The Giver (Graphic Novel)

December 15, 2018
An eerie graphic version of the Newbery Award-winning classic.Russell (Murder Mysteries and Other Stories, 2015, etc.) pays no more attention than Lowry (Looking Back, 2016, etc.) did to continuity of detail or to justifying the counterintuitive notion that memories can be shed by transmitting them, but without taking significant liberties he skillfully captures the original's full, creeping horror. By depicting human figures with uncommonly precise realism, bearing calm, smiling demeanors and moving through tidy 1950s style settings, he establishes an almost trite air of utopian normality at the outset...then proceeds to undermine it with disquieting (to say the least) incidents capped by an explicit view of Jonas' serene dad "releasing" a supernumerary newborn by ramming a hypodermic into its head. He also neatly solves the color issue by composing his many small sequential scenes in blue pencil outlines with occasional pale washes--which makes Jonas' disturbing ability to "see beyond," from the red in an apple and a classmate's hair to the garish orange memories the Giver downloads to his brain, startlingly vivid and presages the polychrome wilderness into which he ultimately vanishes. Jonas and the rest of the cast are uniformly light-skinned and generically European of feature, but that is explicitly established as part of the hideous scenario.A first-rate visual reframing: sensitive, artistically brilliant, and as charged as its enigmatic predecessor with profound challenges to mind and heart. (interviews with the creators) (Graphic dystopian fantasy. 12-14)

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Gr 6 Up-Jonas lives in a colorless world where everyone is content and conformity is the key to serenity. At the age of 12, in a ceremony that determines Life Assignments for each citizen, he's chosen to be the community's "Receiver of Memories." He begins training with the Giver, an old man who is the sole guardian of the community's dark and concealed history. Jonas learns not only of sunshine, color, and love but also of pain, war, and death. Confronted with this reality, he faces difficult choices and discovers that the wisdom he now holds could determine the fate of his entire civilization. This striking retelling of the modern classic blends words and images to create a brilliant new representation of Lowry's dystopian conflict between the ideals of free will and security. The artwork, rendered in blue pencil and grayscale, perfectly depicts Jonas's stark, dysfunctional society, and the measured introduction and brief glimpses of color keep readers hopeful for a brighter future. The characters are distinct, and the action flows well, evoking the feeling of the original work. Dialogue is pulled directly from the source material and heightens the story line and Jonas's emotions. VERDICT This stunning work will introduce The Giver to a brand-new audience and will also delight longtime fans.-Kelley Gile, Cheshire Public Library, CT

February 4, 2019
This graphic novel adaptation of Lowry’s Newbery Medal–winning book hews close to the original text, retaining nearly all dialogue and narration in some form while substituting visual depiction for textual description. When Jonas turns 12, his perception of his seemingly utopian community begins to change. His selection as the next Receiver of Memory puts him in a position to see everything that is missing from the world he knows, as well as the hard truths that underlie his heretofore comfortable life. Russell (who also adapted The Graveyard Book) uses a simple, realistic cartoon style in a palette of blue pencil and ink wash that conveys the colorlessness of the world. The blue tone also mirrors the cool, passionless logic that drives the group’s decisions, and the vast swathes of white space on the page hint at the essential emptiness of the community members’ lives. Color is introduced slowly as Jonas begins to see it himself, helping the reader to identify with the startling changes that Jonas undergoes and creating a striking visual record of the heinous memories the boy receives—a mushroom cloud in a bright red panel, a battlefield and dying soldier in orange. An accessible version of the story for readers who have not yet encountered it. Ages 12–up.