The Giver - Lois Lowry

Jonas is a boy living an average life. A very average life. He need not make any choices or experience any pain. Or pleasure, for that matter. Having known only blandness his whole life, he and everyone else in the Community are content and unquestioning. When all of the children turn twelve, they begin training for the jobs they will have as adults. The jobs are assigned by the Elders, the leaders of the Community, who, among other things, watch the children as they grow up for characteristics that will help them decide who is right for a certain occupation. While some of Jonas' companions have an idea of what they would like to become (they have no choice except what the Elders give them, but they vaguely know what job they would be best at), Jonas does not. He is completely surprised and somewhat scared when he is told that he will become the next Receiver of Memories, an exclusive and important job. He goes the Giver, the only person in the Community who has the memories of a past time, when emotions were still a part of life. Some of the memories the Giver transmits to Jonas are painful and frightening, but others are blissful and happy. With his new knowledge of the real beauty, sorrow, and joy of life, Jonas knows he will never be able to survive in the Community. After a while, an urgent need to leave the Community arises, and he knows that it is time to go Elsewhere.

This is a very deep and powerful book. If you haven't read it yet, I really recommend it. The Giver taught me to savor the gift of emotion that God has given me.