Reviews with content warning for Toxic friendship - Never Let Me Go

Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

64 reviews

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

3.5

I had a hard time feeling sympathy for any of the characters, even though they probably deserve more sympathy than most people. I could also see a future where this kind of ethical technology actually comes to fruition. As it is today, part of my job is to help assess the digital ethics of some of our more advanced tech projects for potentially unintended consequences. Would’ve wasted this book higher given the subject matter could be so gripping, but it wasn’t quite, and I think it was because the characters lacked depth. However, that’s part of the genius of this book. After all, it’s hard to develop character when they have a very finite future. Actually, based on this little aha I just had, I’ll readjust to a 4.

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lisalovesbooks2's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

3.0

I was very disappointed in this book and had to force myself to finish it. I had heard that it was a very good book from multiple sources but definitely didn’t agree with that opinion. The story line dragged on, I didn’t care for the characters and was wishing that they would all be completed already so that I could stop reading. I’m not sure what people see in this book. I definitely didn’t see it and don’t recommend reading it.

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emilywemily6's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective 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? Yes

3.0

This book was underwhelming and I think this author just might not be a great fit for me. This writing style is intriguing and kept me interested for more, but it felt like nothing happened (very character focused yet with little character growth; plus no big reveals). I knew from early on in the book what was going on and I never learned anything more than what was easily extrapolated. It took zero imagination and I was disappointed that even with so many subtle promises of a reveal, I was never rewarded. Sci-fi? Who is she? I would call this more of a speculative, coming-of-age fiction. I wanted WAY more world-building and answers to what was happening, why the world got that way, and how they even accomplished it. This book was melancholic and languid and I think it will stay in my mind for a while, but since we didn’t get any world building and few perspectives from the wider world, the subtle thoughts on humanity lacked substance. Many people have found meaning in the minutia of Kathy’s memories but it lacked the oomph I want in a story like this. Lots of Kathy’s internal musings without any real growth or change in understanding throughout the whole book.

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elderwoodreads's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

Read this on recommendation from a friend and I'm so glad I did. Normally I'm weary of highly awarded literary authors as I fear their work will go over my head but this was the perfect level for what I wanted. I plan on reading all of Ishiguro's backlog at some point.

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kennahgracie's review against another edition

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reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

3.25

OVERALL
I had high expectations for Never Let Me Go, but unfortunately, it did not deliver. While I enjoy novels with reflective, almost melancholy storylines, this one seemed to drag me to its conclusion. I didn't feel connected to the characters, their plight, or the novel's premise. It felt as though Ishiguro had great potential with this story but squandered it, resulting in a meandering prose.

There was an overall lack of curiosity within the characters and their motivations. They seemed to be strung along by their predetermined purposes. This was confusing because their passion and complex human qualities (despite their almost alien disposition) were emphasized and encouraged in the secretive preparatory setting of Hailsham, only to fall flat after their departure from the school.

One would think that students who create and hold passion for things like art, literature, philosophy, and the world around them would fight to explore their right to live as they please. But no, the characters felt like puppets or dogs on a leash being yanked by what their guardians called “fate.” Was there no ambition to escape or defect? To investigate or question? Every time it felt like Kathy was exiting the foggy projection of her, Ruth, and Tommy’s life, she would immediately catapult herself back in.

There were also many plot holes. I understand Ishiguro's intention in writing this novel, but many elements of the novel felt unnecessary. It seemed as if Ishiguro wanted to communicate the blurry and sometimes messy conditions of human life: how friendships and relationships build and crumble, how ambitions and connections wither without clear cause, commentary on social classes, and the mechanisms we abide by in hope to form a place in society. But with the layering of sci-fi elements like cloning, carers, and donors without fleshing out their systems (how they came to be, how they work, the legal and political constraints), the book's contents feel like a half-formed dream.

On a closing note, I can't say I hated reading this book, but it didn't leave me with any new conclusions or ideas. It just wasn’t for me and could have benefited from more development. It definitely won't be a novel I recommend. However, I am still curious about Ishiguro's other works and the film adaptation of this novel, all of which I hope to enjoy more than this.

MAJOR TAKEAWAYS

Sterile characterization (passive, unmotivated, uninspired characters)
Lack of climax, creating a predictable plot line
Lack of expansion on sci-fi elements, making the characters' existence as clones more of a backdrop for a slow-paced coming-of-age/romance setting
Surface-level observation of the negative effects of society’s social classes and the isolation caused by such
An overall repetitiveness due to Kathy using her memories as a means to explore the plot

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augustst's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-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? No

3.5

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maiahhtratchh's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I wouldn’t say this book is plot or character driven as much as it is thematically driven. The book is so mysterious throughout but I still feel at the end that there were no real insights made and nothing was resolved.

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