The Maid of the White Hands (Tristan and Isolde #2) by Rosalind Miles

Title: The Maid of the White Hands (Tristan and Isolde #2)

Author: Rosalind Miles
Publisher: Broadway Brooks
Pages: 352
Rating: 3/5 Stars

Oh, Tristan and Isolde. There's a reason your legend isn't as well known as Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot's.

Sigh.

I love Rosalind Miles. Love her. Her writing is evocative, lush, vivid...I could wax poetic with superlatives all day, but suffice it to say I'll read just about anything she writes even if the actual subject matter isn't engaging me as I'd like it to.

And Tristan and Isolde's love story is not engaging me.

The Maid of the White Hands picks up shortly after Isolde, Queen of the Western Isle ends. Isolde has married Mark, King of Cornwall, thus uniting Ireland and England. Tristan is her knight and the two of them are able to carry on their love affair in secret.

Well, sort of in secret.

All of the wrong people seem to know what's going on between the two of them and it puts their happiness as well as their very lives in danger.

When the Queen of Ireland dies, Isolde is called back to her home country and in order to keep up appearances, Tristan stays in England.

These two should never be separated. Seriously, the majority of their problems would go away if they'd just stick together.

A lot of drama unfolds. A lot of political intrigue, presumed betrayal, imprisonment, uprisings, lies and angst goes down in the plot of this book and Tristan and Isolde are apart for most of it. I won't go into a detailed description of the plot, but suffice it to say that Miles throws just about everything she can at these two lovers and it nearly works in destroying them both.

I'm determined to finish this series, but unlike the Guinevere trilogy that I want to read again someday, I won't feel the need to revisit Tristan and Isolde. I just don't like them that much. Isolde is awesome. I do love her. She's strong and fights her own battles. She understands the price that she has to pay for being queen, the things that she has to give up to serve the people that she's sworn to lead.

Tristan, on the other hand, drives me nuts. I understand that nobility and honoring one's promises/word was basically all that these knights had to call their own, but could Tristan be a little less whiny about it? I should take into account that the man is injured or sick through about 80% of this book, and therefore prone to dramatics, I suppose, but still. I don't think it's a good idea for the hero of a sweeping and epic love story to come across as a whiny, weepy, lovesick puppy. Either honor your vows as a knight or honor your vows to Isolde. Pick one and quit all of this quibbling.

I'm going to try to read the third and final book soon because I know that I waited far too long between the first and second.  I will never not recommend Rosalind Miles to people who enjoy excellent writing and epic storytelling, but I doubt that this trilogy will be the one I tell them to try.

Under the Dome by Stephen King

Title: Under the Dome

Author: Stephen King
Publisher: Scribner
Pages: 1074
Rating 4/5 Stars

Excellent.  Ready for the series now.

Stephen King never disappoints me. Whenever I see that he's put out a new book, I immediately put it on my TBR list - where it usually sits for a really, really long time before I get around to reading it. No matter how long that takes, however, I always enjoy.

What gets me every time with King is his world building and his use of language. He's just a master. For days after I finished Under the Dome I found myself wishing that I could return to Chester's Mill and find out more about the people living there. As much as I looked forward to finding out what caused the dome and how those trapped would get out of it, I just wanted the story to keep going. While I find something to enjoy in every book that I read, it's not often that the characters and setting of a book stay with me and leave me really yearning for more. It's a true bittersweet joy when that happens.

The plot of Under the Dome is pretty straightforward - a mysterious, clear dome suddenly appears over the town of Chester's Mill, trapping most of the town's population inside. Nothing and no one is able to so much as scratch the surface of it and therein lies the story. What happens when a small town is literally cut off from the outside world?

In a word? Chaos.

Under the Dome has many 'main' characters, many heroes and villains, but Dale "Barbie" Barbara would be who I consider the main protagonist. Right from the first page, King infuses the novel with a sense of impending doom and suspense, not just for the citizens of Chester's Mill, but for Barbie in particular. As someone new to town, he's considered an outsider by all and as a result, subject to the whims of an increasingly panicked populace. Through Barbie's eyes we meet the residents of Chester's Mill, gradually getting into their heads and perspectives as the ominous forces working within and without the dome converge.

