Reviews with content warning for Death - Never Let Me Go

Reviews tagging 'Death'

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

218 reviews

dlrosebyh's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

1.0

The students at Hailsham, a private school in the lovely English countryside that Kathy, now 31 years old, attended as a kid, were shielded from the outside world and taught that their wellbeing was essential for both themselves and the community they would eventually inhabit. Kathy had long since left this beautiful past behind her, but when two of her Hailsham pals come back into her life, she quits resisting the tug of recollection.

Kathy remembers their time at Hailsham as her relationship with Ruth is revived and the sentiments that once drove her juvenile Tommy obsession start to develop into love. She paints joyful pictures of boys and girls growing up side by side, unconcerned—even comforted—by their seclusion. However, she also portrays episodes of conflict and misunderstanding that allude to a sinister truth concealed under Hailsham's maternal façade. The three friends are forced to face the truth about their childhoods and their current lives as the clarity of hindsight begins to emerge.

Sometimes, even in their own stories, people don't merit being the main characters. Ruth is such a jerk and also such a boring person. Like, why are you a bland AND a jerk? Imagine being only known as a jerk. I wished Kathy wouldn't have reignited their friendship. And let's not even talk about the writing. It was equally as dull and nasty.

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arshiya_amreen90786's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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aliteracja's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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risemini's review against another edition

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dark reflective medium-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? No

3.75

Content Warnings

emfield's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

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oceanwriter's review against another edition

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dark 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

3.0

This book has an interesting concept and poses a lot of intriguing questions about life and creativity. I only wish I'd latched onto it more.

The story follows Kathy as she reflects on her life and relationships at the Hailsham boarding school. In this ultimate universe, people like Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy are lumped in these 'schools' as they were created with one purpose in mind — to be organ donors.

I'd call this light sci-fi, which I do like, I just found the pacing to be too slow (a similar issue I had with The Remains of the Day). There was also a glaring lack of world-building. Without a lot of context, I struggled to connect to the characters and the universe.

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leahgustafson's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I truly believe Kazuo Ishiguro is a complete genius and his works are going to be considered the classics of our time. This is actually a reread for me. I had read this for the first time in college as part of my English major. As someone who isn’t a huge re-reader, I am so glad I took the time to revisit this one. I was definitely able to get much more out of it than I was on the initial read. This has me thinking there are many more books I will be needing to revisit.
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Ishiguro is a master at exploring the concept of memory through unreliable narrators. This story explores what it means to truly be human—focusing on the importance of connection, love, friendship, and memories. It also highlights the importance of art and ones ability to “create.”
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As with all of his books, Ishiguro raises some important question that ask us to reflect further on: the importance of the truth, how we view/ approach mortality (especially our own), the ethics involved in developing new technologies and policies that enhance the human condition, and who is benefiting from these enhancements. Because his books explore such major themes and questions, I think they are best read as book club selections or as buddy reads. I’ve discovered a greater level of depth when discussing them with others.
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Check out what I'm reading next on Instagram @LeahsLitReview!

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