The Giver is more than a dystopian story. It’s a meditation on pain, pleasure and what it means to be truly human. Reading it reminded me that we cannot experience joy without also facing loss, and it challenges us to stay connected to life’s full emotional spectrum.

I’ve achieved career milestones I’m proud of, but it’s time to make space for the creativity I’ve been putting on the sidelines. If you’re in your late 20s, wondering what’s next and feeling hard on yourself, this might be for you.