Under the Dome is a story that could only work within a small town, where everyone knows everyone and secrets are just barely concealed. King uses his environment to superb ends as the population splits into opposing factions and everyone seems to be operating under their own agenda. Even those who don't want to take sides inevitably end up on one. Some of the best and most infuriating elements of this book came from King's exploration of how small down dynamics unfold.

As much as I'd love to recap the entire plot and characters, I could never do it justice. Suffice it to say that Under the Dome has all of King's traditional storytelling elements - a grand, sweeping plot, supernatural/otherworldly influences, complex, real characters that are both good and bad (although some are pretty damn bad), suspense, horror, a little gore...it's all there. His attention to detail is superb, his prose vivid and his dialogue engaging.

I just really loved this book, okay? You should read it.

I read a little about some controversy surrounding the end of the book - basically just that there was some and having finished it, I'm really not sure why. I thought it was a satisfying ending, although I'll admit a part of me felt that he could have continued the action. There's a huge event in the last two hundred pages or so that brings the problems of the Dome rushing to a head and I wouldn't have minded a slower descent into utter chaos.

Of course, if you want a slower version of what happens to Chester's Mill under the dome, check out the tv series because imo, it's equally awesome.

Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse #9) by Charlaine Harris

Title: Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse #9)

Author: Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace Hardcover
Pages: 312
Rating 4/5 Stars

Another year, another Sookie Stackhouse book. I seem to read these on a one-a-year basis which puts me pretty far behind the curve.

Now, time for another one of my ridiculous and all-over-the-place reviews.

So, what’s going on in Dead and Gone? Well, the Weres decided to join the Vamps in coming out to the world – and they did so without any warning (to me, the reader, at least). The book opens up with a show-and-tell at Merlotte’s as Sam changes in front of everyone, and it never slows down.

Crystal – Jason’s pregnant, estranged werepanther wife – winds up dead and it’s up to Sookie to prove her brother’s innocence.

Even though she doesn’t like him much right now.

Also, Sookie and Eric get married in true Eric Northman fashion – he tricks her. Bwaha! Sookie’s upset, but not nearly as upset as she should be because of the blood bond she and Eric share.

And maybe because Sookie gets a little rush from the idea of being bound to Eric.

Once again, it’s delightful to watch Sookie struggle with Eric’s heavy influence in her life. She likes being around him (or is that the blood bond?) and definitely likes sleeping with him (definitely not the blood bond) but she can’t quite trust her feelings because of…the blood bond.

Sookie decides to have something of a relationship with Eric anyway because, well, why not? He’s hot, really good in bed and he genuinely cares for her and looks out for her. The protection that he offers and the ways that he wants to keep her safe come across as overbearing at times, but Sookie isn’t afraid of him anymore. That makes all of the difference in the world.

The moral of my sum up is that I still enjoy Eric and Sookie and I also enjoy how Harris presents this blood bond. Eric’s not controlling Sookie with it, but it does raise some questions and make her wonder at her motives. It’s an interesting conflict for them without being too overbearing and dramatic.

In addition to the Who Killed Crystal plot, we have a Fairy War brewing with Sookie’s Great-Grandfather right in the thick of things. The Fairy War gets pretty dicey – and Sookie is put through serious hell to the point where I was actually surprised at how far Harris went with it. Things are resolved in true Southern Vampire fashion (quickly) and it looks like Sookie is down one fairy godmother as Claudine heads over to the fairy world on a permanent basis and Sookie’s Great-Grandfather intends on closing the doors between realms.

Fine by me.

I liked the Fairies. I was intrigued by their appeal to vampires, but at the end of the day, I like there to be a level playing field with my characters and the Fairies in Sookie’s world were just a little too all-powerful – although, how hilarious that she could take them out with an iron garden trowel?

In other news, Arlene and the FotS freak finally gets what’s coming to them and I couldn’t be more thrilled. She was just the worst. Ugh.

