The Giver ... Bit disturbing for a children's book

Normally, I only write about books I actually like but The Giver leaves this reader confused that I can't move on. I'm not particularly excited about this book and I thought maybe I need to read the sequels to appreciate it fully.

The main thing that pushed me to read The Giver is the fact that it won a Newberry medal so I thought it must be something. I also read good reviews about it (some even raving of the books ingenuity to teach children). There is a fourth book coming out too so I was fairly convinced I'd at least enjoy reading this even if it doesn't make it on top of my list. I mean, if there is a fourth book surely that means the first three that came out are good enough? As you can see, I gave it only a single star ... for good organization of a concept. I know for a fact it's not easy to write. But in general, this short book is a big let down for me.

The story is kind of disturbing for a children's book. I'm not sure I want my nephews reading this until they're at least 16 or already understand what the holocaust was. By coincidence, I have been reading books that has a connection to the holocaust so maybe it's hard for me to process this without comparing. Granted, there is no mention of the event in the book but a reader is led into that conclusion. There is much discrimination in this book. The parents in this book are not actually biological parents, they are people who are chosen and expected to be able to raise children well. Actual birth mothers only give birth and after 3 or 4 times of doing so are sent to perform hard labor because they are not perceived to be able to raise children well or do "more important jobs". These women are looked down on by the community in general. There is also genocide in a way because they kill and dispose of babies that do not reach the community standards and they do the same process for adults too old to work or live on their own. So that is the conflict. But what about the resolution?

I think the author used the part when the helpless newborn is disposed off for being the weaker version of the twins as the big turning point of the story. It is what made the protagonist decide to fight against the system but the presentation is actually weak. The main character's attempts and reasoning appear so half-hearted.  I think that's one of the things that killed it for me. For such a simple story it failed to explain how things became the way it is.

Even the ending is weak. It closes to the protagonist catching (dying of) hypothermia and that might be a good ending for a book that has a sequel but the thing is, the second and third books were written so many years after the first one (it's like she wasn't sure she wanted to do so) and from what I gather, even though the books are related and grouped into a quartet (previously a trilogy), the sequels does not present a conclusion to the first one. 

Again, I would have to read the newer books to know but it may take a while before I find the interest to after this.