About the book

''Never Let Me Go'' is a book writtten by Kasuo Ishiguro and was first released in 2005. It is a book about growing up and the genres are romance and sci-fi. The novel was made into a movie in 2010.

The story is narrated by the main character, Kathy H., who is now a 31 year old woman in the late 90's. Throughout the story she looks back on her youth and how she became the woman she is today.

Kathy's story begins at a boardingschool called Hailsham, which is also where she lives. She seems to live a relatively normal life together with other students, such as her two best friends, Ruth and Tommy D., but she and her peers would later found out that they are clones of other people, and that their purpose in life is to donate their internal organs.

As Kathy grows older, she learns more about her purpose in live and tries to uncover the truth of what was really going on back at her time at Hailsham.

My thoughts

I've read this novel once before, and I'm still amazed by the story. The story is relatable on some levels, but also so different from our own lives, which makes the story very intriguing to me. The novel is an easy read and I would also call it a page turner.

The surreal plot is what was the best part to me. When I first heard about it, I was immediatly interested, and after reading the book twice, I'm still amazed by how well Ishiguro wrote this.

I would definatly recommend this story to many people. It is not just another coming of age story. The story and the characters keep you engaged as more questions arise throughout the story. It's also a story that shows the reader that not everyone is as lucky and free while growing up and that we should be happy that we have the life that we have.

The Lyrics

All these places have their moments                                                                  With lovers and friends I still can recall                                                            Some are dead and some are living                                                                 In my life I've loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers                                                                  There is no one compares with you                                                                  And these memories lose their meaning                                                         When I think of love as something new

Though I know I'll never lose affection                                                              For people and things that went before                                                           I know I'll often stop and think about them                                                 In my life I love you more

Though I know I'll never lose affection                                                        For people and things that went before                                                            I know I'll often stop and think about them                                                  In my life I love you more

In my life I love you more 

Source: Musixmatch

About the song

In My Life is a classic song by the band The Beatles. It was first released in 1965 and is featured on the Rubber Soul album. The song hit multiple charts in the UK and the US after its initial release and has been covered multiple times by different artists.

The majority of the lyrics were written by John Lennon, who claimed that the song was his ''first real major piece of work'' as it was his first song about his life. The lyrics are about Lennon's childhood and recalls childhood memories in the song, which is very fitting for coming of age.

The piece

''Drowning in High School'' was painted by Ishikaa Kothari in 2020 and is acylic on canvas.

In the painting we see a young womans quite literally drowning in books labeled as different school subjects and other important things. My interpretation on it is that many high school students in the US are struggling with their education. They feel overwhelmed by the workload, but also by the pressure to pass standerdized tests that they need to pass in order to apply for college. I feel like this art piece was made as a wake up call to the adults, and especially the high school teachers of the United States, but I also feel like the piece was made to protest against the US education system.

I also feel a connection to this painting. When I was in my last year of secondary school, I too felt overwhelmed by tests and pressure to apply for college. Towards the end of the year, it turned out the feeling of having to pass so many tests faded, as I gratuated in 2020, but the pressure to apply for college was still so present, I chose not to apply yet. Instead, I took a gap year to earn myself some money by working full-time and to really consider what college to apply to. To me, my experience says a lot about the current education system, and I wish to be a part of a change.