Octavia heads back to New Orleans (again, in typical Charlaine Harris fashion – quickly), leaving Amelia and Sookie with the run of her house again.

On a side note, having a house guest has been really good for Sookie in terms of asserting herself. It’s kind of cool to watch her stand up for herself when she feels that she needs to and that while she and Amelia are friendly, they’re not necessarily friends.

The mystery of Crystal’s death is solved and it’s…odd. Not bad, just a little odd and pretty sad, really.

In my review of book #8, I said that it felt like filler and while #9 definitely did not, given that the action was completely centered in and around Bon Temps and that the vampires are still recovering from the fallout of the Pyramid explosion in #7, the stakes didn’t seem quite as high as they could have been. I look forward to the action getting back to the vamps, which for whatever reason, I feel is the main action of this series.
And of course, more Eric.

My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

Title: My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers #2)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 279
Rating 4/5 Stars

My Soul to Save picks up shortly after the action in My Soul to Take - Kaylee is living with her newly returned father, comfortably ensconced in her relationship with Nash and learning more and more about her abilities as a bean sidhe courtesy of lesson’s from Nash’s mom.

Kaylee’s quest to save the soul of Tod’s ex-girlfriend Addison takes her deeper into the Underworld – literally. Using her bean sidhe wail, Kaylee can cross the line between worlds and bring others with her, so she, Tod and a reluctant Nash do just that.

My Soul to Save raises the stakes from the first book which is what I always look for in a sequel. Addison’s plight forces Kaylee to look at things from a less black and white perspective that I found immensely appealing. One of the biggest turn offs for me is a hero or heroine who only deals in goodness and while Kaylee is definitely still the poster child for Good, she’s being forced to accept that the real world comes in shades of grey.

There are two really clever aspects to My Soul to Save, one of which is Vincent’s further exploration of the Underworld. The way she describes it reminds me of the movie Constantine in that the demons exist in our spaces, just on a different plane of existence. I’ve read books where the world building is clunky and forced, where it’s obvious that the writer is just trying to be different without putting much thought into the ramifications of what they’re doing. Vincent’s Underworld is not like that. It’s well thought out – especially in the way it connects to our world via places of high human activity/energy.

The second aspect that I found absolutely brilliant is Vincent’s not-so-subtle allusion to the Disney Machine that produces packaged pop stars. From Britney Spears to Lindsay Lohan to the Jonas Brothers and Zac Efron, it’s not hard to believe that there are some deals-with-the-devil going on behind the scenes. I love the idea that these kids like Eden and Addison literally trade their souls for fame and fortune and that to break their contract and get them back comes with incredibly high consequences.

Much like in My  Soul to Take, Kaylee ‘wins’ in the end, but not without cost or consequence. Some are saved and some are lost and she’s left to deal with the fallout. Again, I appreciate that. Tying everything up with a neat little bow is the best way to take the wind out of my sails and turn me off from a series.

Now, last but not least, the brothers Nash and Tod. I figured we’d hit something resembling a triangle at some point and while Tod has taken great pleasure in driving Kaylee nuts from the moment they met, it wasn’t until the end of My Soul to Save that I thought ‘aha! Let the triangle begin.’ I’m all for it. I’ve enjoyed Nash and Kaylee, although I’ve continued to be suspicious in regards to his seemingly sudden and unwavering affection for her when all signs and his reputation indicate he’s something of a player, but I’m ready to see what Tod has to offer her.

Plus, I’m always, always a sucker for the ‘bad’ boy.

I’m very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series - My Soul to Keep - and I have faith that Ms. Vincent will continue to weave a compelling tale.

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

Title: My Soul to Take
Author: Rachel Vincent
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 279
Rating: 4/5 Stars


I'm not sure if I mentioned this in my review of My Soul to Lose, but dude. It would suck to be a banshee. True, it's not often that one is around someone who is about to die, but still. All of that uncontrollable screaming? That would be awful.

