The Giver, Newbery Winner 1994

So this is one of those books that I'd never read simply because I was always reading something else. I'm so grateful to have finally gotten the chance to read it, although it was pretty depressing at times. This book is set in a completely ordered, seemingly idyllic future. A future vividly imagined by Lowry and endowed with just enough familiarity to be easily identified with. However, all is not right.
I loved how this book forces its readers to think, asks them to examine themselves and society and make judgements. I'm not the world's biggest fan of dystopian literature, only a handful of titles have ever held my attention. (Exempting short stories.)
The characters were heart-breakingly realistic. I pained for Jonas throughout the book as I tried to imagine what he was going through. Could any one person really be expected to take on so much for the community?
Though I was able to detect many of the plot-twists before their arrival I can only imagine a young person reading this the first time. I highly recommend this book to the mature child with an adult willing to guide them! But, even with my knowledge of the basic plots, I felt that the ending was pleasantly ambiguous. I can't decide how the novel ended, but I'm sure that I'll change my mind anyway in the future!