Shannon 's Reviews > Never Let Me Go

I whole heatedly agree. I read a review when I was about half way through, and it completely ruined the surprise ending.

Yes yes yes go blind.

So glad I saw the first line of this review before I started reading. I agree. Even dropping that it’s dystopian is too much information. It was such a beautifully executed book.

I felt that to be true too!!! There are some books where the story line almost doesn't matter at all. Anna Karenina for example, everyone knows how it ends, for the most part, but knowing really doesn't spoil the experience, only makes you appreciate it more. For this book though, I think knowing would have spoiled all the subtle hints thrown along the way before anything is actually stated explicitly.

Thanks to your review, I read this book and loved it❤️

Totally agree it has more impact when you’re trying to figure out what this group of kids is about.

I took your advice and I'm so glad I did. I was bored and confused at that point, but when I read what you said, I kept at it and feel so rewarded. Thank you!

Lovely review, and I totally agree that going into into it blind made for a much richer experience in my case. I was able to puzzle through the children’s experiences along with them while also puzzling out on a higher level what was going on. So many questions were raised on a plot level to keep me reading: What did Miss Lucy mean in her remarks to Tommy about his art? Why did Miss Emily trail off in her assembly speeches? Why were there no visitors except Madame?

And then there were the adult reader responses: how sad that these kids had only their collections as personal possessions, how sad that their best work was taken from them without explanation, how unbearably sad that they never knew the love of a parent.

For all the “specialness” of Hailsham, the conundrum is what I’m sure the author was aiming at: as a reader, I wanted so much more for these kids—opportunity to spread their wings in the wider world, to fulfill their promise, opportunity to learn what sexual love really is—in other words, opportunity to escape their cage. But the overarching answer would be another question—why give them even what they had? What was the point, given their predetermined fate?

I’ll be turning over these questions and more as I think about the masterful way the author lured me so completely into the children’s world and devastated me with these questions and their answers.

I read a spoiler 5 chapters in... and I don’t know what to do

I completely agree with this — I bought the book for its cover and title (shame!) and so had no idea what it was about. I kept thinking, “Huh, something’s really off here...” I did the same thing with The Road. 😂🤦‍♀️

I actually didn't know about it. And yes, I fell into the story easily. It's understandable. But doesn't make it any more interesting than it is... The following of the memories as one emerge into another makes it hard to keep well with the plot and frankly, I didn't really care for the characters, the story, or anything. It all felt kinda flat..

Shannon, I found your review and advice in regards to this novel to be very insightful and helpful for those unfamiliar with the novel. As someone who only knew a little bit of outside information in regards to Ishiguro's intentions behind the novel, I otherwise walked into the reading blind. I agree that knowing the plot of the novel would ruin some aspects of it inherently. I especially like your comparison of the reading to being akin to a sort of art installation that the audience needs to take part in.

Hi Shannon, your review was very helpful. I, too, had limited information and insight on this book before I started reading it, but I believe that a little insight into the book would have been helpful, as this story is being told from memory by the main character. I thought that this book was very slow and boring a first, but it got better towards the end. I think this either has to be a sort of genre that you're into or you are not, that's all it depends on.

defiantly agree with this, likewise to many people i had never read any of the authors books before and came in blind. Once i became more involved with the story and how the school brought memories of pain, fondness and reminiscence, I began to appreciate the reminiscence of the past and how she years no connect with her former self

So true !!!!

I took your advice and didn't read any reviews. I'm still not sure what I think of this book, but I'm thinking about it a lot since I finished it.

I completely agree with this! I went in blindly and know that I wouldn't have felt it as deeply if I knew anything about it.

This was the first review I saw before I read it and I'm so glad I did! I took your advice and let this book take me on its journey and I'm so glad I went in with a blank slate

Thank you, and I'm glad yours is the first review to appear; it is the only one I'm going to read.

Totally agree with your tip!

Totally agree with this tip! I went into it relatively blind and I think it helped make the unfolding of the story as compelling as it was. People keep referring to a “twist” and I honestly don’t think this book has a twist — it’s a slow trickle of realization, the same way the characters experience it.

I disagree - if I had read anything before hand I would have saved myself from reading a book that in no way compares with any dystopian literature that I have read.

i agree in a disagreeing way. I actually watched the movie before reading the book out of impatience and i enjoyed pointing out the things that qere different in both and how they added or didnt add to the story. My motivation to read this was 2 things- Andrew Garfield (the lesser reason but also a reason) and My friend who had reccomended it to me. I kind of forced myself to read it even if i didnt want to. But so far I've really liked it (on page 80 currently) and im excited to point out the differences

Glad I saw this! How many years later... lol.... Thank You!

I never look into a book before reading it. I don’t even read the book jacket to find out what it is about.
This time, in wish I would have read some reviews… maybe I would have been saved from wasting my time with this book. One of the worst books I’ve read in an very long time!

Ok! Let's try diving in blind 😉

I am so stupid! I tried to follow your advice but then my brain was like "didn't we see a movie called Never let me go on Disney plus?" So I looked on Disney and the thing that tells you what the movie is about spoiled it completely.

I didn't know anything about the book going in and figured out the main plot point in the first few pages. I kept waiting for the story to properly start, and I never felt like it did

I am glad I didn't read the reviews. I had very mixed feelings about it all, but after finishing and going through the reviews I think that I probably also should have given it five stars. The fact that I knew nothing meant that I was on tenterhooks the whole time. I was convinced that they had been kidnapped or taken off of women who were unwed mothers, or "degenerates" and that the outside world/society wasn't aware of what was going on

I am glad that I listened to your advice and went in blind!!! The best advice! I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience! Thank you so much! I love love love this book with all my heart.

I got this book randomly at the bookstore without knowing anything about it. The backcover of the edition i got had very little information, so I just thought it's a light-drama of a woman remembering her days at a boarding school and nothing more. I stumbled upon your review and took your advice, i didn't look at anything, didn't read anything, still had not noticed the scifi and dystopian tags (which i don't think do this book any favors). So I just want to say thank you, cause going through this book and discovering what is really happening as the characters find out bit by bit made it really matter and helped the book get its points across to me, something I believe a lot of people missed going into this expecting some overly detailed dystopian/scifi world. I hope more people see this review before they pick it up!

Esse me deixou com a pulga atrás da orelha! Adicionando à minha lista na Amazon hahaha

So glad I took your advice!! I agree, it would not have had the same impact had I known anything about the plot. I also didn't realize there's a movie which I now have to watch although I fear it'll be another book-made-into-a- movie that will greatly disappoint. Just glad I didn't know about the movie prior to reading, the temptation to watch the trailer (which gives away the whole story) would have been hard to resist.

Just started this book and was going through reviews to figure out what to expect, but now I'm just going to stop looking and let myself be surprised. Thanks for the heads up!

Omg I thought it was going to be about vampires in Japan for some reason I was blown away lol

"It's a bit like an art installation that requires audience participation" - I love this description, it's exactly how it felt for me.