, and rage. He will have to carry the burden of knowing the pain. Jonas realizes that the community he lives in is not all it seems. He also realizes that there are different and better ways to live. This book is a really fantastic book, but it is hard to understand. It’s a book that I’m sure you’ll never forget. I recommend it to both boys and girls.

Emily N.