Reviews

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

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jennifertordy's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

mariananunescanha's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.75

lchadwi717's review against another edition

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3.0

This book had a great premise but bad execution. there is no climax to this story. it just keeps going on and on until even the author got bored and stopped writing.

emlocke's review against another edition

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3.0

Rating in 2011: 3 stars
Rating in 2024: 2.5 stars
(I read this again by accident.)

LIGHT SPOILERS:

While I was captivated by the mysterious, almost eerie story (not unlike THE GIVER), wading through Kathy’s accounts many of the cliques and toxic friendships got to be excruciating. Kathy, the unreliable narrator, is an over thinker, but how could she not be? Her world is isolated, confusing, lonely, and boring /and/ her “best friend” is a manipulative liar. Also, what does Tommy even see in Ruth?! And why does Ruth, the “Queen Bee” want to be with Tommy, the social pariah of Hailsham?

The book is provocative in that it raises more questions than it answers. I found it tedious to read the exhaustive accounts of every interaction between students. These passages are relevant to the character development, but they get to be . . . a lot. The kind of petty bickering that elicits the line, “it was just the way she said it.” Enough, already.

The biggest disappointment is that the history, infrastructure, and operations of this dystopian practice is explored only superficially. I wanted to know more about this alternate world.

HEAVIER SPOILERS

Presuming that life-sustaining organs are highest in demand, of course Donors are going to die after one donation if their heart or lungs are taken. But Donors could donate a single lung, a single kidney, a part of their liver, skin and bone, one or even both corneas, and probably even parts of the inner ear. In the real world, living donors recover with minimal complications. So why do so many Donors have such a hard time after a donation?

snikkidee's review against another edition

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5.0

This is not a book that was all that enjoyable. If we’re talking pure entertainment, it gets a solid 3, but this books frustrates me and makes me think. I finished it nearly 3 hours ago and I’m still thinking. The best thing you can possibly do is to go into the book knowing nothing.