Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (2005): A Review
Author: Kazuo Ishiguro
Publication Year: 2005
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫
Pages: 288
Source: book
Genre: Science fiction, speculative fiction, dystopia, literary fiction
Awards: shortlisted for the 2005 Man Booker Prize, shortlisted for the 2006 Arthur C. Clarke Award, shortlisted for the 2005 National Book Critics Circle Award; received an ALA Alex Award in 2006
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro left me with mixed feelings. I was completely drawn in at first, then disappointed through the middle, but by the end, I felt the story delivered exactly what I was hoping for.
The novel’s biggest strength is its suspense, created by Kathy’s unreliable narration and Ishiguro’s careful withholding of information. From the start, you’re left guessing, piecing together clues with the characters themselves, which keeps the narrative gripping. Unfortunately, the momentum stalls in the middle as the story becomes bogged down in teenage drama—rivalries, misunderstandings, and emotional back-and-forth that drag on far too long. Thankfully, the final chapters return to form, bringing the focus back to the weighty ethical questions underlying the entire narrative.
True to form, Ishiguro raises uncomfortable ethical questions but refuses to provide clear answers. The novel confronts the morality of cloning, the use of clones as organ donors, and whether scientific progress justifies the exploitation of those created for the benefit of others. By the end, you’re left with every side of the ethical debate but without any easy resolution. The story doesn’t ask whether cloning is wrong or right—it assumes it’s already here and forces you to grapple with what comes next.
It’s clear that Ishiguro wants to show his three main characters are just as human as anyone else, further complicating the ethical questions. Still, despite all the pages devoted to them, the characters sometimes feel underdeveloped. It’s hard to tell whether this is a flaw in characterization or a deliberate result of how they were raised.
In the end, I gave Never Let Me Go 3.5 stars. The suspenseful beginning and powerful ending are somewhat let down by the slow, drama-heavy middle, but the novel’s thought-provoking questions make it a memorable read.
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