A Review By Zoe Boulton 

I picked up this book without knowing anything about the plot, which is very unusual for me; I normally browse through reviews to gauge whether I will like the subject matter or not- which is not the most adventurous way to choose what to read. With the recent film trailer seemingly everywhere and many customer requests for a copy of the book, my interest was piqued.

I don’t want to reveal too much, although no doubt many people will have some knowledge of the plot even if I had somehow managed to remain in the dark. Kath is the narrator; she is in her early 30s, it is the late 1990s, and driving down long, lonely roads around the country in her job as a carer. She looks back on her life to her days as a young girl in the seemingly idyllic boarding school of Hailsham and in particular she reflects on her relationships with best friends Ruth, who is very domineering, and Tommy, who is quiet and prone to fits of anger. Slowly, the book reveals more about Kath’s life, and it becomes apparent through a word dropped here and there, that all is not as it seems, and there is more to this novel than meets the eye.

 I think that not knowing much about this novel is the best approach to enjoying it, as I really don’t think I would have been as moved by it had I known much about what was going to happen. As it was, I was genuinely surprised at times. I found that Kath’s relationships all had a detached, dreamlike quality to them, which is probably inevitable given the other major aspect to the story. I think this was an excellent device employed by the author. ‘Never Let Me Go’ was a fantastic read for me, melancholic and quietly disturbing- two of my favourite things. I shall recommend it to customers- whilst trying not to give the story away!