Book Review #2 ~ The Giver

Hello again! Back to review another book! This one is called "The Giver". This is a sort of sad story. So the story starts in a town where everyone is brainwashed from birth. They have no idea what it is to feel actual sorrow, and love for someone. People don't have their own babies, but there are certain women called birthmothers who give birth to children, and give those babies to the nurturers. The nurturers take care of the babies until they are old and healthy enough to be "given" to a chosen family. And each family is only to have 2 children. Even for marriage, it is basically the same thing. There are the most important people of the community, called the "Elders". They are like government. They make almost all the descisions, including who would be each other's spouse. They have no real feelings for each other. They are distinguished into age groups until they are 12, which is when they are actually considered adultlike. Like let's say that you were 10 years old. Then they would say that you are "a 10". And they have ceremonies when you turn a year older. But you don't really have a specific birthday. Everybody turns older on December. It is not that everybody has the same birthday, but just that they all celebrate it on the same day. (In my opinion, this just takes the fun out of birthdays. Birthdays are one of those awesome days where you get to be treated special. They give you a feeling of pride. You like being "above" everyone else for a change.)The ceremony of 12 is the most important. When you're 12, the Elders select what job you'll have. Pretty much, after the ceremony of 12, you don't really keep track of your age. Everybody has the same, dark, eyes. But you see, Jonas, the main character, has pale eyes. This indicates that he hasn't been brainwashed properly. Others can't see colours, or hear music, but Jonas is the only one that starts to see colours. There is a certain person in the Council of Elders called the Reciever. When Jonas became a 12, his name was skipped in the giving of jobs. He was very shocked. Then he was informed that he was to be the new Reciever. The reciever is very special. He has the highest honor in the whole town. The Reciever is the only one in the whole town who holds the memories of the past. He pretty much bears everyone's painful memories for them. When Jonas becomes the new Reciever, he then thinks the whole community has the right to, and needs to have these memories for themselves. I think that being brainwashed from birth makes you no better than a robot, trained to do everything. You need these feelings and memories of peace and war, for they will help teach you lessons, and educate you in the way of life. You need the power to think your own thoughts and decide your own decsions. You need these memories to get you through hardships in life.