Book review written by Elia Short (Year 10, 2022)

This book is about a society which at first appears to be utopian but is revealed to be dystopian as the story progresses. The novel follows a 12-year-old boy named Jonas. This society has strict rules, and everyone follows the same path. Jonas gets a job where he sees the past, how spontaneous and exiting it used to be. He sets out on a mission to give everyone those memories. 

When Jonas gets his assignment everyone in the community starts chanting his name, as he is given one of the most important assignments. “The Chief Elder thanks him for his childhood, and the crowd accepts him as the new Receiver by chanting his name louder and louder. Jonas feels gratitude, pride, and fear at the same time.” 

Another aspect of the text which grabbed me was when he receives the memories and the goosebumps it gives you. It makes you feel like you have just received the memories. “He places his hands on Jonas’s back, and Jonas begins to feel the sensation of cold air, then of snowflakes touching his face. He experiences the wonderful sensation of going downhill on a sled, feeling the exhilaration of movement and speed even though he has never felt snow or strong wind or even a hill.” 

This book left me with an appreciation for the society that we live in. Their society was colourless, figuratively and literally, it had no life, no future other than the one given to them. We get to make our future something often taken for granted. 

I would recommend this book to someone who likes reading about another "universe". This book will transfer you somewhere else. Into their society.