Never Let Me Go is a blend of science fiction and literary/speculative fiction and was published by Kazuo Ishiguro in 2005. In my opinion, however, you shouldn’t go into it expecting it to be like a huge blockbuster sci-fi film or else you’ll be disappointed. I saw many reviews criticizing this, but I personally liked that it leaned more on the literary fiction side because it’s a genre I’m currently trying to read more of.
This book takes place in England in an alternate dystopian version of the late 1990s. It follows a group of three students, Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth, through their journey from childhood to adulthood. It’s narrated by Kathy, now 31 years old, as she looks back into her past memories and seemingly tries to intertwine them into one coherent narrative to make sense of where she is now. The book is divided into three parts: their time at Hailsham, their time at the Cottages (communal living places), and their lives afterward.
From their early childhood into their late teens, Kathy and her peers attend a boarding school called Hailsham. They are constantly taught the importance of art and creativity but never given an explanation. They know no one else besides their classmates and their teachers, who are called Guardians, and they also never go outside of the school until they go to the Cottages. They are told that they are “special,” but the Guardians never explicitly reveal why. This mysterious and elusive (and somewhat eerie) element is present throughout the whole novel.
For the most part, I enjoyed reading this book. Ishiguro’s writing was beautiful while still easy to follow. The book was a bit slow and some of the characters were unlikable at times, but I still found it engaging because I found myself wanting to figure out what set Kathy and her classmates apart from others and why their school was so important. However, there wasn’t a huge plot twist like I was expecting, but I still liked how things were slowly revealed to the reader at the same time that Kathy was seemingly trying to understand her memories herself. The reveal, although gradually given in an offhand manner, deeply unsettled me and I felt uneasy for the rest of the book. For the first half, I kept wondering where the story was going, but by the second half, it definitely picked up (not necessarily plot-wise). The last few chapters in general were very sad to me, especially the ending, which nearly left me on the verge of tears.
I know this book may not be for everyone, but I personally enjoyed it as I found it thought provoking. I usually read fantasy, and while this is still one of my favorite genres, I wanted to branch out from it because I felt that every book I was reading was the same and none of them had stood out to me in a while. This is why I chose to read something new like Never Let Me Go, and I’m glad I did. Without spoiling much, some of the major themes to me were identity, the value of life, friendship, and memories. I believe one of Ishiguro’s main points was that society often normalizes unethical practices when their benefits are deemed necessary and are seen as outweighing the moral implications. I think this book also served as a warning for the ethical dilemmas that may come with future scientific and technological advancements, which is a highly prevalent topic today. Especially with the ending, it was also stressed that we should make the most of our lives while we still can.
Overall, I would recommend this book if you’re in the mood for a subtly haunting and introspective read that will linger with you long after the final page, but not if you’re looking for something more fast paced or plot driven.
