lenaellena 's review for:

When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro

4.0

dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Despite having just read another Ishiguro, I was completely gaslit by the unreliable narrator and thought I was simply just not following the plot. 

I can’t remember exactly when I realized Christopher was absolutely going insane, but I think it was embarrassingly late in my reading journey. Reflecting back, there were so many parts that don’t really make sense otherwise - Grayson planning the homecoming party for his parents, and asking about their accommodations? The idea that he would simply go back to living at his childhood home and kick the current tenants out after his parents were found? The people laughing at him at the wedding, completely unexplained. I finished this book yesterday, but woke up a few times last night thinking about more of these examples.

It was a wild ride. Not my favorite Ishiguro but still very well done, in my opinion.