|REVIEW| Book Review: The Giver (SPOILER ALERT)

I stumbled upon the book after my brother told me about this upcoming movie which starred my favourite singer, Taylor Swift. She plays a minor, yet crucial, role named Rosemary in it. I was struck by movie's trailer and all I wanted then was to read the book. Not waiting for a second more, I got my hands on the book and started reading it right away.

Hmmm, how do I describe the first reaction towards the book?

Surprised? Not really, the movie trailer has given out quite a lot, haha!

Frightened? A little, how would my life be if I were to live life colourless and emotionless? I definitely wouldn't feel anything towards it if I were really to be there but to think about it now creeps me out.

But the thing is, I don't get it.

Why would anyone, ANYONE, want to sacrifice feelings and become a 100% colourblind just to achieve this so-called PEACE?

That, in my opinion, doesn't make sense, at all.

What's the point to live without love?

There's one particular part in the book that disturbs me a lot.

*SPOILER ALERT* *Most sentences are quoted directly from the book*

The main character, Jonas, a.k.a the new receiver, had come home learning the new idea/concept: love from the giver.

During dinner, he asked his "DAD" (the families are all assigned by the head of the community, which again, gives me chills down my spine when I first read it) whether he "loves" him.

The "DAD"'s answer was like a knife that goes straight through my heart.

"Jonas. You, of all people. Precision of language, please!" Amusement.

And the "MUM" backed "DAD" up by saying that Jonas had used a very generalised word, SO MEANINGLESS that it's become almost obsolete.

Like most of us, Jonas, the only one who had the memories of love from the past, had been dumbstruck by his "PARENTS" reaction and the conversation between them went worse than ever when the "MUM" started saying:

"You could ask, 'Do you enjoy me?' 'The answer is 'Yes'.

*A slap on the face.*

And the "DAD" continued by:

"Or, 'do you take pride in my accomplishments?' And the answer is wholeheartedly 'Yes'".

*ANOTHER BIG FAT SLAP ON THE FACE.*

I mean like, isn't that now a very common issue happening to the society?

Busy working parents who only know how proud they'll be if their kids achieve well. Therefore, the only thing they do is strangling the kids with all kinds of after-class activities and tuitions. Sometimes the kids don't even get to interact with their parents after a hell whole of day full of a hell lot of classes. And yet the society is wondering how people could be so cold-blooded and indifferent when it comes to certain situation.

*I'm not complaining about anything, I'm out of that phase of my life and in fact, I've never really experienced it myself before.*

After all, aren't we just about the same as the community in the book?

Oh wait, there's a difference.

THEY DON'T KNOW AND DON'T HAVE LOVE. So, it makes NO DIFFERENCE to them.

But, WE DO. And we NEED LOVE.

Future people, if any sacrifice is to made to make the world a greater place, please never opt out LOVE.

Love gives warmth like fire, only it is harmless.

It is the reason the world is great.

Thank you for reading, see you in the next post!