I really enjoyed this story.

However, there were a few aspects that I thought could be improved.

Some of the dialogue seemed overly long and not very realistic. In real life, people usually don't talk continuously for an extended period without interruption. It made the characters seem a bit unnatural.

The plot also felt a little too simplistic. It was basically just about Natalie finding her mom, and then it ended. There wasn't a lot of depth or complexity to it.

Despite these flaws, I still had a good time reading it. So, I can't really complain too much. After all, it did manage to hold my attention and provide some entertainment.

I hope that in future works, the author will pay more attention to these details and create a more engaging and believable story.

I'll just say that this book did not end the way I thought it was going to. It wasn't due to some elaborate, twist conclusion. I had expected that the protagonist, Natalie, would find her birth mother and discover that she was dying of a ravaging disease like cancer. So, she would find a stranger and then have to say goodbye. But, I was wrong. Natalie does find her birth mother (I don't think that's a spoiler), but not in the circumstances she was expecting.

It turns out that Natalie's birth mother is actually very successful and a bit of a jerk. Natalie decides that she is not someone she really needs in her life, even after all she went through to find her.

I have to say I enjoyed the process Natalie undertook to find her mother in a late-1970's world. It was like putting together a puzzle one paragraph at a time. She made many phone calls to libraries, HR people, record halls, and Information. She also took a few road trips to retrace the steps of her mother's early life in small-town Maine. It was a quaint, cozy trip away from the present with its lightning-fast Google searches. In the 70s, it was a much slower and more hands-on process.

I also thought on more than one occasion how much times have changed with privacy laws. Many people that Natalie talked to over the phone were quick to give out personal information on past employees, students, etc. connected to Natalie's mother. That just wouldn't happen today.

The copy of this book that I read is a first edition, first printing, and the inside flap says "Ages 10 and up." But there are quite a few references to sexual intercourse or things of a very obvious sexual nature. I wouldn't want anyone younger than maybe 14 or 15 to read it. Maybe kids were more mature in 1978; who knows? All in all, I enjoyed reading this early novel from my favorite author.

Read the Rainbow Booklist Queen Challenge - Orange - Great, relatively quick read. It delved into the many emotions of being an adopted child.

I constantly had to remind myself that the book was written in 1978 and set in the 60s to late 70s. Back then, the struggle to find someone involved in a private closed adoption was vastly different from today.

I believe Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye truly offered a peek into the rollercoaster of experiences that so many individuals on an adoption journey encounter. It also showcased the incredibly wide range of emotions that a single person can go through.

So much has changed over the years, yet in many ways, nothing has. This is especially true when it comes to the reasons for choosing adoption and the desire to know why. Adoption is a complex and deeply personal topic, and this book did a great job of exploring it from multiple angles.

I thought I had read this book in childhood during my Lois Lowry obsession stage. Along with the Anastasia Krupnik books and Number the Stars, it was part of that phase. However, this time around, it seemed completely unfamiliar.

I think I must have buried all memory of it because it's so completely forgettable. The plot does have some appeal as it seems somewhat novel for a YA book. An adoptee looking for her birth parents before the internet made this a relatively easier task. But the stereotypical character development and juvenile dialogue make it the weakest of the Lois Lowry books I've read.

Someone mentioned that it's one of her earlier books, and I can believe it. It reads like an awkward and somewhat immature attempt at tackling a gritty, real-life issue. And unlike some of the other reviewers, I was annoyed rather than charmed by her constant attempts to demonstrate the extent of Natalie's mother's and grandmother's kookiness. Yeah, yeah, they're arty and wacky, I get it. I am really tired of this trope in YA books. The extended scene involving Natalie and her friends howling over her mother's account of her wild and crazy fun with dandelions is especially terrible. These teenagers must be leading pretty G-rated lives to consider Natalie's mom the height of risque.

Overall, this book didn't live up to my expectations, especially considering it's by Lois Lowry. I had hoped for more depth and better character development. Maybe I'll give it another chance in the future, but for now, it's a disappointment.

There were certain aspects in this book that I didn't quite take a shine to. However, for the greater part, I found it rather enjoyable.

I was particularly fond of the pacing. At first, I harbored a concern that it might delve into one or two detailed subplots regarding her relationships with her boyfriend and her family. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. Instead, it zeroed in on the main crux of the matter: locating her birth mother and uncovering the significance of her story to herself. As a result, the narrative flowed seamlessly, leaping from one weekend trip to the next, or to the next pertinent conversation, without any needless meandering.

This straightforward approach kept me engaged throughout the reading process, and I was able to follow the protagonist's journey with relative ease. Despite the few elements that didn't quite click with me, the overall experience of reading this book was a positive one.

