The main character Jonas lives in the future, in a small Community. It is a place without pain, where people are formal and have carefully outlined procedures for things, ranging from Rituals of Loss to Acceptances of Apologies. They follow rules or are formally chastised, or are even punished with the despised "Release", such a mark on the reputation of the family that is never talked about, when it is used as a punishment. On the day of the Ceremony of Twelve, where everyone is given their Assignment, which they have no say in, and which they will keep on doing for the rest of their life, Jonas is chosen to see beyond, acting as the Reciever. The Reciever is the one who holds the memories of countless generations. He is respected, as he holds the most important job of all, but the community rarely uses him. Instead, they usually persist in their traditions. As the Receiver in training, Jonas is given memories by the wise old Giver, the former Reciever. There is pain, but there is also love. As the memories keep coming, Jonas realizes things. He questions the world that he was brought up in. He grows more and more aware of how no one else in the society is like him or the Giver, and realizes that they are all like robots: brought up to not feel, to be precise in their language, and to have no emotions. He begins to wonder if everyone, not just him, should have feelings and emotions. But what can just two people do to change a society? I loved this book. The writing style, overall, was very direct, like the society itself, but the message was the more important part: it was really thought provoking, especially the end. Another perk is that the book was short, just 168 pages in my edition, so you can finish it in just a few days. I highly recommend this to dystopian lovers, but I could see how those who like fast-paced books such as The Hunger Games would prefer other books.

The main character Jonas lives in the future, in a small Community. It is a place without pain, where people are formal and have carefully outlined procedures for things, ranging from Rituals of Loss to Acceptances of Apologies. They follow rules or are formally chastised, or are even punished with the despised "Release", such a mark on the reputation of the family that is never talked about, when it is used as a punishment. On the day of the Ceremony of Twelve, where everyone is given their Assignment, which they have no say in, and which they will keep on doing for the rest of their life, Jonas is chosen to see beyond, acting as the Reciever. The Reciever is the one who holds the memories of countless generations. He is respected, as he holds the most important job of all, but the community rarely uses him. Instead, they usually persist in their traditions. As the Receiver in training, Jonas is given memories by the wise old Giver, the former Reciever. There is pain, but there is also love. As the memories keep coming, Jonas realizes things. He questions the world that he was brought up in. He grows more and more aware of how no one else in the society is like him or the Giver, and realizes that they are all like robots: brought up to not feel, to be precise in their language, and to have no emotions. He begins to wonder if everyone, not just him, should have feelings and emotions. But what can just two people do to change a society? I loved this book. The writing style, overall, was very direct, like the society itself, but the message was the more important part: it was really thought provoking, especially the end. Another perk is that the book was short, just 168 pages in my edition, so you can finish it in just a few days. I highly recommend this to dystopian lovers, but I could see how those who like fast-paced books such as The Hunger Games would prefer other books.

First, I should introduce the main character, Salamanca Tree Hiddle, better known as Sal, who has the pack her bags and move to Ohio. She leaves her farm in Bybanks, a fictional small town in Kentucky, and travels to Euclid, which not only is a real place, it is the birthplace of the author. But that was a year ago, and in the present, she is in the car with her two grandparents, who are driving her all the way to Lewiston, Idaho, where her mother is. As they're driving, Sal tells a story that happened to her when she first moved to Euclid. It concerns a strange girl named Phoebe Winterbottom, a mysterious young man, and has quite a few surprising twists... As the book unfolds, more and more details about Sal's past are revealed. This book alternates, with Sal revealing more of her story, and strange things happening to her grandparents. All in all, there were a few key details that could either make you enjoy it or ruin it for you. There's the whole thing about having a story behind another story, as Sal puts it, and the whole other thing about some things being unclear and potentially confusing until later. Then there are the two weird grandparents and Sal, Gramps, and Gram's weird rural way of speaking. For me, the whole idea of having two stories worked out in the end, and I liked the eccentric habits of her grandparents, but I could see why some people would be a little confused. Additionally, the idea of traveling across the US and going to all these small towns was cool, too. I enjoyed how it had a fair amount of humor, and was mostly very engaging and drew me in from the first chapter. If you like somewhat old-fashioned realistic fiction, like some of Kate DiCamillo's stories, you'll like it too. You might even have a "gol-dang" time, as Gramps puts it.

