Dystopian fiction aimed at adults has been around for ages, but The Giver, written by Lois Lowry in 1993, was the first really popular dystopian novel aimed at a middle school audience. It won the 1994 Newbery Award and appears on the "100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000." The book has sold over 12 million copies, and has been adapted into a play, a musical, an opera, and most recently a movie. The Giver is part of a quartet of books (Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son) in which Lowry creates other similarly dysfunctional societies, and ultimately informs us of the outcome for Jonas and Gabe.
Although The Giver was one of the first (and many feel the best) dystopian novels for young people, in the last few years YA literature has been flooded with dystopian series such as The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Maze Runner.
How did Lois Lowry lead the way for this new flock of dystopian fiction authors? How do you feel the more recent novels compare with The Giver in terms of character, setting, theme, style?
Although The Giver was one of the first (and many feel the best) dystopian novels for young people, in the last few years YA literature has been flooded with dystopian series such as The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Maze Runner.
How did Lois Lowry lead the way for this new flock of dystopian fiction authors? How do you feel the more recent novels compare with The Giver in terms of character, setting, theme, style?