My Soul to Take picks up with Kaylee post-mental hospital visit and jumps right into the action. Kaylee and her best friend Emma sneak into a club where Emma's older sister works and with zero ado, we're introduced to Nash - an uber hot, popular jock who starts making eyes at Kaylee. While they flirt and dance,Kaylee wonders why Nash is showing her the slightest interest. She is not Emma or her cousin Sophie - boys like Nash don't go for girls like her.

Struck by the stirrings of another 'panic attack' as she's dancing with Nash, Kaylee fears another trip to the mental institution is on the horizon. Nash, however, proves surprisingly adept at calming her down and they leave the club without incident. The next morning, however, she learns via a news report that the girl at the club who seemed to be the source of her panic wasn't so lucky.

She was dead.

And thus begins the mystery that leads Kaylee to learn the truth about who and what she is, what role Nash plays in all of it and that the world is not nearly so black and white as she once thought.

Vincent had already sucked me into Kaylee's world with My Soul to Lose and in My Soul to Take she continued to build on the world of banshees, reapers and other things that go bump in the night. The plot is engaging with plenty of well-executed surprises, the teens are teens and while Kaylee is definitely a good girl, she's got spirit and doesn't just roll over when she feels that she's been wronged or lied to. Especially when she feels she's been lied to.

Given the 4-star review, you can rightly assume that what quibbles I have with this book in no way affected my enjoyment. I would have liked to know more about Nash and his interest in Kaylee. Supposedly, he's a player, but aside from Kaylee's concerns over the matter, they never have that conversation where she voices her fears that he might just see her as another conquest - the fact that they're the same species merely a nice bonus. In a few ways, Nash is almost too good for a supposedly super popular jock, surrounded by typical jock friends.

As I read one YA novel after another, I try to keep in mind that teens are inherently insecure and would question why a guy or girl that they considered above them on the social/looks hierarchy would be interested in them, but I am really tired of the trope. Vincent does well with it in that Kaylee doesn't allow herself to be crippled by these insecurities, so aside from my initial eyeroll, I let it go.

Kaylee is also one of those characters who I feel suffers from a little of the Bella Swan/Katniss Everdeen Syndrome in that she's almost unbearably selfless. Her willingness to put herself at risk for the sake of others wasn't as ridiculous as Bella or Katniss and I do understand why she'd want to save nameless/faceless girls. Living with the guilt of 'letting' someone die isn't something I'd look forward to experiencing myself. Still, there were times when I would have appreciated more of a sense of self-preservation from Kaylee.

Like I said, though, minor quibbles. I've already read the next book in the series and unless something drastic happens, I'm looking forward to reading them all.

My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent

Title: My Soul To Lose (Soul Screamers #0.5)

Author: Rachel Vincent

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 61

Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Soul to Lose was a short, sweet introductory to Kaylee Cavanaugh and the strange premonitions that finally force her aunt and uncle to commit her to a mental ward.

As with any story where the main character is questioning their sanity I found myself gripping the pages in frustration and urging Kaylee to just keep her mouth shut, play ‘sane’ and do whatever it took to get the hell out of the mental ward. That’s not good advice in terms of her getting help, but it’s how I think.

Vincent’s description of Kaylee’s premonition in the mall was visceral and I couldn’t blame her family for committing her – especially given the fact that she couldn’t quit screaming to speak for herself. In those few brief moments as Kaylee fought the inevitable, Vincent gave her readers an incredibly glimpse of her heroine’s strength of character as well as her best friend Emma’s loyalty and understanding. I found myself loving Emma even more than Kaylee for the way she changed her plans without qualm and stayed by Kaylee’s side while she completely lost it.

The situation in the mental ward was frustratingly bleak and as usual the adult authority figures were just a few shades above useless. Kudos to Vincent for making me feel the hopelessness of Kaylee’s situation and mental state. I was as heartbroken as she was when her aunt dropped off her clothes and left without even seeing her.

