Nancy G. recommends The Giver by Lois Lowry to all readers teen through adult. While it was written for a youth audience, and *won* the Newbery Medal in 1994, The Giver offers an opportunity for some great discussion no matter the age.
Set in a dystopian society with a boy, Jonas, as the main character, society has removed pain and fighting by creating “Sameness.” Regimentation is the norm and the need to make personal decisions has been removed. Jonas learns at his “Ceremony of Twelve” that he has been chosen to become a “Receiver,” his assigned career given to him when he is 12 years old. What a Receiver is and what Jonas learns from “The Giver” should provoke some intense discussion.
A standalone book, yet part of a quartet of novels woven around these themes, The Giver has been on Nancy’s favorites list for a number of years.