Okay, NYT Got It Right With This Best of the 21st Century Book Pick

I always tell people that it’s best to go into this book knowing as little as possible, so my advice? Don’t read any of this and just go pick up the book. Then come back and tell me what you think because I love talking about this one. There’s just so much going on in this book, and it will leave you with a lot of things to ponder and discuss with others who have read it. If you’re looking for a book club book? This would be an excellent pick. Looking for a book that will make you reconsider the meaning of life and what it means to be human? It’s this book right here. But… if you’re looking for a book that won’t make you cry uncontrollably, maybe set this book down. I’ve read this one many times, and it always leaves me in tears.

Never Let Me Go follows Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy, three friends and students at Hailsham Academy, an elite English boarding school. Students of Hailsham are always told they are special and that they have to protect themselves and stay safe at all costs. They are monitored by guardians who encourage them to take good care of themselves. Students of Hailsham seem like normal children in many ways, but they’re also so cut off from the outside world, and they’re not quite sure what makes them so special.

As Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy grow older and explore a world outside of Hailsham, the things that make them different from other people become much clearer. While they do their best to maintain their friendships and love for each other, the real world and their ultimate purposes get in the way of their hopes and dreams of living the lives they want to live.

I know that last part is vague, but again, I think it’s best if you allow yourself to discover the mysteries of Hailsham for yourself. Without giving too much away, I will say Ishiguro is definitely playing with genre in this book. This is definitely a novel I would categorize as speculative fiction. If you like boarding school stories, stories about love and friendship, stories that ask “what if?,” and stories that squeeze your heart and get you in the feels, just trust me. You’re going to love this.

Never Let Me Go was published less than 20 years ago, but, honestly, I would already consider this one a classic. This is a book that we’ll still be reading and discussing for years to come. You’ll want to be a part of that conversation.