Comments on: “The Giver” by Lois Lowry http://www.girldetective.net/?p=5371 Reading, Writing, Movies and Mothering in Minneapolis, Mostly Wed, 27 May 2026 00:11:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: girldetective http://www.girldetective.net/?p=5371&cpage=1#comment-37675 girldetective Sun, 18 Aug 2013 14:23:11 +0000 http://www.girldetective.net/?p=5371#comment-37675 S--I found The Giver a quick, satisfying read both times, but it was only after I read some other reviews that I looked at it with a more critical eye and it began to fall apart for me. I think the crux of what makes a YA book good is what makes any book good: the skill with which its written. I've come to believe giving a book a pass because it's written for children is a cop out. Speak, The Tiger Rising, The Chocolate War and I am the Cheese--these and so many more stand on their own merits, for any age reader. Glad to know I'm an influence with GNs. Like YA, they get a bad rap, and some of them are excellent works of art. S–I found The Giver a quick, satisfying read both times, but it was only after I read some other reviews that I looked at it with a more critical eye and it began to fall apart for me.

I think the crux of what makes a YA book good is what makes any book good: the skill with which its written. I’ve come to believe giving a book a pass because it’s written for children is a cop out. Speak, The Tiger Rising, The Chocolate War and I am the Cheese–these and so many more stand on their own merits, for any age reader.

Glad to know I’m an influence with GNs. Like YA, they get a bad rap, and some of them are excellent works of art.

]]> By: sm http://www.girldetective.net/?p=5371&cpage=1#comment-37673 sm Sun, 18 Aug 2013 04:11:08 +0000 http://www.girldetective.net/?p=5371#comment-37673 i read 'the giver' (for the first and only time) about 8 years ago - in an afternoon. it was the first YA book (or is it considered JF now?) i'd read since i left highschool 15-20 years ago and i'd forgotten how much i love YA books - more straight forward in their themes, quicker reads, very satisfying. 'the giver' got me reading YA again, and i'm grateful for that. without it i would never have read 'perks of a wallflower' or 'speak' or 'liar' or 'little brother' or 'i am the messenger' or ... as an aside - i credit YOU, girl detective, for bringing graphic novels into my reading pot :) i read ‘the giver’ (for the first and only time) about 8 years ago - in an afternoon. it was the first YA book (or is it considered JF now?) i’d read since i left highschool 15-20 years ago and i’d forgotten how much i love YA books - more straight forward in their themes, quicker reads, very satisfying.
‘the giver’ got me reading YA again, and i’m grateful for that. without it i would never have read ‘perks of a wallflower’ or ’speak’ or ‘liar’ or ‘little brother’ or ‘i am the messenger’ or …
as an aside - i credit YOU, girl detective, for bringing graphic novels into my reading pot :)

]]>