Cover of The Giver

Dystopian · Young adult

The Giver

Bestseller: about 12 million copies (estimate)

In a seemingly perfect community where everything is controlled, twelve-year-old Jonas is chosen to carry the society's memories of the past from an old man, and begins to see what has been given up.

First published
1993
Pace
medium
Length
short
Format
Standalone

Read this if you want a short, thought-provoking dystopia that works well for younger or newer readers.

Skip this if you want detailed worldbuilding or an action-heavy ending; the story is quiet and ambiguous.

The feel

Content warnings

  • Death
  • Child death

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