263 pages
English language
Published Oct. 29, 2006 by Vintage Canada.
Kathy, a clone about to donate all her organs and die, reflects on her past about her school and the friends she made over there. Ishiguro explores what it means to have a soul and how art distinguishes man from other life forms. But above all, Never Let Me Go is a study of friendship and the bonds we form which make or break while we come of age.
The disturbing premise of the novel is revealed quickly, but daily life just continues. It creates a tension that lasts all through the story. Although there's no need for a big reveal, the journey becomes heartbreaking.
Although the novel's premise could be called science fiction, it's a character-driven literary work.
Content warning Spoiler Alert.
Apparently, when I finished this book, I never wrote a review... which is insane to think about but I'll try and write one now (despite it being around a year later). I loved this story. As a British teenager I have always loved the platonic and romantic dynamic that boarding schools encourage and, as such, thoroughly enjoyed how different relations played out throughout this tale. Furthermore, the addition of science-fiction elements allowed for the exemplification of narrative elements and enigmas ergo drawing the audience even further into the strange world of Hailsham. I will likely revisit this book many times throughout my life to feel what I felt whilst reading it for the first time; to walk the halls of Hailsham; to watch the football games on the field; to stare into the ambiguous forest across the accommodation windows.
