I read it a long time ago, so I don't remember most of it. But I do remember that I liked it. I found the concept of "utopia" in that book very interesting.
This was one of my favorites when I was younger. Be sure to read "Gathering Blue" & "The Messenger" if you liked this one.
I actually just finished this book right now as well as two others I started reading yesterday. The book was partially falling apart in my hands as I was turning the pages. I know a hardback version exists out there, but I certainly have never seen one, in any library or bookstore. The only one I've ever seen is the annoyingly small paperback edition with it's tiny hard to read lettering. Anyway, I liked the book, but I did not like the fact that Lowry chose to criss cross two genres together, namely fantasy and science fiction. It has to be either one or the other, but not both. The whole concept of the Giver and Receiver made little sense under the premise of writing a scifi book. The Giver might as well have been a wizard, and Jonas his wizard's apprentice.
I read it in Year Seven at school. Damn. That was almost three years ago. I remember looking at it rather sceptically when my English teacher was handing out copies. The cover wasn't really impressive and previous students had doodled over it. It just screamed the school book we're forced to read and hate. But I do recall enjoying it. Not as bad as I'd first presumed. The fact no one could see colour was intriguing.
I read this in seventh grade also haha, and that was six and half years ago. Shows school how much the school syllabus really changes = P But I recently bought it because I remember distinctly how much I loved it. I may have been a very simple to read and understand, but its written so well and there are so many little things that all have points, such as the colorblindness that was aforementioned and the jet plane that flies overhead in the beginning. But most of all I can't never forget the whole base of transferring the worldly knowledge to his predecessor. It was one of my middle-school favorites and I must say it still stands pretty high. Anyways, yeah, I liked it I guess haha. - Steve
Throughout my childhood I always hated reading. My parents would force me to read for at least a half hour per day, but I chose to sit on the couch with the book on my lap rather than actually read it. The Giver, along with the first two Harry Potter books (the only two that were out at the time) were the only books that I could get through, reading page for page, and genuinely enjoy. Now, I read all the time, and The Giver is certainly a book I want to reread now that I am older.
I remember enjoying the giver. I remember thinking one of the other books in that set being depressing but I can't recall anymore.
I read it in school and loved it. Then I read it again about two years ago when I found out my roomate had a copy, and still loved it.
The ending made me hate it for the years to come. Going off into the distance as the end of a story, was a clichè I learned never to use.