Never Let Me Go

by Kazuo Ishiguro
published: Vintage Books, 2005
pages: 288

Kathy, Ruth and Tommy grew up together in a prestigious boarding school called Hailsham where their guardians constantly reminded them that they were special.  It never occurred to them to question the rules or the mysterious behavior that some of the guardians showed.  Now Kathy looks back on their days together and begins to unravel the mystery of Ruth, Tommy and her special childhood and how that knowledge will shape the rest of their lives together.

This story stuck with me for days after I finished reading this book.  I find I still think about now, (it hasn't been all that long.)  I keep thinking about the characters, their lives and their whould'ves, could'ves, should'ves, knowing there really was no other way their story could go.  This is a story that will sit with you long after you've closed the book.  It'll make you wonder about the potential of humanity and the desperation of others.

The storytelling is hauntingly reminiscent and beautifully thought-provoking.  When Kathy speaks, it's as if we are having a conversation in which she is divulging her deepest secrets.  I may be a donor and she might be my carer.  There is a sadness in her storytelling that is evident while reading this book.  It's almost as if she's smiling through her sadness, like she's discussing her life unsentimentally.

Kazuo Ishirguro has been awarded for his writing in past books and I can see why.  He has a unique take on storytelling and the voices he shares with us.  I will most definitely be reading more of his work in the future.

4.5/5 Stars

Praise:

"A Gothic tour de force.... A tight, deftly controlled story.... Just as accomplished [as The Remains of the Day] and, in a very different way, just as melancholy and alarming."
     --The New York Times

"Elegiac, deceptively lovely....As always, Ishiguro pulls you under."
     --Newsweek

"Superbly unsettling, impeccably controlled...The Book's irresistible power come from Ishiguro's matchless ability to expose its dark heart in careful increments."
     --Entertainment Weekly

This is an Eclectic Reader 2014 Challenge Book!