Never Let Me Go
by Kazuo Ishiguro is (as described by one of my Crabbie book club buddies) a Sci-Fi novel without the "Sci". It follows a women, Kathy, as she reminisces about life at a unique boarding school. Kathy takes the reader through these memories from her childhood up until the present as she reflects on her interactions with her friends and "guardians" at this special school that focuses on art and health for it's children.The pace of this novel is slow and thoughtful. The reflections of Kathy seem trivial, but a lot is taking place as the reader begins to see the truth behind what this school is really about and how these children are treated. The matter of fact portrayal and memories of Kathy truly show the conditioning that the students have recieved.
The reader may be shocked at the acceptance of these characters in how their lives have been shaped, but I think this happens in real life too. Forces shape our lives and maybe we don't take the action we should to make changes and become who we want to be. Ishiguro's subtle novel creates a canvas that forces the reader to contemplate some truly basic questions about life and who we are as people.
