My Book Reviews!


The Giver by Lois Lowry

Hi all! It’s Ariadne here. Today’s topic is about an issue I would like to discuss that is shown in the marvellous novel, The Giver written by Lois Lowry.
Here’s a little summary reminder of the story, if you haven’t read it yet I suggest you should before coming back and reading this! :)
And of course, SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

The Giver is a dystopian novel for young adults. It tells the story of a young boy named Jonas. He lives in one of the communities that have been formed and sectioned off from the world we know today. Each community has its differences and similarities but all of them have erased the past of the world from their minds. Everything from the outside world that includes differences, uniqueness, evil, kindness etc. is all gone. Everyone must tell the truth, everyone is made ideally, the rules are in order to prevent bad things from happening but if there’s no bad, how can there be any good? Jonas’ community has many rules to keep their community in order, to make it ‘perfect.’ Everyone is expected to be flawless and they must abide in what others expect them to. Those in charge are a group of people called the Elders, they are the wisest but the wisest of them all is the Receiver of Memory. Generation after generation, the task of the Receiver of Memory is given down, the person is given the memories of the outside world of how things used to be before their communities from the previous receiver. They possess these memories to gain knowledge. Jonas is chosen to be the next Receiver of Memory. The previous receiver, now Giver, gives him the memories he has. Jonas becomes aware of the outside world that had differences, fun, colours, music and freedom. He wants a change. He knows that although many things had been gotten rid of for the peoples’ benefits, but how could people possibly live without freedom and the choice to do anything at all. First of all, I must say this book is amazing! I would definitely recommend it to everyone who enjoys fictional novels that are dystopian based. I would rate this book a 5/5.

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Perfectly Imperfect

I would also like to address that the story has a very deep, touching meaning behind it. It shows how being ‘perfect’ may not always be perfect. The earth and universe may throw things at us that may be unexpected and we don’t know what to do or maybe we make the wrong decisions. We are not faultless but that’s what makes life full of adventure, full of surprises. In the story, Jonas discovers that there used to be war, conflict, injustice but they had gotten rid of all that. But alongside getting rid of the bad things, they got rid of the good things like music, colour, dancing, different families, traditions, culture and much more. The story shows that just how much bad happens in the world, everything happens for a reason and we can always make a change because we have the choice and freedom. Just like after the Christchurch terrorist attack, New Zealand came together to comfort one another, even others from around the world got together to send their prayers to us.
This is because, without war, we wouldn’t know peace and harmony. Without tragedy, we wouldn’t know miracles, without hate, we wouldn’t know love. Without darkness, there is no light.

Sometimes we take life for granted because it’s harsh and brutal but this book opens up and shows us how life would be without all these things. It reflects how our choices have meaning and that the universe is how it is for a reason. It makes us realise that maybe a ‘perfect’ world isn’t so perfect. Now, this problem in society is big, everyone and everything is expected to be flawless and if people don't reach others' expectations, they are made fun of, ignored, pitied, bullied etc. but why? Why are these expectations set? Why must we all be perfect and the same? We should embrace our differences, our talents, our beauty, our intelligence, our bodies and everything. We must love ourselves and each other and our world the way things are because we were all made perfect in the eyes of God.