Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/7244947

It is only after I started reading this novel that I discovered that it is considered a science fiction novel. The blurb does not give you any idea of what you are going to discover within the pages of the book, so it was rather a surprise to enter the world of Hailsham pupils. Science fiction is not a genre I would choose to read normally, but I loved this. So do not be put off reading this novel by its categorisation.
The protagonists Kathy, Ruth and Tommy were all pupils at a select boarding school in the English countryside. So select that the pupils were all clones alienated from the rest of society. They were naively unaware of this nightmare lifestyle whereas they had only been created so that when they reached maturity their organs would be used to save the lives of others.
Set in the recent past it is a painful read as Kathy narrates how she and her fellow students Ruth and Tommy spent their youth at school and then early adulthood until they ‘complete’ their lives. One of my favourite scenes is the one that gives the book its title ‘Never Let Me Go’.
To say I loved this book may therefore seem strange but I did, finding it scary in its reality and moving in its handling of love and loss. A very poignant story of love and friendship that will certainly leave you thinking about the fragility of life for a long time afterwards.