Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Never Let Me Go is one of those books that does not benefit from you reading the book jacket synopsis.  No matter how hard I try I can never do it justice.  Not to mention that all of the blurbs I've read give you an entirely different impression of the book than what it actually entails.  Nevertheless,  I'm not going to let that stop me from trying my best to entice you to read this novel.  

Never Let Me Go takes place in the Nineties, but not the Nineties we think of with TGIF classics and boy bands.  This version has more of a dystopian feel.  Everything seems perfect when we meet the three main characters, Kathy, Ruth and Tommy, at their boarding school.  Unfortunately, we all know that when the words "dystopia" and "perfect" combine in the same sentence, some . . . or a lot . . . of chaos is bound to ensue.   Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy soon learn that their education is actually leading up to a predetermined fate, one that they might not be so happy reach.  As the characters reach adulthood and come to terms with their existence and their fate, you as the reader are left with questions regarding morality and the power of culture. 

Have I hooked you yet?  What if I told you that the boarding school the characters attend doesn't teach traditional classes like English or History, but rather Arts and other creative classes?  Why? Because the instructors want the students to show their creativity rather than their intelligence.  Weird, right? 

Still nothing? What about the constant dispute between critics about which genre to place this book in?  It's slated as both fiction and science fiction, but honestly it could safely reside in either category and be just fine.  That shouldn't worry you folks that turn away from science fiction as a rule, though.  This book is hyper-realistic, adding to the intrigue and suspense of the novels events.

Nada?  Well, what if I told you that your prize for reading this book (besides, ya know, reading a great book) is being able to watch the movie adaptation with Kiera Knightly, Andrew Garfield, and Carey Mulligan?  Win-win-win! While the movie isn't quite as good as the book, it does serve as a good companion.  In fact, I first read this book in undergrad as a part of a gender studies class and watched the movie as well.  Both of them blew me away, so much so that I ran out and purchased a copy of the DVD to keep forever.  This is one of the few books that has stuck with me from my studies, and was one of the very few books that I didn't sell back to University Book Store at the end of the semester.  It's actually on my "Quick Recommendations" list to this day, because it made such an impact on me.

If that hasn't sold you on this book, I don't know what will.  This book is suspenseful, leaving me wanting to put it in that coveted "unputdownable" category.  I promise that Never Let Me Go will leave you with something to think about no matter who you are,  and may even leave you thinking that you never want to let it go.  (Sorry, I just couldn't resist!)

TL/DR: Never Let Me Go is a suspenseful novel about the power of fate and that there is always something more than meets the eye. 
Rating: 4/5 stars