A review by mrtvavrana
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

adventurous challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

2.5

 

This was my first book by Kazuo Ishiguro, and I have decided to go into it completely blind. In retrospect, that was probably not the best idea. 

 

Right in the beginning, we are introduced to Kathy, the main character and narrator. She tells us a bit about her life, and then she goes on reminiscing about her childhood and teenage years. 

 

Chapter after chapter, I kept waiting for her to come back to the present, and before I knew it, I was on page 203, and the book was rapidly coming to an end. 

 

The writing seemed a bit messy; we were jumping from one event to another and then back again. And I often felt that the sentences were very repetitive. 

 

That being said, the novel is very slow. I would not call it boring, but it also was not very entertaining. I definitely think it is a perfect autumn read, albeit a bit depressing. 

 

Before I continue talking about the story, I just want to say I kind of liked the characters. They definitely had their moments, and it was lovely to see them grow and interact with each other. 

 

Their relationships, though, were a little weird, and at times their actions (or lack thereof) annoyed me greatly. 

For me, the story takes place during the last 80 pages. Up until then, it is just a build-up with very little information about what is really going on. The big reveal, unfortunately, falls flat and does not seem very well thought out. It lacked some stronger base and more information.

Even more so since it is dealing with cloning and using humans for spare body parts.

 

This book deals with extremely heavy topics, but they are not explored or discussed in more detail. Overall, I would not say this was a bad read, but it lacked in many ways and left me feeling extra disappointed.