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The Giver by Lois Lowry MAG

By Bapalapa2 ELITE, Brooklyn, New York
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Bapalapa2 ELITE, Brooklyn, New York
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After reading The Giver, I was left confused and disappointed. It seemed as if it would be interesting, but you can't judge a book by its cover. The contents were dull and predictable. Quite honestly, I wouldn't recommend it to any reader seeking a fine piece of literature. It just doesn't suffice.

The Giver is about a young boy named Jonas. He resides in a futuristic society in which each citizen is assigned a job, a spouse, and children. The children are born to mothers who will never get to see them. Trying not to give anymore away, I will only say that Jonas is assigned an important job and is challenged with the release of an innocent child. Jonas is left with the option of leaving his home, job, and family to save the child, or facing the harsh reality of his community and job, and enduring the release of the child.

This book was dreadful. I became more and more dissatisfied with each page. It was a waste of time and hardly made sense. I'll admit, there were a few interesting lines, but far too few to continue reading after the first chapter. Although I finished it, I regret doing so. It was, by far, the worst book I've ever picked up. It proved to be mediocre, no better than what the average person could conceive. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

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This article has 587 comments.

Ninja_Writer BRONZE said...
on Jun. 2 2010 at 6:12 pm
Ninja_Writer BRONZE, Western Springs, Illinois
3 articles 0 photos 27 comments
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I hated hated hated this book! I totally agree with you there. It was slow and confusing, and the way it ends just aggravated me.
twilight_teen14 GOLD said...
on Jun. 2 2010 at 3:04 pm
twilight_teen14 GOLD, Moline, Illinois
13 articles 0 photos 44 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;And then we continued blissfully into this small, but perfect piece of our forever....&quot; -Bella Cullen- Breaking Dawn.<br /> &quot;Gandhi said that whatever you do in life will be insignificant. But it&#039;s very important that you do it.&quot;<br /> &ldquo;Everyone&rsquo;s stars, don&rsquo;t get your hopes up, learn the ropes and climb the ladder and know in the end, that just being here is the best and it only gets better.&rdquo;

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Also, with the whole 'assign' everything.....so wrong.
twilight_teen14 GOLD said...
on Jun. 2 2010 at 3:03 pm
twilight_teen14 GOLD, Moline, Illinois
13 articles 0 photos 44 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;And then we continued blissfully into this small, but perfect piece of our forever....&quot; -Bella Cullen- Breaking Dawn.<br /> &quot;Gandhi said that whatever you do in life will be insignificant. But it&#039;s very important that you do it.&quot;<br /> &ldquo;Everyone&rsquo;s stars, don&rsquo;t get your hopes up, learn the ropes and climb the ladder and know in the end, that just being here is the best and it only gets better.&rdquo;

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It was an interesting book to read so I will not agree with you on that point. Otherwise, I did NOT like this book because it was disturbing on so many levels. The whole thing with 'releasing' was so wrong! Plus, a community with no wrongs, MADE A HUGE WRONG! It didn't give people choices or let them see in color. Except for Jonas, Gabriel, and The Giver. I'll agree with you there. And it was confusing, especially the end.
BeYOUtiful_13 BRONZE said...
on May. 31 2010 at 6:34 am
BeYOUtiful_13 BRONZE, Tinley Park, Illinois
4 articles 1 photo 98 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it&#039;s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.&rdquo;<br /> ~Marilyn Monroe

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yeah i agree. but it still was a good review
foreverever008 BRONZE said...
on May. 22 2010 at 10:58 pm
foreverever008 BRONZE, Portland, Oregon
1 article 0 photos 35 comments
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I love the Outsiders!! Loved the giver, too.

 

foreverever008 BRONZE said...
on May. 22 2010 at 10:57 pm
foreverever008 BRONZE, Portland, Oregon
1 article 0 photos 35 comments
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Yes!  Exactly!
CaityBug SILVER said...
on May. 22 2010 at 10:47 pm
CaityBug SILVER, Mechanic Falls, Maine
8 articles 3 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I&#039;m cracking skulls!&quot; -Vernon (The Breakfast Club)

