The Giver, Graphic Novel
The Giver series
by Lois Lowry
adapted & illustrated by P. Craig Russell

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Children’s dystopian, graphic novel

I read and reviewed the original book (see review here), so this review is less about the story and content than it is about the graphic novel format. My first impression when glancing through the book was that the use of pseudo black and white (it’s sort of more like blue black and white) for most of the novel was perfect for the story. The flashes of color here and there heighten the difference between Jonas’s view of the world and everyone else’s (besides the Giver). The visuals of the memories Jonas is given bring the story to life and highlight the blandness and sameness of the rest of the community. Certain graphics that I won’t specify to avoid spoilers are much more emotional than simply reading about them. Though in this format, the ending strikes me as even more ambiguous as it did the first time around, or maybe it’s just knowing the rest of the series now that makes me view the ending differently. All in all, I’d say the idea of converting The Giver to a graphic novel was a success, and I can see this being a good way to introduce the thought-provoking story to more reluctant readers.

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