Kazuo Ishiguro is a behemoth on the modern literary fiction scene, and I've been meaning to read his work for awhile now. When my partner suggested we listen to the library's audiobook of Never Let Me Go, I was intrigued by the promised science fiction twist. What I found was a captivating, beautiful piece of art that snapped heartstrings.

Our intrepid narrator, Kathy H., tells her life story and slowly unwinds her relationships and world. From the get-go, the mystery of her surroundings--that niggling feeling that something isn't adding up--eggs us readers onward. Kathy says she cares for donors, but what are they donating and why? Why does Hailsham emphasize art so much? Why are Kathy and her best friends Ruth and Tommy so isolated from the broader world, and why do they have no hope of being integrated into it? I can't say because spoilers.

Never Let Me Go showed its literary fiction roots with its emphasis on the relationships and the intrapersonal. Ishiguro astounded me with his ability to depict what real friendships are like. Friendships are filled with in-jokes and subtext, where seemingly small gestures mean everything, and Kathy's story is filled with detours and asides to explain each one. Her cool logic, Ruth's insecure flair, and Tommy's hotheaded insight make a charismatic trio that carry this fascinating journey very well. Ishiguro's other big strengths are his pacing and mood--even at the climax I had no idea what was going to happen next. There was a constant air that anything was possible. The explanation could be simple, or it could be something stranger than I've ever dreamed. I would have accepted anything.

Taking in all this, Never Let Me Go has more than earned its awards. Yet I can't give it five stars. I don't think it's a spoiler for me to say the Hailsham's students face an ominous fate, but what surprised me was everyone's acceptance of it. Even when Kathy discovers the grimmest depths of her situation, she doesn't fight it. I think Ishiguro's choice to make Kathy, Ruth, Tommy, and everyone passive in the face of overwhelming cruelty majorly misses out on the zeitgeist of the 21st century. I know the book was published in 2010 (and therefore pre-2016 Brexit), and maybe it's a question of not holding up well. Since 2016, I've been immersed in fighting back and speaking out, so Kathy lost me when she didn't make any effort whatsoever. She had complete freedom of movement and no lack of ability to do so and yet...? The only time I've witnessed such martyrdom is to protect someone else or out of extreme religious fervor. Kathy, our logical one, is devoid of either.

To conclude, Never Let Me Go is indeed a gorgeous book, and I'd recommend it mostly to literary fiction fans who want to add a little science fiction spice to their usual. I'm still interested in reading Ishiguro's other work. The Buried Giant might be more up my alley.