*Spoiler review
I knew nothing about The Giver by the time I decided to read it just a couple of days earlier, picking it from recommendations by Goodreads, based on what I have already read.
I feel quite guilty with my final rating because up until the last few chapters, I had it between 4-5 rating, so I'll try to justify (if possible) about why I settle at 3.
The book is well written, it is easy to read, very interesting, and I didn't put it down when I had the time. Reading the bizarre world revealed page by page totally unspoiled is fascinating to me.
It starts as an ordinary story, a small family, school kids, then things start to get weird when we learn about the age group, the role of the kids/adults, and I think when it's up to 'The Stirring' part, the idea is already very well established in my head.
Then we dive deeper once The Giver is introduced to us, and it's intriguing to see how Jonas starts to see the world differently based on what he knows. The writing is beautiful, it brings me there whenever it describes the new settings and feelings for Jonas. He comes to understand about ignorance, products of brainwashing and the lack of free will from everyone around him. He starts to understand that even though it seems ideal, the world he is living in may not be the world worth living. He is tortured by what he knows and others don't, what he feels and the burden of knowing and having those memories.
So, those are great and heartwarming. The saying that ignorance is bliss never feels more relevant. How many times I have heard terms like what you've never had you never miss, heck, I even have that term in my story.
And this is why I love the book, it has a different, unique and brilliant way to show us that. Hidden inside those is the fact that Jonas can learn everything so easily means that we always have it in us. So I enjoyed every page of it until it was suddenly gone. The book had come to an end.
Reading with kindle, for me, unless I actively check it, I'm not really sure how many pages I have left, unlike a physical book.
So all of a sudden, I have finished the book. But...? It was late at night, so today I checked the information about the book and found out that there are sequels. I don't really venture into reading too much about them, just in case I want to read those sequels, except that they could be read as standalone books but in the same universe, and the second book is seven years apart from The Giver.
Personally, even though reading the book was a very enjoyable experience, something integral is missing here. I think a book should have a strong essence by itself even though it is part of a series, even though it has sequels (but seven years?). We see a lot of these in books and TV series, there is always something solid we can grip from the first book or season One, something valuable that sets the world, some answers, I think that is missing from The Giver and unfortunately, that is my main reason that I have to settle as 3 stars. I probably will get a satisfying answer from the sequel, but to me, a book should be reviewed as its own.
I have to admit that I feel conflicted by it, because I really do like the book.
From the Giver, I learned that this is a different world than what we live in, where everyone is robbed of their free will, desire and freedom. They have become these robotic humans who do their roles as crafted. Sameness, is what the book calls it, a society without colors that is sheltered from everything bad and (good) in life. But then we are told that those things exist, and we are told that there are some genetic manipulations, it was mentioned once, about Fiona's hair. So, what are those? What or who is behind the creation of this world? Why does it exist? What is the purpose? Why?
I get that it's possible that it's up for the reader's interpretation, but that is only fun when we have more clues.
I try to find the answer myself and fail miserably. Maybe, they are created as the 'wheel' for the actual world out there. Working cows, that are manipulated and maintained the way they are for the purpose of the 'real' world. But then, it was told that they barely sustain their own society. Having more kids would mean hunger, so they are not the 'wheel', as it seems like they barely survive themselves.
We are also told here and there that there are questions and dissatisfactions, Jonas's mother commenting about the mundane life of Birthmothers, a student who ran away, Rosemary and the memory she released just ten years ago ,and reliance on control by the pills that can be easily manipulated. From here, at least we know the concept of Sameness is weak at best, they seem to still have a lot of awareness that not everyone is created equal. I find it difficult to believe that society is still running the way it is, and not many people are getting wiser.
And Jonas's father must be a psychopath.
The twists and the revelations in this world are mostly about something we have already known, like the release. It is barely a twist because we know it. So besides the introduction of this bizarre world, we barely know anything about it, and we are not told anything about the outside world's connection (that is established as a 'normal' world, that may or may not exists anymore).
If this world has a purpose and the normal world exists, don't you think having someone like The Giver is the biggest unnecessary loophole they could create?
Rating: 3 new name tags out of 5 bicycles
.
