Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go is a simple read, but it is not a simple book. It is about, and from the perspective of, children who through the course of the novel grow into young adults. And therein lies its simplicity: Ishiguro treats these characters as they should be treated–their focus is on popularity, sex, pranks, and the like. Yet throughout the novel, there is a feeling that something darker lies beneath the surface. Who, or perhaps what, these characters are is never hidden; there is not a twist which reveals the truth. It settles in slowly from page one and makes complete sense by the end. But by the end, the complexity has set in. These characters who had seemed so normal were exactly that. And the reality of their fate drops like a hammer on the skull of a lab rat.

This is one of those books which seemed good while I was reading it. I felt interested in the characters' stories, but never really felt entirely connected to them. But as I met those last few pages, I noticed my heart began to speed up and my eyes grew teary. Finally, I began to care. Never Let Me Go is a book which may seem inconsequential at first–an easy read with little backbone–but its resonance lasts long after the final page.