First, I should introduce the main character, Salamanca Tree Hiddle, better known as Sal, who has the pack her bags and move to Ohio. She leaves her farm in Bybanks, a fictional small town in Kentucky, and travels to Euclid, which not only is a real place, it is the birthplace of the author. But that was a year ago, and in the present, she is in the car with her two grandparents, who are driving her all the way to Lewiston, Idaho, where her mother is. As they're driving, Sal tells a story that happened to her when she first moved to Euclid. It concerns a strange girl named Phoebe Winterbottom, a mysterious young man, and has quite a few surprising twists... As the book unfolds, more and more details about Sal's past are revealed. This book alternates, with Sal revealing more of her story, and strange things happening to her grandparents. All in all, there were a few key details that could either make you enjoy it or ruin it for you. There's the whole thing about having a story behind another story, as Sal puts it, and the whole other thing about some things being unclear and potentially confusing until later. Then there are the two weird grandparents and Sal, Gramps, and Gram's weird rural way of speaking. For me, the whole idea of having two stories worked out in the end, and I liked the eccentric habits of her grandparents, but I could see why some people would be a little confused. Additionally, the idea of traveling across the US and going to all these small towns was cool, too. I enjoyed how it had a fair amount of humor, and was mostly very engaging and drew me in from the first chapter. If you like somewhat old-fashioned realistic fiction, like some of Kate DiCamillo's stories, you'll like it too. You might even have a "gol-dang" time, as Gramps puts it.

Set in a small town in Australia, The Deadly Daylight tells about how a 12-year-old named Alice England tries to solve the mystery of a man's puzzling death from sunlight. The main character works at her family's funeral parlor, and she has a very strange relationship with dead people. It goes like this. A mysterious hum resonates from an object of importance to the deceased, and then she is transported into a little snapshot of the person's life. This shall be important later on... She meets a person named Violet, who, like her, has little friends, but is different in many ways. Moreover, she has a dangerous sunlight allergy. Alice is invited to their house, but death occurs the day after. George, Violet's uncle, is dead, apparently killed by the family's sunlight allergy. Having a strange vision about George's last moments, Alice decides that something fishy is going on and decides to investigate with Violet. The clues keep piling up: a letter signed with a mysterious initial, a grumpy guard, and a strange phone charger owned by a secretive boy. What may seem a little not relevant now, might turn out to be relevant later. All in all, I enjoyed this book. The characters were cool. It is intriguing to see Alice England, the somewhat naive person, who is smart but does not know some very basic things. She is so naive and funny. She is confused by elements of society, such as boba, which she says is "gummy tea", and chokes on the little tiny pearls. She is mystified by the strange skill of tact but tries to do it anyway to please Violet, with interesting results. The dialogue, too, is good, and Alice talks in a formal, matter-of-fact tone that is much remarked upon and different from other people. The writing style is also much cleaner than most other middle-grade authors. With an engaging mystery, interesting characters, and great style, The Deadly Daylight is a good book to read. More than that, it is deliciously macabre and will leave readers wanting for more about Alice England. With such high standards, the next book in the series is sure to be good too... People who enjoy a cozy mystery with elements of the supernatural will appreciate this middle-grade novel.

Set in a small town in Australia, The Deadly Daylight tells about how a 12-year-old named Alice England tries to solve the mystery of a man's puzzling death from sunlight. The main character works at her family's funeral parlor, and she has a very strange relationship with dead people. It goes like this. A mysterious hum resonates from an object of importance to the deceased, and then she is transported into a little snapshot of the person's life. This shall be important later on... She meets a person named Violet, who, like her, has little friends, but is different in many ways. Moreover, she has a dangerous sunlight allergy. Alice is invited to their house, but death occurs the day after. George, Violet's uncle, is dead, apparently killed by the family's sunlight allergy. Having a strange vision about George's last moments, Alice decides that something fishy is going on and decides to investigate with Violet. The clues keep piling up: a letter signed with a mysterious initial, a grumpy guard, and a strange phone charger owned by a secretive boy. What may seem a little not relevant now, might turn out to be relevant later. All in all, I enjoyed this book. The characters were cool. It is intriguing to see Alice England, the somewhat naive person, who is smart but does not know some very basic things. She is so naive and funny. She is confused by elements of society, such as boba, which she says is "gummy tea", and chokes on the little tiny pearls. She is mystified by the strange skill of tact but tries to do it anyway to please Violet, with interesting results. The dialogue, too, is good, and Alice talks in a formal, matter-of-fact tone that is much remarked upon and different from other people. The writing style is also much cleaner than most other middle-grade authors. With an engaging mystery, interesting characters, and great style, The Deadly Daylight is a good book to read. More than that, it is deliciously macabre and will leave readers wanting for more about Alice England. With such high standards, the next book in the series is sure to be good too... People who enjoy a cozy mystery with elements of the supernatural will appreciate this middle-grade novel.