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I actually really liked this book and, while I understand that people hae different tastes in literature, I believe you were a bit harsh.
tiredandhungry said...
on May. 22 2010 at 10:27 pm
I think that pretty much summed up the problem :)  I fully agree.
tiredandhungry(: said...
on May. 22 2010 at 10:25 pm
I can understand why you would find this book confusing, but I don't think that it was "dull and predictable".  The author had some very unique ideas of how this society was ran.  I admit, it wasn't the most gripping book, but it is definately a very fine piece of literature.  It's just a matter of understanding what the author was trying to say (moral terms and such).  Not very many people liked it that I know of, and it wasn't a book that I would call my favorite, but I think a lot of people can't get passed the "confusing" and "boring" part of it to really enjoy it. 
Ramzan SILVER said...
on May. 22 2010 at 4:05 pm
Ramzan SILVER, Loveland, Ohio
8 articles 0 photos 29 comments
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I didn't like this book all that much either. I understood it, and it made sense, but it was just so...boring. The idea seemed so bland and cliche.
Eilatan GOLD said...
on May. 22 2010 at 2:47 pm
Eilatan GOLD, Old Greenwich, Connecticut
11 articles 1 photo 307 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Nobody is normal. Everybody in the world is a weirdo freak. Except you, which makes you a weirdo freak.&quot;

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it was of the future. it doesn't have to make sense.
FlyingNewt BRONZE said...
on May. 22 2010 at 11:43 am
FlyingNewt BRONZE, Bloomington, Indiana
1 article 4 photos 64 comments
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i loved this book. its one of my favorite books, sorry you didn't like it
UnwrittenWolf said...
on May. 21 2010 at 12:11 pm
UnwrittenWolf, Novi, Michigan
0 articles 0 photos 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Our greatest desires are those that which hurt us in the end.&quot;

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I really enjoed the book, it has a deep meaning to it all the way to the end. It really makes you think about life...
chartothalatte GOLD said...
on May. 20 2010 at 9:37 am
chartothalatte GOLD, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
10 articles 1 photo 62 comments
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i really enjoyed this book! it was captivating and interesting. i'm sorry you didn't enjoy it because you're missing out on a great piece of literature.
sunnyhunny PLATINUM said...
on May. 8 2010 at 8:46 am
sunnyhunny PLATINUM, Litchfield, New Hampshire
22 articles 3 photos 329 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.&quot;<br /> -Ghandi

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I loved this book.  The words are simple, but there is so much hidden behind them.  I advise you to take a closer look at the true meaning of this book.
deJoisey SILVER said...
on May. 6 2010 at 9:19 pm
deJoisey SILVER, South Plainfield, New Jersey
5 articles 1 photo 4 comments
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I picked up The Giver a few years back.  It is an intriguing book. It picks at your subconscious. Reading it, you feel that there is more to it - a spiritual side - hanging just outside the periphery of your understanding.  The man on the cover reminds me of Willie Nelson.  
lnvo97 GOLD said...
on May. 5 2010 at 7:57 pm
lnvo97 GOLD, Chicago, Illinois
15 articles 0 photos 40 comments

Favorite Quote:
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; <br /> Matthew 5:44

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lol !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =D
_NoAir_ BRONZE said...
on May. 5 2010 at 4:58 pm
_NoAir_ BRONZE, Toronto, Other
4 articles 1 photo 463 comments

Favorite Quote:
There are as many ways to live as there are people in this world. Each one deserves a closer look.<br /> <br /> <br /> &ndash;Golly (Harriet The Spy)

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Yeah, there are good and bad things about not having colours, but from their eyes, colours can be dangerous. They can cause racism, judgements, etc. It's not a bad or good book. I just find it strange, and it gives me wonderous thoughts and ideas to add in this book.

 

By the way, you're not going against me. It's an opinion, and I never get mad about them. Lol!

lnvo97 GOLD said...
on May. 5 2010 at 4:41 pm
lnvo97 GOLD, Chicago, Illinois
15 articles 0 photos 40 comments

Favorite Quote:
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; <br /> Matthew 5:44

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Zavery, im got going against you there. but how would you know beauty without knowing any color???even though beauty is to the eye of the beholder, many things that we consider beautiful consist of color.
_NoAir_ BRONZE said...
on May. 5 2010 at 4:10 pm
_NoAir_ BRONZE, Toronto, Other
4 articles 1 photo 463 comments

Favorite Quote:
There are as many ways to live as there are people in this world. Each one deserves a closer look.<br /> <br /> <br /> &ndash;Golly (Harriet The Spy)

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Invo, I'm not going to disrespect your opinion, but just question yourself a few questions about the book. Every question has a moral. For example, "Why did the community remove colours and make the world grey?" Perhaps it was because of racism. Was it because giving your opinion of colours for your clothes can be a bad expression? Take an example of school uniforms, like they're pretty much colourless. You can learn so much from that book. Sorry, just wanted to let it out.    :)