The GiverThe Giver
Score Modern
What it's about
Jonas lives in a perfect community with no pain, no hunger, no war and no choices: everyone's job, spouse and children are assigned. At twelve, he is chosen for a rare role, Receiver of Memory, and the old man who trains him begins passing him the memories of the world before: snow, color, love, war and pain. Jonas starts to understand what his community has given up.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Newbery Medal and was voted onto PBS's Great American Read. It's one of the most widely read novels in American schools, and it stays with readers into adulthood.
You'll love it if you liked
Brave New World
1984
The Hunger GamesGood to know
It's short and written for middle-grade readers. One scene, when Jonas learns what 'release' means, is disturbing. It's the first of four books.
By the numbers
- Readers66 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller56 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #62 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #96 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #521 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1005 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Dark, Adventurous
If you like this, read next
Noughts & Crosses
The Time Keeper
Invisible Man
Seventh Son
Double Star
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Quick answers
Is The Giver worth reading?
Yes. It won the Newbery Medal and was voted onto PBS's Great American Read. It ranks #1,005 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 73.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Giver about?
Jonas lives in a perfect community with no pain, no hunger, no war and no choices: everyone's job, spouse and children are assigned. At twelve, he is chosen for a rare role, Receiver of Memory, and the old man who trains him begins passing him the memories of the world before: snow, color, love, war and pain. Jonas starts to understand what his community has given up.
How long does it take to read The Giver?
About 5 hours (205 pages), or about 10 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Giver?
If you liked it, try Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, 1984 by George Orwell or The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.