The Giver is a middle grade dystopian about a boy who, upon receiving an unusual work assignment at age twelve, discovers his perfect community is hiding some huge flaws beneath the surface. To anyone who knows my taste in books today, it’s likely no surprise that this book was one that I loved back then and that stuck with me ever since. Rereading as an adult, I was more conscious of how simplistic some aspects of this story are. While I think that’s probably par for the course for most middle grade, my only recent middle grade experience is reading Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, which I felt was vastly more sophisticated. I also got bogged down on a few picky details, which was honestly unnecessary but I couldn’t help myself from getting annoyed.⁣
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This book is only about 150 pages, and it packs quite a bit into that space, building out Jonas’ world swiftly and detailing a full year in his life. It asks interesting questions about the comparative worth of individuality vs sameness, and order vs emotions. I wish the resolution was more drawn out, and for more nuanced explorations at times, but I think the book accomplishes its aims admirably, especially for young readers.⁣