I'm not sure why I disliked this book at the start. Maybe because this wasn't my first experience with future dystopian societies. Perhaps it was because I discerned the meaning behind the word "release" immediately the first time it was mentioned. To me, this was not a book that transcended age levels, and I was left feeling that it was only fit for children, unlike some other supposedly young adult books. 
 Having read other great books about future planned societies - This Perfect Day by Ira Levin springs to mind, I can only compare this favorably in a couple ways. The deceptive simplicity of the author's prose was captivating. Likewise, Jonas's special ability caught me by surprise, as I didn't realize the book lacked in any way until the reveal of how he saw beyond. I listened to the beginning of the book again, and sure enough, there were places where other descriptions could have been, and I was surprised I hadn't caught on sooner. Maybe as a result of the simplicity and missing descriptors, I felt that the society seemed a little wooden. The brevity of the book could also have contributed to (or been caused by?) the lack of vibrancy and fleshing out of the community. 
 Another issue I have with future dystopian societies as subject matter is that authors always take the easy way out. The society is never portrayed as good, or planned with best intentions for all. The protagonist never makes the choice to support the status quo. "The good of the many outweighs the good of the few, or the one," is never mentioned. I was not in favor of releasing community members, nor was I in agreement with suppressing feelings. I would have done the same thing Jonas did at the end, for good or ill, but the book almost laid a path to this conclusion. 
 I do not think this is a terrible book. It is well written, if a little sparse. The plot is good, the protagonist is likable. But I think it is easy to teach people that tyranny and oppression should be fought. What isn't easy is to teach people is that sometimes you need to put on your big girl pants, pull up your boots, and wade into your society to fix it.