Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Schultz
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gripping sci-fi paints teens' bleak, unforgettable world.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Now a young woman, Kathy reflects on her life as a child and as a teen at Hailsham, the exclusive English boarding school she attended. She recalls the intimate relationships she forged with Ruth, whose lies tested their friendship, and Tommy, a troubled and sensitive outcast. Over time, the three central characters uncover the truth about their guardians, their fate, and what they mean to each other.
Is It Any Good?
Readers are kept on very much the same footing as the central characters; we experience the same kind of suspense as the dark, disturbing reality they face unfolds, and it's gripping. As he famously proved in his Man Booker Award-winning novel Remains of the Day (1989), Ishiguro is a master of restraint; he holds back just enough to create emotional tension, so even his least eventful plots become page-turners. Though Never Let Me Go is not a masterpiece on the order of Remains, it is thought-provoking and creates a fully realized, horrific, unforgettable world.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about human cloning, which figures in the story. If such a thing were possible in the real world, should it be done?
Do you agree with Miss Lucy that students should have been told more about their future lives and purpose? Why or why not?
In many ways, Kathy and her friends seem like pretty typical teenagers. What do you think makes them seem "normal," or not?
Kathy and Ruth's relationship is quite troubled. Why do you think Kathy forgives Ruth so much?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Vintage Books
- Publication date : March 14, 2006
- Number of pages : 304
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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