S Ingersole

This was an assignment in school and I thought “why not post it” so here is my review/ plot summary: The giver is a dystopian novel about a boy named Jonas who lived in a “Perfect” world. He did not know the world behind the walls. There are many orderly rules and it makes everyone try to fit in, such as you must apologise for interrupting someone and it is standard to say “I accept your apology {name}.” The families work differently as well. You could apply for a wife or husband, and the government would decide who you would be put with. After 3 years of being together they can apply for children and this is where the jobs are explained. At the end of the year, December, everyone would move up an age. You can do this at the ceremonies at the end of the year. Each year you move up, you earn something, from as simple from a jacket with pockets, to a brand new shiny bicycle! When you become a twelve, you get an assignment, which is basically your job. One of the jobs is a nurturer. To explain family units. I will explain the jobs Birthmother, and Nurturer. Families don’t have their own children, they receive them from nurturers. The Birthmothers will have the children, and the Nurturers will care for the children until they turn one, at the ceremonies. The parents who applied for kids will then receive the children at the ceremony. If one of the kids was a bit different, they would be released. Jonas never understood releasing, but he knew you would get released for 3 reasons. One, being a twin of a child and being the lighter twin. (Also the one I just explained) If you were born a twin, they wouldn’t allow two of the same people, so the lighter of the two would be released. Two, breaking major rules three times, (basically strikes.) Like workplaces, there are strikes. You can get one by breaking a major rule or breaking many little rules repetitively. And the third reason is when you get old, you get a release, but it was more of a celebration then a punishment. There is one more way you can get a release though, which is applying for one. In this world, there was no colour, no music, no love. They all did not know what all of this was, so they never felt bad about it. The story really starts the day Jonas gets his assignment. He was selected to be the receiver of memories. Overall, 5 stars.