The Giver book review

The Giver by Lois Lowry.

I didn't like it. But, it has had me thinking and talking about it ever since I read it, so that's something. I had not read it before this past fall when it came up on our book club list, but many people have. in fact, they often say they read it around fourth grade.

This fact is what has me talking about it.

I don't question that the book is an easy read. It wouldn't be too difficult for a fourth grader. But, just because someone can read a book, it doesn't mean they should.

SPOILER ALERT - the following text will give away some important plot points. You've been warned.

The setting for the story is a utopian society where everyone is assigned a role during childhood, and those who aren't useful or don't follow the rules are thrown away.

Literally.

They are injected in the forehead with a needle of poison and then they are disposed of in the trash bin. Babies who don't meet milestones? Trash. Old people who don't work? Trash. Women who've had three babies? Trash.

It's fiction. I'm a Stephen King fan. I can handle scary. And gory. And weird.

What bothers me is why is this such a highly recommended book for elementary students?

Here's my own mental connection. (Keep in mind, this blog used to be called 'onecrazylady' so I make no claims about having some kind of revelation that isn't completely nuts. This is just my opinion)

The adults who read this book in elementary school over the past twenty plus years are now part of a generation that struggles with "life" issues. We fight about abortion, euthanasia, etc. Is it possible that this one story "The Giver" is just a small cog in a wheel of an education that normalized the idea that the only way to have utopia is to throw away those who aren't useful? And, don't we all want a perfect society?

The young and idealistic twenty-somethings fighting for a world where there are no guns, no arguments, no anger, no crime... maybe it all starts by forgetting how our world got so messed up in the first place (Adam and Eve trying to become God) and it ends with all of us taking drugs to keep from feeling any emotions and throwing away all the people who don't fit into the perfect mold we've created.


Alright. Having said all that, I actually like the book a little more. It's a pretty good what if? scenario.

I still don't think we should be assigning it to fourth graders.