Never Let Me Go

Title: Never Let Me Go

Author: Kazuo Ishiguro

Language: English

Publisher: Vintage Books, 2006

Genre: Fiction

The story is narrated by Kathy H., a 31-year-old woman who has been a carer for over eleven years. The story is told as if we are having a direct conversation with her. Having her telling the story of her childhood in a mysterious boarding school, Hailsham, in a quite area of England. In the first part of the book, readers are made curious by several unfamiliar terms mentioned by Kathy, such as carer, donors, donation and guardian. Slowly, Kathy H. tells the story since age 5 until she grew up. The story seems humble and nostalgic. In some parts, Kathy needs to go back and forth in the timeline, as if she doesn't want us to miss the details.

In her childhood, Kathy, Ruth, and Tomy grew up together in Hailsham, having normal life as kids, with the art project, classes, etc. At some point, readers might feel something is not normal in Hailsham. Some mysteries and rumors are within the students mind, but they decided to keep it to themselves and not to bring the topic. As the story goes, readers will become more curious about the nature of Hailsham. And finally, the writer gave a specific clue about what the students really are and what Hailsham really is.

Kathy's love to Tommy which is disguised as friendship is not realized, as Tommy and Ruth are a couple. But, the sense of love is evident when Kathy and Tommy are searching for the long lost tape in Norfolk, a place where they believe keep every missing objects in their lives.

In the end, every mystery is revealed to reader explicitly without leaving a space for readers' interpretation. As the truth is revealed, readers can't help feeling the bitterness and sorrow. This story is dark, devastating, yet beautiful. A typical work by Kazuo Ishiguro, always prevent you from putting it down.