I read it but it was so sad I decided not to use it with my children as I had intended to. It attempts to explain pain, pain from one person to another. I found it rather morbid and felt sad afterward. Maybe I will attempt it again but not soon, not just yet. A well-arranged society coming to grips with reality in a raw honest way. I intend to read it again. Sometimes you read something you are not quite ready for, and I guess that is what happened with me. Good luck.

At first, The Giver gives Jonas happy memories of the past-memories of things Jonas has never known. Jonas is eager and excited to be able to experience new things. But The Giver must also give Jonas memories of loneliness, fear, grief, rage, and pain-all of which he has never felt in the community. Gradually, through the memories he receives from The Giver, Jonas comes to realize the various truths about the community. He realizes that it is unfair to deprive people of ever being able to make choices for themselves about their own lives. He understands that the people of the community have no genuine feelings. Feelings have never been a part of their lives. He also learns that there are different ways to live. Through the memories, he sees people in the past living differently, and feels that the community must change.
Source(s):
http://www.bookrags.com/notes/giv/SUM.htm


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