Friday, November 10, 2006

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro


Ishiguro, Kazuo. 2005. Never Let Me Go. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

An
Alex Award Winner for 2006, Never Let Me Go, is a book about a woman, Kathy, and her being reunited with old school friends from Halisham, a private school. Upon getting back together, they are forced to face the truths of their existance. I could leave it all murky and dark...and if you hate spoilers then read no further...but the meat of the story is that Kathy and her school mates are all clones, created by the government for the sole purpose of organ donations.

Ugh! I almost evoked my right to put this one down and pick a new one. If I hadn't read the verso page I would have been clueless as to what was coming in the book. As it is, you have to stick with it all the way to page 81 before any light dawns and things are even partially explained. It doesn't get too detailed, and certainly isn't forthcoming in information as to what is going on and why, so it is unclear if the clones are randomly created just as an organ supply or if they are created for certain people who want to prolong their own lives with organs from their personal clone. I think that the central idea is a great one and could have been explored better with a more straight-forward plot that doesn't wander back and forth from one point in the past to a different one to the present.

I don't particularly care for this book, I think the writing style is very meandering, and frankly I'm surprized it is considered an Alex award for 2006 considering how casually sex is treated and the confusing, meandering plot. I don't think this would keep a YA's attention at all...it barely kept mine.

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