Reason #1: The Descriptive Writing
The first reason you should read this book is because of the amazing descriptive writing in The Giver. Every little detail is explained in some scenes. One example of descriptive writing is in one of the memories Jonas receives: “He heard voices calling to one another. Peering from the place where he stood hidden behind some shrubbery, he was reminded of The Giver had told him, that there had been a time when flesh had different colors. Two of these men had dark brown skin; the others were light. Going closer, he watched them hack the tusks from a motionless elephant on the ground and haul them away, splattered with blood. He felt himself overwhelmed with a new perception of the color he knew as red. Then the men were gone, speeding toward the horizon in a vehicle that spit pebbles form its whirling tires. One hit his forehead and stung him there. But the memory continued, though Jonas ached now for it to end. Now he saw another elephant emerge from the place where it had stood in the trees. Very slowly it walked to the mutilated body and looked down. With its sinuous trunk it stroked the huge corpse; then it reached up, broke some leafy branches with a snap, and draped them over the mass of torn thick flesh. Finally it tilted its massive head, raised its trunk and roared into the empty landscape. Jonas had never heard such a sound. It was a sound of rage and grief and it seemed never to end” (Lowry 100). This is a great example of the descriptive writing in this book because Lowry describes this scene so well you can almost hear the sound of the elephant roaring. She skillfully paints a picture in the readers mind and you can see exactly what she is writing and picturing in her own head. This is not the only example of descriptive writing; if you read it you will find tons of it. Every chapter has at least one scene that is described beautifully. You should read this book because Lois Lowry uses amazing descriptions to paint a picture of the scene she is writing about.
Reason #2: It is a Fast Read
The second reason you should read The Giver is because it is a very fast read. It took me a little over a week to read, and that was with a super busy schedule. You could probably read this book in 3 days if you are a fast reader, like me. The book is a fast read because of three reasons: the reading level it is written at, the fast pace, and the paragraph sizes. First of all, the level this book is written at is fairly easy reading level. The Lexile score is 760 so it is right in the middle. Also the plot is not hard to keep up with or confusing. In addition, The Giver is fast paced. In my opinion, the plot advances quickly so that makes reading the book go faster. Finally, the paragraph sizes make the book go fast. Most of the paragraphs are short or medium in length. There are a few long ones here or there, but most are similar in length along with the chapters. The shorter paragraphs make reading go faster so the book goes fast. If you like shorter books then definitely read The Giver.
Reason #3: Interesting Plot
The third reason I would recommend someone to read this book is for the interesting plot. When I started the book, I did not expect it to end the way it did or go the way it did at all. The author explains the exposition very quickly, but in a unique way. She starts with Jonas thinking about the Ceremony of Twelve. Then it goes into a flashback about him being frightened about a pilot flying over the Community. Then it goes back to the present, and then another flashback introducing Jonas’ friend Asher, and then back to present again where a quick introduction of Jonas’ family happens. I really liked how the beginning of the story was set up because it was unique and interesting, like the rest of the plot line. After the exposition, Lowry sometimes uses cliffhangers at the end of chapters. One example of a cliffhanger is: “She skipped me, Jonas thought, stunned. … A mistake. She had made a mistake. But Jonas knew, as he had the thought, that she hadn’t. The Chief Elder made no mistakes. Not at the Ceremony of Twelve. … What had he done wrong?”(Lowry 57 & 58). This cliffhanger is at the end of a chapter when Jonas gets skipped at his Ceremony. Lois Lowry skillfully makes us wait until the next chapter, which thankfully is on the next page, to find out why Jonas was skipped. I also like how Lowry often writes about Jonas’ direct thoughts such as “He paused. I know I have to tell it all, Jonas thought, that it w sot only all right but necessary to tell all of a dream. So he forced himself to relate the part that made him uneasy” (Lowry 36). And finally, the ending of the book is very unique and I feel like the book just kind of ends. Still, the ending is very well thought out and an interesting way to say ‘the end’. The plot is interesting in The Giver because of the exposition, the cliffhangers, the direct thoughts, and the ending.
Reason #4: Good Life Lessons from the Themes
The fourth reason you should read this book is because of the life lessons we can learn from the themes. One of the themes is “Individual Expression Should be Valued”. This is an educational life lesson because it shows that being different is normal. Some people want to be the same so that they are accepted in today’s society. However, Lowry proves to us that conformity is dangerous just like people without individuality. When there is no individuality, there is rebellion. So if people are allowed to be themselves, they will be happier and not try and over throw the government. Some people want there to be no individuality to anyone and have everyone be uniform, but it is very important for people to be individuals and be themselves so that they can grow as people and become wise from memories they have. In Jonas’ society the only wise ones are Jonas and The Giver. They are the only ones with memories of the past, the rest of the citizens have no memories of pain, which makes them unwise. They know little about the actions they are doing. You can learn a lot from the many themes presented in this book, and there are a lot of themes.