Plot Summary: All children should believe they are special. But the students of Hailsham, an elite school in the English countryside, are so special that visitors shun them, and only by rumor and the occasional fleeting remark by a teacher do they discover their unconventional origins and strange destiny. Kazuo Ishiguro's sixth novel, Never Let Me Go, is a masterpiece of indirection. Like the students of Hailsham, readers are "told but not told" what is going on and should be allowed to discover the secrets of Hailsham and the truth about these children on their own.
Offsetting the bizarreness of these revelations is the placid, measured voice of the narrator, Kathy H., a 31-year-old Hailsham alumna who, at the close of the 1990s, is consciously ending one phase of her life and beginning another. She is in a reflective mood, and recounts not only her childhood memories, but her quest in adulthood to find out more about Hailsham and the idealistic women who ran it. Although often poignant, Kathy's matter-of-fact narration blunts the sharper emotional effects you might expect in a novel that deals with illness, self-sacrifice, and the severe restriction of personal freedoms.
Personal Opinion: Such a bittersweet story... But I must say that is worth reading. Specially for the strong feeling this book is able to bring. This tale really mesmerizes you and the main character sometimes reflects on some foolish customs normal people have and that she finds weird. The author also describes some places in England as the story unfolds that are really interesting to read. This book may be categorized as fiction but I think it is so much more. It left me spechless, I don´t know what else to say...
Final Rating: 9/10
(btw, there´s a movie coming out based on the book and I just found out about it. Can´t wait to see it...)
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