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sheriffrockyraccoon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I’m devastated.
I picked up this book because the New York Times listed it as one of the best books of the century and while I expected a mysterious, apocalyptic thriller I instead found a beautiful and realistic story about what it means to be human.
I absolutely loved the characters. Even Ruth, who is a bit of a mean girl, felt incredibly realistic and I had sympathy for her regardless of her actions. The same applies for Kath and Tommy, they felt incredibly realistic in a way that’s rare in literature. The one part that bothered me was how the chapters and page breaks always seemed to end on a cliffhanger, it felt repetitive toward the end. Otherwise, the writing was so specific I have to remind myself that this isn’t something I went through.
I would recommend this book to any fans of dystopian literature, although it focuses much more on the characters rather than any action. Honestly, I would just recommend this book in general as long as you’re ready to have your heart broken.
I picked up this book because the New York Times listed it as one of the best books of the century and while I expected a mysterious, apocalyptic thriller I instead found a beautiful and realistic story about what it means to be human.
I absolutely loved the characters. Even Ruth, who is a bit of a mean girl, felt incredibly realistic and I had sympathy for her regardless of her actions. The same applies for Kath and Tommy, they felt incredibly realistic in a way that’s rare in literature. The one part that bothered me was how the chapters and page breaks always seemed to end on a cliffhanger, it felt repetitive toward the end. Otherwise, the writing was so specific I have to remind myself that this isn’t something I went through.
I would recommend this book to any fans of dystopian literature, although it focuses much more on the characters rather than any action. Honestly, I would just recommend this book in general as long as you’re ready to have your heart broken.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Medical trauma
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Infertility, Sexual content, Grief, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
withlivjones's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This book has an intriguing concept and some decent writing, but I found the pacing (especially of the first two parts) very slow, the narration occasionally stilted, and the characters just really annoying. I would’ve loved a deeper exploration of the worldbuilding and a bigger, more climactic reveal. I did really like the melancholy and hopeless feel of the last part, but overall it was just a bit underwhelming. I would really like to read more by Ishiguro though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Infertility
Moderate: Medical content
graemesmith's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical content, and Medical trauma
sonevoe's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
many people ask "well why wouldn’t they just run away" and for me this is the most important part of the story, poor creatures, they are made to die and nobody regards them as someone worth living, not even the very people who claim to fight for them
beautiful and tragic, all of the characters seemed unlovable and still i was rooting for them
honestly didn’t understand the emphasis on sex…what was it for..
beautiful and tragic, all of the characters seemed unlovable and still i was rooting for them
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infertility, and Medical content
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, and Terminal illness
coritoala's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
The story’s themes are the most interesting part of the book and it revolves around the central question “what determines you have a soul?” or more generally “what makes us human?”
Content Warnings
Minor: Medical content
scottishgremlin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I think I need to read the rest of Ishiguro’s bibliography now.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Sexual content, and Medical content
tinypear's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
"I keep thinking about this river somewhere, with the water moving really fast. And these two people in the water, trying to hold onto each other, holding on as hard as they can, but in the end it's just too much. The current's too strong. They've got to let go, drift apart. That's how it is with us. It's a shame, Kath, because we've loved each other all our lives. But in the end, we can't stay together forever."
Never Let Me Go touches on the finite nature of our lives indirectly by introducing science fiction elements in such a magnificent way. Many parts of this book had me considering the characters' dilemmas, their existentialism, and feeling that sense of existentialism reflected in myself. I loved how this book made me consider the concepts of childhood, being drip-fed information vital to the human condition throughout our education and childhood experiences, growing up into our adult identity with our friends, and facing death all in less than 300 pages. The deeper consideration of the oppression and alienation within this book was especially evident in Part Three, alongside the ending providing a bleak outlook and suggestion of a lack of hope. I also appreciated the discussion around art and the importance of preserving this within the context of the book but also expanding into the wider context.
I found some elements of this book to be too slow for my liking - I felt that the story was really gripping only in Part Three, which only leaves about 80 pages of the story remaining. I also just didn't enjoy the narrative style in this book. I found many parts repetitive, often looping back to 'I need to tell you this...' or 'I should explain this...' and this style was just generally not to my taste. I liked the character- and story-building that Ishiguro was going for, but the writing style in this one just wasn't it for me.
The end is predictable - you can see it coming from a mile off - but it was emotional and captivating nonetheless. I found myself hurting for the characters and wishing things could be different. Never Let Me Go had an ending that left me wanting a little more, but maybe this is intentional and I'm just being picky. The dystopian reality created within this novel makes the reader face the harsh reality of the human condition, however the ending left more to be desired. 🫀
Never Let Me Go touches on the finite nature of our lives indirectly by introducing science fiction elements in such a magnificent way. Many parts of this book had me considering the characters' dilemmas, their existentialism, and feeling that sense of existentialism reflected in myself. I loved how this book made me consider the concepts of childhood, being drip-fed information vital to the human condition throughout our education and childhood experiences, growing up into our adult identity with our friends, and facing death all in less than 300 pages. The deeper consideration of the oppression and alienation within this book was especially evident in Part Three, alongside the ending providing a bleak outlook and suggestion of a lack of hope. I also appreciated the discussion around art and the importance of preserving this within the context of the book but also expanding into the wider context.
I found some elements of this book to be too slow for my liking - I felt that the story was really gripping only in Part Three, which only leaves about 80 pages of the story remaining. I also just didn't enjoy the narrative style in this book. I found many parts repetitive, often looping back to 'I need to tell you this...' or 'I should explain this...' and this style was just generally not to my taste. I liked the character- and story-building that Ishiguro was going for, but the writing style in this one just wasn't it for me.
The end is predictable - you can see it coming from a mile off - but it was emotional and captivating nonetheless. I found myself hurting for the characters and wishing things could be different. Never Let Me Go had an ending that left me wanting a little more, but maybe this is intentional and I'm just being picky. The dystopian reality created within this novel makes the reader face the harsh reality of the human condition, however the ending left more to be desired. 🫀
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Infertility, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Cancer and Homophobia
jenlengland's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Medical content, Grief, and Abandonment
avasbookmark's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
anna_pearl's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Infertility, Sexual content, and Medical content
The characters are literally raised to be organ donors. It's very emotionally detached, so it results in a rather unnerving story as a whole.