Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

44 reviews

imaginefishes's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

The style of writing is simple and straightforward as the narrator tells you about her life growing up, then as a medical care worker. It's a dystopia, yes, but the overall story feels not so much disturbing as it does mildly nostalgic and tinged with bittersweetness. It's well-written, and tells the story of an exploited clone girl growing up, managing her (complex and honestly, somewhat toxic) relationships, finding her place in the world, and how she faces the indeliable truth that her life was created solely for the purpose of serving others, be it as a donor or a care worker for the donors.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Medical trauma, and Medical content

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

chrisstibbs's review against another edition

challenging 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Infertility

maiahhtratchh's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-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

3.75

I wouldn’t say this book is plot or character driven as much as it is thematically driven. The book is so mysterious throughout but I still feel at the end that there were no real insights made and nothing was resolved.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Terminal illness and Child abuse

Minor: Infertility

emmagreenwood's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Genocide, Infertility, Abandonment, Ableism, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Murder, Slavery, Child abuse, Confinement, Gaslighting, Grief, Trafficking, and Death

eva_vva'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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Toxic friendship, Forced institutionalization, Terminal illness, Confinement, Death, Medical trauma, Sexual content, and Medical content

Moderate: Gaslighting, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, and Bullying

Minor: Cursing, Pregnancy, Blood, Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, and Infidelity

mishaalalala's review against another edition

challenging 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

Ishiguro's tale is reflective and does an excellent job at examining what gives our lives substance, as human beings. Through the narration of Kathy H, we get an insight into love, loss and the value of memories. 
The novel did fall a bit flat for me in terms of world building - the reader is pretty much in the dark the entire time, despite many hints being dropped throughout the novel. We're never fully aware of what's going on. 
I also wasn't the biggest fan of Kathy herself, her character was flawed and while I understand that it was crucial to the plot. I did find myself incredibly irritated with her.
Overall, it is a novel that does make you think for a while, despite it being challenging to get through.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Bullying, Death, Toxic friendship, and Forced institutionalization

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

hmatt's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

I've been meaning to read this for over a decade now, so I'm mostly very pleased with myself for getting to it. I think it earns its place as a contemporary classic - it's well-written, the pacing is great, and I liked how it was broken up by "era".

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, and Classism

Moderate: Terminal illness, Infertility, Grief, and Medical content

danicakvcs's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Ableism, Chronic illness, Medical content, Death, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Infertility, Blood, and Body horror

emcheym's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Forced institutionalization, and Sexual content