The Giver is a grimly possible dystopian slightly sci-fi novel by Lois Lowry, about the exploits of a young boy named Jonas. Jonas' life is filled with the monotonous happenings of a "Perfect" society, though lies can often be told in such ways that they are accepted as truths. The setting of this children's novel is originally portrayed as a utopian society, though it steadily shifts towards dystopian throughout the novel.

The manuscript is told with an astonishing style that effortlessly portrays Jonas' eventual decision that shakes his personal world to ashes and his slow and painstaking journey to his frame of mind in the final chapters. His last moments are told in such a way that makes people think that his life and the life of a young child end, but his fate is unknown to the public audience.

The Giver is on the reading lists of many public middle schools, but it is also on the list of challenged books for its grim representation of future governments. It has been called a "Warning in literature form" of the dangers of giving too much power to the government. Though it is a startlingly realistic tale, the grimly possible narrative is an essential part of any child's education in literature.