In terms of plot, My Soul to Lose doesn’t have much – it’s mostly a lot of exposition and setting up the main attraction that is My Soul to Take. Basically, Kaylee is committed for having an hysterical meltdown in the middle of a mall and during the course of her stay in the mental ward, she comes to realize that her ‘problem’ isn’t psychological or physical. We also meet an interesting character named Lydia who may or may not have died at the end of the novella. Everything is a little hazy as Lydia’s gift of taking Kaylee’s pain leaves her a little hazy on the details – and effectively ‘resets’ Kaylee for the next book.

My Soul to Lose is a nice prequel to My Soul to Take. It gives the readers a taste of Kaylee and whets the appetite for more of her world and experience. I wouldn’t call it a page turner, but it was compelling and the characters were fully realized. 

Drood by Dan Simmons

Title: Drood
Author: Dan Simmons
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 941
Rating: 2/5 Stars

It took me nearly six months to read Drood. That fact alone could stand as a review, but I shall try to express in more detail why finishing this book - a book I was really excited to read - became such a chore. Drood is a sprawling tale about the last five years of Charles Dickens life as seen through the eyes of his good friend, and fellow author, Wilkie Collins. The story begins with the Staplehurst train wreck that nearly claimed Dickens' life and ends with the great author's death. In betwe...moreIt took me nearly six months to read Drood. That fact alone could stand as a review, but I shall try to express in more detail why finishing this book - a book I was really excited to read - became such a chore. Drood is a sprawling tale about the last five years of Charles Dickens life as seen through the eyes of his good friend, and fellow author, Wilkie Collins. The story begins with the Staplehurst train wreck that nearly claimed Dickens' life and ends with the great author's death. In between we learn about the enigma that is Drood and how this mysterious figure arguably drove both men to the brink of madness. I commend Simmons on his research. I'm not an expert on Dickens, but I know enough that I was impressed with the author's attention to detail and the way he wove the real life history of the characters into his narrative. The language and style of Drood is reminiscent of the era in which it takes place while still managing to feel contemporary, so points for that as well. That’s all the good I can say about Drood, however. As much as I tried, I simply did not like this book. I didn’t like it. Dickens is a condescending prick who treats strangers with more care than he does his own family and friends. Collins begins the novel in a fairly sympathetic light, but by the end I just wanted him to shut up and stop whining. Collins is very much a product of his times – a sexist, racist, classist, ageist, misogynistic ‘gentleman’…and did I mention sexist? Damn. I’m usually quite good at putting concerns like that aside, especially considering the era in which the novel took place, but Collins had so few redeeming qualities that it his faults became overwhelming. I really didn’t need or want Collins to be perfect, but I did need something about him to respect. The reason I picked up the book is because I’ve always had a bit of a fascination with The Mystery of Edwin Drood and according to the description, that’s what this book was supposed to be about. It’s not. It’s not even about Dickens. It’s about Wilkie Collins and his descent into drug-addled paranoia, hallucination and madness. Simmons didn’t even attempt to really answer whether or not Drood was real or merely a figment of mesmeric suggestion and laudanum and I suppose that vagueness could be seen as commendable. After all, the source material is unfinished, so why wrap it all up in a neat and tidy bow? Well, because maybe then I would have felt like I actually got something out of this book instead of a general feeling of time wasted. I certainly don’t need to have my hand held and have the answers spelled out for me in simple, concrete language, but a few less options would have been nice. There are a few passages that I really enjoyed and had me turning pages – the Staplehurst accident, Collins and Dickens’ first descent into Undertown, Collins entrapment in the catacombs and Hatchery’s death, Collins meetings with Barris, the death of Agnes, Collins opium and morphine induced dream of killing Dickens – but they’re interspersed far too judiciously amidst all of the dense exposition. At one point I told a friend that I wouldn’t be reading any of Dan Simmons’ other work. I take that back. I read a few reviews of Drood and according to some this novel is quite the departure from Simmons’ other work, so I’m inclined to give him another try. He's a good author and uses language well. It just won't be any time soon. And by the way, if I never hear the term ‘mesmerism’ used again, it will be too soon.

