The Giver (Giver Quartet, #1)

by Lois Lowry

[Kelly]

What the effing eff is that ending? That's just cruel. Seeing the next book is about someone entirely different, is there no conclusion?
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2015/03/the-giver-by-lois-lowry.html
I really enjoyed it, but now I'm in a pissy mood. The Giver wasn't at all what I'd expected. While it certainly didn't live up to the praise, I did enjoy it nonetheless. It follows the story of Jonas, a boy who sees beyond the world he lives in. Reminiscent of a cult like community, no one challenges the rules but rather simply obey. Citizens live without freedom and choice, and the only person in a position to change is The Giver, and now Jonas as the Receiver. The storyline was wavering between contemporary and paranormal, rather than dystopian for me. Little explanation is given to how the community came to be, other than glimpses of the world through The Giver's shared memories.

I can imagine as one of the first dystopian type young adult novels released, The Giver went on to inspire such series as The Hunger Games and Divergent. It was novel, unique and had me enthralled from beginning to end. But as groundbreaking as The Giver was, it left me feeling deflated. At only two hundred pages, it felt so incredibly clinical, character development was sacrificed in order to build the world that was The Community. As much as I like Jonas, as a character you're only given a basic view of his identity and that of his family. The concept is brilliant, and although it was well written, I wish it had of been further developed to create an emotional connection with Jonas and his plight.

But it was the ending that unraveled for me. Open ended, the reader is left to draw their own conclusions. While most readers enjoy the mystery and imaginative path the storyline too, I didn't. I felt cheated and angry that I'd invested in the storyline, only to have it not reach that definitive ending I so desperately needed.