Erin's Book #36: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

After seeing the trailer for the film adaptation several months ago, I was intrigued by Never Let Me Go, but didn't realize it was a book until Blythe wrote about it. Her post convinced me it was worth reading, so when I found it at a sale for $1, it was a no brainer.

It's difficult to write about the story without giving anything away. The only thing that's immediately apparent is that Hailsham, the boarding school that the three main characters (Kathy, who narrates, Ruth, her best friend, and Tommy, Ruth's boyfriend) attend is somehow out of the ordinary. The specific hows are revealed slowly throughout the story. Ishiguro is a master of drawing you in and intriguing you, though his reveals are natural. He drops enough hints to let you come up with theories and never presents information like it's shocking; instead, it's almost casual, because the narrator assumes you already know. In a way, that makes the truth even more haunting.

It's also very hard to put this book down. Ishiguro has all sorts of tricks to keep you reading, like ending most chapters with things like, "That's why what happened in the Square was so surprising" and "What Ruth said that day in the cemetery changed everything." (Note: those aren't actual examples, but they give you an idea). It takes great discipline not to keep reading to find out what happens.

Engrossing, creepy, and beautifully written, I highly recommend Never Let Me Go.