Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

8 reviews

sorkka's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Slavery, Infertility, Classism, Emotional abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Sexual content

lilifane's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This book centers around a really interesting topic with lots of possible discussions... in the most boring and unimpactful way possible. 

I usually like literary fiction with speculative elements, but I was really bored here. I liked the school setting at the beginning, and I was intrigued by the premise (never surprised, though. I think this was all obvious and predictable) and some details and questions. But I really didn't like the characters, their toxic friendships and relationships, their boring everyday problems when there was such a huge thing looming over everything. The writing style was fitting but didn't contribute much to my enjoyment of the book, same as the bleak and depressing atmosphere. 

I'm really glad I read it, though, and I'm still interested in the author's other works. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Medical content, Death, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Infertility and Grief

lissybeth91's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book is written in the style of spoken reminiscences, with allusions to things that haven't been described yet, and "but maybe I should explain..." 

This device makes you really feel that you are one of Kathy's friends, or maybe just a chance acquaintance, or perhaps one of her donors who has been asking for stories of Hailsham.

All in all, this is a devastating book, will make you ponder all the things that bind us together as humans.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Terminal illness, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Blood, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Grief, and Sexual content

Minor: Homophobia, Chronic illness, and Cancer

chirimoya_222's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical content, Body horror, Death, and Slavery

jennino's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Murder, Violence, Trafficking, Slavery, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Torture

temporarilyhuman's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical trauma, Medical content, Murder, Slavery, and Trafficking

skudiklier's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book was really interesting, and for once I kind of guessed some of the twists/reveals ahead of time. I kept expecting the book to get suddenly more intense or sad, and though of course it was sad, I never came close to crying. It's almost like the mystery distracted me from how sad it was. But! Overall it was written well and it's a powerful book. Not sure I'd recommend it, but I definitely don't regret reading it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, and Infertility

Moderate: Ableism, Cancer, Cursing, Genocide, Grief, Homophobia, Torture, Suicide, Sexual content, Slavery, Murder, and Medical trauma

Minor: Infidelity, Vomit, Terminal illness, Stalking, Sexual violence, Mental illness, and Drug use

darnov99's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Death

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Slavery, and Terminal illness

Minor: Grief