| $@%&! level: Low (if any) “Bedroom” level: Low (mostly teenage hormones) Violence level: Medium (the violence happens in a few visions) Back Cover: “'It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened.' Thus opens this haunting novel in which a boy inhabits a seemingly ideal world: a world without conflict, poverty, unemployment, divorce, injustice, or inequality. It is a time in which family values are paramount, teenage rebellion is unheard of, and even good manners are a way of life. December is the time of the annual Ceremony at which each twelve year old receives a life assignment determined by the Elders. Jonas watches his friend Fiona named Caretaker of the Old and his cheerful pal Asher labeled the Assistant Director of Recreation. But Jonas has been chosen for something special. When his selection leads him to an unnamed man—the man called only the Giver—he begins to sense the dark secrets that underlie the fragile perfection of his world.” |
One of the things I was most fascinated by was the extreme politeness. It's symptomatic of what I'm talking about. There isn't any feeling sorry and being forgiven. Instead, it's a formal apology, formally accepted. That doesn't make things any better—if anything it seems to me like it makes it worse, because you don't have to worry about doing or saying anything wrong. You just apologize and that's it.
Okay, so enough with the social commentary. That's actually the more part of the story, but there's a bit more to it than that. Because once Jonas figures out how wrong things are, he has to do something about it. And meanwhile, there's also the matter of preventing the clinical murder of a baby boy.
So yeah, mostly it's fascinating social commentary, with a bit of mystery and adventure to make it interesting. And I honestly don't quite know what's going on at the end. It's got a few different interpretations.