KYLE M. JOHNSON
PRIDE STAFF WRITER

In Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel “Never Let Me Go,” readers are invited into the unfamiliar society at Hailsham boarding school. In three parts, the story chronicles the protagonist Kathy’s experiences from the point of being a child at the mysterious Hailsham, until her young adult years in the life which she and her fellow students were born into and prepared for as part of their education.

It is difficult to tell much of the plot without giving away any details that may spoil elements of the novel. However, Ishiguro’s story is exceptionally well-crafted. Through Kathy’s narration, Ishiguro speaks about this world he has created very casually and very matter-of-factly as if it is a society readers would already be familiar with. In its telling of an unknown society set in the 1990s, “Never Let Me Go” is a type of modern science-fiction novel.

Kathy is accompanied through much of the novel by her friends Tommy and Ruth who all three develop into a love triangle as they grow up. Through their companionship, they set out to uncover the mysteries of the school in their education, lifestyle expectations and mysterious rumors of ways to avoid their predestined duties. However, their curiosity often leads to shocking findings.

While elegantly written, the narration might discourage readers due to the readers’ unfamiliarity with many of the references made to the world in which the characters inhabit. Be reassured, though, because all uncertainties belonging to the reader, as well as the characters, are answered. By the end of the novel, the world for the students of Hailsham, as well as other boarding schools founded with the same mission statement, will be made known to readers.

“Never Let Me Go” is one of the most beautiful, rewarding novels in recent literary history. It offers all elements of a great novel as it touches on such themes as friendship, purpose, love and loyalty. This novel is very deserving—it deserves to be read and readers deserve to have read it.