Author: Ally Condie

This book has gone missing from my classroom library… twice.

After getting a third copy in there, and finally being able to read it, I was ready to figure out why my students loved it so much. Or rather, why they loved stealing it so much.

For me, this book was a bit of a slog.

I am someone who thoroughly enjoyed The Giver, by Lois Lowry. It was very hard not to notice the influence that book had on Miss Condie, especially considering she is a former high school English teacher.

Let’s call it a pale imitation–a nod, or an appreciation for the work of Lowry. And there’s nothing wrong with that because all artists give a nod in their work to those who came before them.

What I found difficult and getting through this one is the complete lack of tension. It felt like I was just kind of meandering through the book and following along with the main character, as she worked out her feelings.

It was tough to see where this was really going. And then when it finally got there, I just didn’t really feel an emotional attachment to care about what happened.

It’s not to say the book was poorly written. The writing was fine. It was just the execution of an idea that had been done before and not enough variance in that idea to really make this book stand apart.

However, if you’re a young person who is not familiar with The Giver and this was your first foray into dystopian literature… and you like pointless love triangles…

I could see why this would be an appealing grab.