I read this particular piece when I was a teenager. At that time, being an adoptee myself, it truly spoke to my heart and soul. It was as if the words on the page were written specifically for me, understanding the complex emotions and experiences that came with being adopted.

Now, as an adult, I have no idea how I would feel about it if I were to read it again. So much has changed in my life since then. However, I would still hope that it remains relevant to me. Maybe it will bring back those old memories and emotions, or perhaps it will offer a new perspective on my journey as an adoptee.

Either way, I know that this piece holds a special place in my heart and will always be a part of my story. It serves as a reminder of where I came from and how far I have come. And even if my feelings about it may have changed over the years, I will always be grateful for the connection I felt with it when I first read it as a teenager.

This is an outstanding book that is particularly well-suited for older readers.

I firmly believe that a significant number of older readers would truly be able to identify with Natalie.

Moreover, I am of the opinion that this book would also be beneficial for younger readers as any child would be capable of relating to this captivating story.

The central character is a girl named Natalie Armstrong who was adopted.

Natalie had a strong desire to locate her “real” parents, and her adopted parents provided her with a clue to assist her in her search.

Eventually, Natalie managed to track down her parents, only to discover that she had been with her “real” family all along.

This book can serve as a valuable resource for kids who can identify with this story, or as a gentle reminder that even if a family is not “ordinary,” it does not imply that it is not a wonderful family.

Personally, I derived great enjoyment from this book due to its relatability when I read it during my teenage years.

It truly touched my heart and made me appreciate the importance of family, regardless of its form.

I would highly recommend this book to readers of all ages.

Oh. My. Gosh.

I truly thought that I had read the majority of Lowry's books. However, I accidentally came across this particular book during a kindle search.

Generally speaking, I can assess a book based on the likelihood that one of my favorite students will toss it across the room. And this book, without a doubt, has serious throwing power!

Nicely rendered and so very, very of its time.

Though I vividly remember life before the widespread proliferation of the internet, this particular piece was like a fascinating window into an almost unimaginable era for me.

Just think about having to call the library in another state simply to obtain information about a school!

I found myself spending a great deal of time reflecting on how much more difficult things were in those days before one could effortlessly find information on the internet.

I recall the spottiness of pre-Google search engines, like AskJeeves! and the use of encyclopedias. (By the time I was really delving into research papers, those had also turned digital.)

But the archaic fact-finding methods described in this were truly wild.

It was an enjoyable read, filled with a plethora of nice emotional observations and articulations.

I have always loved that Lowry isn't afraid to simply go ahead and let her characters think the poignant things.

It makes the story all the more engaging and relatable.

Overall, it was a wonderful exploration of a bygone era and the emotions that come with it.

I read "The Giver" by Lois Lowry, and I truly enjoyed it.

I discovered this book at the thrift store and made the decision to read it. I completed it within 2 days.

It was such an excellent story, and the writing was superb. It is definitely a book that I would highly recommend.

I really appreciated the way it concluded and all the emotional insights that Natalie had to make.

The story took me on a journey to a unique and thought-provoking world. The characters were well-developed, and I found myself deeply invested in their lives.

The themes explored in the book, such as the importance of memory, choice, and individuality, made me reflect on my own life and values.

Overall, "The Giver" is a remarkable book that left a lasting impression on me. I would encourage everyone to give it a read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was truly a captivating read that held my attention from start to finish. The story was engaging, and the characters were well-developed.

I would absolutely LOVE a sequel where we get to meet Natalie as an adult. It would be fascinating to see who she has become and what her life is like. Would she have overcome the challenges she faced in the first book? Would she have achieved her dreams?

One thing that really bothered me about the book was how unsupportive her parents and boyfriend were. They seemed to undermine her at every turn, and it was frustrating to read. But especially the boyfriend, his actions made me so angry that I wanted to slap him. He just didn't seem to understand or care about Natalie's feelings.

Overall, despite this one flaw, I thought the book was excellent and would highly recommend it to others.

Wow,

This book is truly a creation of its era!

That doesn't have to be a negative aspect, but I discovered that I was sometimes diverted by the slang, old-fashioned concepts, and the overly wholesome nature similar to that of the Brady Bunch.

I have respect for Lois Lowry's effort to address a more taboo topic during that time, especially considering that YA literature was a relatively new genre.

Nevertheless, the implementation of this book didn't quite meet my expectations.

The characters all seemed a bit one-sided, while at the same time attempting too hard to be odd and humorous.

The mystery surrounding Natalie's birth was rather simplistic, and there wasn't much that was unforeseen about it.

Overall, this work simply lacked the depth and emotion that I was longing for.