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

Title: The Devil Wears Prada
Author: Lauren Weisberger
Publisher: Broadway Books
Pages: 360
Rating: 2/5 Stars

Although I've never seen the movie, the hype surrounding it has made it impossible for me not to have heard about The Devil Wears Prada. A friend gave me the book years ago (years after the movie came out) and since chick lit is not my genre of choice it took me another few years to finally read it.

I think I could have kept waiting.

I have to give Lauren Weisberger credit because even though I found the main character completely annoying by the end, I still wanted to see what happened. As a story, The Devil Wears Prada was pretty refreshing for the genre. Andrea isn't a complete and total trainwreck, searching for Mr. Right in order for her life to be complete. She already has Mr. Right - or at least thinks she does - in her college boyfriend Alex. Andrea's parents aren't completely out of touch idiots. Andrea is not perfect - she smokes, drinks to excess at times, swears, succumbs to the glamorous perks of her job, lies when she has to, is a bitch when it serves her and in general is remarkably with it for the heroine of a chick lit novel.

Bridget Jones she's not. Thank god.

In the beginning of the novel, I liked Andrea. I actually liked all the characters, even the ones who were supposed to be horrible. I sympathized with Andrea and even congratulated her for understanding that at the beginning of ones career, sacrifices have to be made, butts have to be kissed and someone has to do the grunt work. She wasn't afraid to pay her dues. She also wasn't stupid and took advantage of a position at Runway - even though fashion is not her thing - in the hopes that it would let reduce her dues paying time down to one year instead of five. Okay, so far I congratulate her for her ingenuity as well as her determination and realistic outlook.

The problem, I discovered about halfway through the book, was not the plot, it's the characters. I soon grew to hate them. The first to go were Andrea's best friend Lily and her boyfriend Alex. For two people who supposedly knew Andrea better than anybody, they turned on her really freaking quick. Yes, Miranda Priestly was a ridiculous boss. Yes, Andrea's job was basically 24/7 slavery that meant she often had to cancel plans at the last minute and in general be unavailable to her friends a lot of the time.

You know what, though?

Alex and Lily knew this going into it. Nobody lied to Andrea about the demands of the job she was accepting and she certainly didn't hold back when talking about it to her friends. Plus, all involved knew it was only for a year. This wasn't a career for Andrea, it was a job, a stepping stone to help her get her career started. Thus, I ran out of patience for Alex and Lily's whining about Andrea's lack of availability pretty quickly. I didn't think it fair to support Andrea's decision in theory and then turn on her when the actuality of it wasn't acceptable to them. I don't think Alex or Lily should have put their lives on hold while they waited for Andrea's year of servitude to end, but I also think they had obiligations to her as a friend as well that they seemed to forget when they felt she'd slighted them. I intensely disliked Lily's neediness and Alex's guilt-tripping preachiness.

Plus, fyi, Ms. Weisberger, Andrea is not responsible for how Lily chooses to deal with her issues. Insinuating that Andrea's job demands were in some way to blame for Lily's choices is unfair and untrue. Lily needed to grow up and it wasn't Andrea's job to make it happen.

By the end of the book, however, most of my goodwill toward Andrea had disappeared in light of her attitude toward the fashion industry, her co-workers and her boss, as well as her overall sense of entitlement. In the beginning I understood that getting used to Miranda would have been a challenge - especially for Andrea, being a relative outsider to the fashion industry. I can see how the importance these people placed upon Fashion - yes, that's Fashion with a capitol F - would have seemed ridiculous and strange to her. Eleven months in, however, her disdain read as arrogance and I was done with her.

Andrea's unwavering antipathy for the Fashion industry was grating. I understand that she wasn't into it and found it all ridiculous, but the way she let it be known that she considered herself above such pettiness was so rude and disrespectful I lost all patience with her. Fashion may be irrelevant to you, Andrea, but it is not to the people at Runway who want to be there. Judging them for what you deem shallow and materialistic concerns is just as bad as them judging you for not wearing the right shoes with the right dress.

