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mlewis's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Death, Bullying, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Xenophobia, and Cancer
notthatcosta's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is only my second Ishiguro after Klara and the Sun, but I was shocked that this had somehow managed to be even darker and more visceral. Despite it being achingly sad, there's a touching beauty to the melancholy - there's a grace and dignity to Kathy as a protagonist that is really moving.
There is so much about the world this is set in that remains unsaid, which is the most disturbing aspect of it. There's a reverberating, dull dread that gets more and more intense as more is revealed. And yet, once the pieces come together, there's a strange beauty beneath it all.
It is this conflicting tone that makes it such a beguiling read, even by dystopian standards. I'm thrilled to know there is a film adaptation, and if it's even a bit of the level of the book, I'll be in for a treat.
There is so much about the world this is set in that remains unsaid, which is the most disturbing aspect of it. There's a reverberating, dull dread that gets more and more intense as more is revealed. And yet, once the pieces come together, there's a strange beauty beneath it all.
It is this conflicting tone that makes it such a beguiling read, even by dystopian standards. I'm thrilled to know there is a film adaptation, and if it's even a bit of the level of the book, I'll be in for a treat.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical trauma, Bullying, Death, Grief, and Medical content
marissasa's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book has a very interesting premise, especially with the idea of human clones being raised solely to become organ donors or caregivers for other donors. However, the nonlinear storytelling jumping back and forth between present day and past memories of the main trio made it hard to follow the narrative. I didn't connect with any of the characters as much as I wanted to, which is ironic because the whole message of the story is showing the humanity and life within these humans who were othered and seen as a lower class because of their status as clones for donations. I also disliked the ending where the entire reasoning behind Hailsham was just explained to them by one of the teachers as it felt like an easy choice without the same emotional weight it could've had if they had found out on their own somehow instead of being told it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Bullying, and Infertility
seapotatohowisitalrtaken's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Stalking, Death, Sexual content, Medical content, and Bullying
Minor: Cancer
gia0203's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
This was really sad. You really follow along with the characters on their journeys. At first they’re just living their almost normal school life, and they are just so innocent. By the end they know so much yet they still have that innocence about them.
The writing style got tiring after a while. There were so many “and that was when” “and this is why”, it started to feel unnatural and it really started to take me out of the book. I also didn’t enjoy that conversation near the end that revealed a lot of plot points - after such a slow pace throughout the book, it just felt rushed and wrong.
Despite the fact we were constantly in these characters heads, I struggled to connect with them. There was a lot of repetition in their conversations and interactions. I didn’t particularly mind what happened to them. Again, this was in part due to the rushed ending. It was a very “show not tell” style, where I was Told about intimate conversations or important moments, but they never actually happened in the book. Some of the most significant moments in this book are described in a single paragraph. Character deaths should not be so nonchalant, particularly when they have been there for the entire book. I almost got emotional, but couldn’t. There just wasn’t any payoff.
Tommy was the strongest character here, as well as Ruth. Our narrator was sometimes interesting, and sometimes irritating. I liked that they all had flaws. I also quite enjoyed the unravelling mystery and the journey through time, though it worked far better in the first half than in the second.
I think the author’s style really just isn’t for me.
The writing style got tiring after a while. There were so many “and that was when” “and this is why”, it started to feel unnatural and it really started to take me out of the book. I also didn’t enjoy that conversation near the end that revealed a lot of plot points - after such a slow pace throughout the book, it just felt rushed and wrong.
Despite the fact we were constantly in these characters heads, I struggled to connect with them. There was a lot of repetition in their conversations and interactions. I didn’t particularly mind what happened to them. Again, this was in part due to the rushed ending. It was a very “show not tell” style, where I was Told about intimate conversations or important moments, but they never actually happened in the book. Some of the most significant moments in this book are described in a single paragraph.
Tommy was the strongest character here, as well as Ruth. Our narrator was sometimes interesting, and sometimes irritating. I liked that they all had flaws. I also quite enjoyed the unravelling mystery and the journey through time, though it worked far better in the first half than in the second.
I think the author’s style really just isn’t for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Death
klutzy347's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Death
Moderate: Infertility, Bullying, and Sexual content
issyd23's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
3.0
Basically the quiet, artsy, English version of Michael Bay’s The Island. TBH I kinda prefer Bay’s version with car chases & explosions 3👩🏼🍼
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Infertility, Medical content, Torture, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Confinement, and Terminal illness
frannyrdclark's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Death, Medical content, and Sexual content
Minor: Infertility
charliereadsalot's review against another edition
3.0
3 STARS
CW: mention of homophobia, death (of loved ones), bullying, mention of infertility
I read this for a class at uni and must admit, I probably wouldn't have picked it up otherwise. Generally, I liked the book, especially because of all the questions it raised. Admittedly, it made me want to continue reading if only to find out what Madame's Gallery was all about and what Hailsham was actually all about. But I never found myself truly loving what I was reading, probably also because it read a lot like literary fiction to me and that just isn't my genre. I feel like over the course of the entire book nothing happened but still, enough was going on (and you know, the incentive of having to write an exam about this) to keep me going.
While reading I was trying to piece together what was going on and it came together in a painstakingly slow way. And all the while, there is still so much to think about regarding Kathy, Ruth and Tommy's (as well as their fellow students) experiences at Hailsham, that entire enterprise of the school and their fates after they left.They were never truly free, their entire purpose was being an organ donor in their later life and even though Miss Emily explained to Kathy and Tommy that she and Marie-Claude initiated Hailsham to make the students experience more humane, was it really? Why give them a false sense of hope and joy in life when it doesn't amount to anything in the end? And even the system of Carers and Donors keeps them amongst themselves, isolates them from each other in their roles. But they grow up in this system and never even question its legitimacy, they just accept it and conform to it.
I think it's hard to talk about the full scope of this story without giving anything away and as usual I'm highly anticipating the discussion about it in class.
CW: mention of homophobia, death (of loved ones), bullying, mention of infertility
I read this for a class at uni and must admit, I probably wouldn't have picked it up otherwise. Generally, I liked the book, especially because of all the questions it raised. Admittedly, it made me want to continue reading if only to find out what Madame's Gallery was all about and what Hailsham was actually all about. But I never found myself truly loving what I was reading, probably also because it read a lot like literary fiction to me and that just isn't my genre. I feel like over the course of the entire book nothing happened but still, enough was going on (and you know, the incentive of having to write an exam about this) to keep me going.
While reading I was trying to piece together what was going on and it came together in a painstakingly slow way. And all the while, there is still so much to think about regarding Kathy, Ruth and Tommy's (as well as their fellow students) experiences at Hailsham, that entire enterprise of the school and their fates after they left.
I think it's hard to talk about the full scope of this story without giving anything away and as usual I'm highly anticipating the discussion about it in class.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Death
Minor: Homophobia and Infertility
modrinkscoffee's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Medical content, Toxic friendship, and Bullying
Moderate: Infertility