Never Let Me Go is a haunting dystopian novel about the life circumstances of a young woman and her friends. The novel opens with the narrator retelling her experiences and those of her friends at an isolated boarding school in the English countryside. The students have virtually no contact with the outside world and only have vague ideas about the reality of their future. The fact that the book is set in the recent past gives the sci-fi element a more realistic and haunting feel. Never Let Me Go is a beautifully written and thought provoking story about what it means to be human.

I am not sure why this was such a hit. I am pretty sure I saw a movie with the same idea a long time ago (see "The Island" with Scarlett Johansen & Ewan McGregor).

It begins as a woman reminiscing about growing up at what seems like a boarding school in the English countryside. She tells stories about her friends and teachers and wonders what it was that caused them to drift apart over the years. As the story goes on you begin to realize that her life, and the lives of her friends, are dictated by something beyond their control. The book is written in a deceptively subtle tone, there are no grand metaphors or political stances. It's written like you're sitting with Kathy as she tells you the story of her past. It's a very relatable and human story, which is what makes it all the more disturbing and tragic when you learn the reason for Kathy's existence.

I had a tough time getting into this book. Once I got through the first quarter, however, I was hooked. Ishiguro brings up questions about the future of cloning and its moral implications.

This was a book club read for my local library (Crystal Lake Public Library) before I joined in June of 2010 that I read on my own to catch up later on (orig. they read it for 3/2010). This is a very bizarre tale to say the least! If you do not want to know the plot do not read on because I cannot think of a way to talk about the novel without describing what happens in the pages. You think it is going to be a tale about school chums, and in a way it is, but it is more of a sci-fi tale and one that makes you think about the moral implications of cloning. The characters are essentially that, clones, who are raised in a school and eventually become donors of organs, and are proud of themselves if they can donate 4 organs before death. The main character is Kathy H., who is a counselor and recovery assistant to these "donors," a profession called "carer" in the book. She is at a crossroads in her life and looking reflectively back at the school where she "grew up" called Halisham. What she is deciding boils down to whether or not she will continue on counseling the other clones as they donate to themselves to death, their real purpose for existing, or if she will now become a donor herself. The book makes you think a lot about human nature and about our rights to exist. Although these characters are clones, I felt bad for them that they didn't have a right to a "normal" life and that there whole existence was to give until they die and that they were brainwashed into believing that life actually mattered to them when they were really just alive to supply parts for "real" people. I am disappointed that I missed the book club discussion for this one because I would have loved to have known what the other ladies thought of this one! We have not read anything remotely like it since and I have been in it for nearly 2 years now. It is definitely not your typical novel, and I would recommend it to people interested in books that make you think about what it means to be human and to sci-fi fans as well!

I really enjoyed this book. The concept of these clones being raised to be donors in a world where incurable diseases would be curable because of these donors was touching and bitter sweet. I think Kathy however was not only more humble and wiser about her fate but also very naive about her relationship with Ruth. Throughout the book as she was recalling their upbringing she was finding ways of excusing and understanding Ruth's behavior. The truth was Ruth was selfish period. Now as to the moral question of cloning the author gave us the option to see clones raised in an environment where they were treated almost semi normal and protected from the outside world. However you also saw the authors view on clones that were raised in harsh environments and how ultimately society would never want to see clones as human because then they would have to admit their own selfishness at the willingness to create something to save humanity but would eventually die. This is a great book for a book club the discussions would be able to go on and on. The writing was really well done.

This book has some harsh material that Ishiguro. It's hard to believe that this book could be made into a movie. It's good, and it's not as depressing as it sounds.

Couldn't get past the first 1/4 of the book. I found it too boring.

This was such an interesting ides, but the restrained execution never fully engaged me. None of the main characters appealed to me, and I just wanted someone to care about. That said, there was just enough to keep me going to the end.

This book is amazing. It's about us - the people of the today's world. It actually teaches us to be human beings. How? Just Read it! If you like to ponder about a book and its message, that's the right book for you.