Reviews

I really loved this one. The only book by this author is read was Klara and the Sun, and while I did enjoy it the ending didn’t do it for me. Never Let Me Go is so much better. I enjoyed unravelling bits and pieces of of the puzzle throughout, and I’m glad that it didn’t leave too much to interpretation. It was quite sad at times and I really felt quite attached to the main protagonist and narrator, Kath. I enjoy this type of dystopian sci-fi novel. It’s not too scientific!

elisatognon's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

3.0

TLDR I wanted this book to be much more about a

reflection on the society

, but instead, it was mostly about

a love triangle

.

The beginning of the book (part 1) was captivating.

We are experiencing a secluded community and how that affects relationships. Ishiguro was able to find a good balance between the mistery at the foundation of the plot and the day-to-day reality.

Part 2 then concentrates on the

students' experience of the outside world. But no attention is given to the effect of the cloning system on the hors-Hailsham world. Is life in a world with clones no different than the universe we live in?
By chapters 14-17, the book was mostly about unconsequential teenager quarrels. I don't care about love triangles, and neither did I care about this one.
Such a shame.

Throughout the book we witness several moments were the characters,

fallen prey to the system that cages them, are unshaken by its characteristics, as pointed out by other reviewers. For exemple, when Miss Lucy explicitly states how they are made to harvest organs no one reacts. Instead, I wish we had had more reflective passages on whyy the characters are so numb! About how Miss Lucy, who understands the gravity, is angry! The present-day narrator should have been the one to reflect on it. But instead, she mostly acts as a neutral event-reteller while leaving more space to her teenager experience.
Again, a shame.

As alexanderlane pointed out, no one is questioning their fate. And there is no mention of counter-culture movements, of anti-cloning people?