Now, I'm not going to lie, I wouldn't want to work for Miranda. The demands she placed upon...basically everyone were ridiculous. But that's what bosses do, especially the ones who are so far from where they started that they've lost all touch with the reality of being the lowest person on the totem pole. Andrea's incredulity toward Miranda made sense in the beginning, but by the time she had her meltdown in Paris it was just pathetic. Yes, Andrea, your boss's demands are outlandish, humiliating and inconsiderate, but it's not your job to tell her that, it's your job to accomdate them. You're getting paid. You're not doing Miranda a favor by showing up for work everyday, you're receiving money for a service you agreed to perform. Get over your entitled self.

Now, I realize that Andrea is young and as a result might not immediately understand that life is a lot different than college. I could forgive her for the entitled attitude if I felt that by the end she learned from her experience, but she hadn't. All she had was a sense of relief that she was free from Miranda's dictatorship.

This review is quickly becoming a rant, so I'll bring it to a close by saying that I think Lauren Weisberger is a talented storyteller. Given the fact that the only two characters I liked by the end were Miranda and Emily - the supposedly evil ones - I think she needs to work on her characters.

Review: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Title: Never Let Me Go
Author: Kazuo Ishiguro
Publisher: Vintage Books
Pages: 288
Rating: 4/5 Stars

There is something beautiful about this book and for that I commend Ishiguro. Never Let Me Go transcends genres in that it has notes of science fiction, mystery, suspense, romance, coming-of-age, politics and religion. I've never read anything quite like it.

Ishiguro tells his story through the eyes of Kathy, a woman who calls herself a carer and her two best friends, Ruth and Tommy. We learn of Kathy, Ruth and Tommy's idyllic childhood at a boarding school called Hailsham, then their lives at The Cottages and finally the centers. From the start, there's something different about these children and their lives, something vaguely foreboding, but Ishiguro is in no hurry to tell us as he creates his world bit by bit.

Ishiguro is a master at dolling out information judiciously, which is what makes this novel a suspenseful pageturner without any of the tropes of a bestselling thriller. We first hear about donors, carers, centers and completing in a casual way as they are just part of Kathy, Ruth and Tommy's life. As the true nature of these terms comes to light and as Kathy, Ruth and Tommy leave the sheltered confines of Hailsham and The Cottages for the real world, the darker aspects of their existence push to the forefront and the reader finally has their suspicions confirmed.

To be honest, I can't decide what Never Let Me Go is trying to say. Is it a commentary on the advancement of science and technology at the expense of humanity? Is it trying to ascertain whether there's a difference between life and the soul? Is it pushing or dismissing the idea that life is pointless? Perhaps it's a warning of how easily human beings can be indoctrinated to just accept what they're told without question. This is certainly what stuck in my mind the most as I came upon the end and Kathy and Tommy went to see Madame about a deferral. Obviously, these students understood their fate enough to wish for a way out, so why didn't anybody ever try to run?

Maybe that's the story of someone else, someone who didn't go to Hailsham.

Maybe Never Let Me Go is none of the above and at its core is a creative attempt to prove that regardless of ones origin and environment, we're all connected by the same flaws and weaknesses and that - to quote The Beatles - love is all we need.

As I said, I don't know and I've come to the conclusion I don't need to pick just one message. Never Let Me Go made me think about a lot of things and that's what I'm going to focus on. It has made me want to read other books by Kazou Ishiguro.

A few things of technical note - I wasn't a huge fan of Ishiguro's dialogue. I appreciate the fact that I'm American and he's English, but even so, there were many times when I felt the conversations were odd or stilted because of the dialogue. There were also times I found myself somewhat distracted by the very distinctive way he wrote Kathy. It's very much a stream of consciousness and while I was never confused, I occasionally had a moment of annoyance over the lack of proper grammar. Don't let that stop you from reading it, though. It never made me consider abandoning the book.

As I reached the end, arriving at the only conclusion that would serve the book, I expected to feel sad or angry at the fates of Kathy, Ruth and Tommy, but I didn't. As I said, there's something beautiful in this book, despite the unfairness and in some ways horrifically amoral circumstances. Rather than focusing on what she would never have, Kathy did what so many of us can't and focused on the beauty she'd been lucky enough to experience.