After The Ruin, a colorless equalitarian society is formed without memories and everyone follows rules established by the Chief Elder and the Elders. The population uses drugs to stay happy and on the day of the graduation, the teenagers leave their childhood and are assigned to a career chosen by the Elders. Jonas lives with his parents and has two best friends, Fiona and Asher, and he feels different from his friends. He is assigned to be the Receiver of Memories and he is trained by his mentor, The Giver, who gives memories of the world before The Ruin. Jonas learns emotions such as love and fear and the concept of family. When he discovers that the baby Gabriel that he loves as a brother will be eliminated, he decides to change his society but the Chief Elder will do anything to stop him.