THE GIVER (Lois Lowry) - August 11/14

I can see why I have fond memories of reading this book during my children's lit course at Carleton. Lowry creates a very vivid, intriguing futuristic society (albeit one that doesn't seem even remotely plausible). But now, in this era where every other YA book takes place in such a society, The Giver feels extremely run-of-the-mill and generic. I liked the characters but there were stretches here where I was feeling a little bored. The final stretch is surprisingly exciting, though. I'm still not sure how I feel about the ambiguous conclusion (ie did he and Gabe die?) **1/2 out of ****