I just reread The Giver, which I first read as a kid in elementary school, and then multiple times after that. I didn't remember it very well, and wanted to read it again because Aaron has been listening to audiobooks sometimes at work, so we went to the library and happened to find The Giver as an audiobook.
The funny thing is, I remember feeling that the ending was hopeful--that Jonah and Gabe find "Elsewhere" and survive. But no matter how many times I read the ending now, I can't help but believe that they died. Despite the fact that Lois Lowry insists that the ending is "optimistic" and ended up writing a loose trilogy mentioning the fact that they did survive. I don't know if it matters what the author thinks the actual ending is, but rather what is true to the reality of the book itself. And I think they die.

It's sort of disturbing though, to know that I was such an optimist then, and such a pessimist now. Is this what puberty did to me? I still desperately want them to survive, but just can't make myself believe it.