Special Students

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Ishiguro, Kazuo. 2005. Never let me go. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 1400043395, 9781400043392. $24.00. Trade Cloth.

Annotation:

Kathy H., a caretaker for organ donors, describes her adolescence at the secretive Halisham School and the consequences her time there had for her life.

Awards:
School Library Journal's Adult Books for High School Students, 2005
New York Times Notable Books, 2005
ALA Notable Books, 2006
Library Journal Best Books, 2005
Alex Award, 2006

What is the purpose of the Halisham School? It’s a peaceful boarding school in the English countryside, sheltered from the rest of the world. As Kathy H. grows up there her future life is only hinted at. She’s been told that she and the rest of her classmates are “special” and different from the teachers at the school, She knows that she has to take good care of herself, not smoke or damage her body. What are the “donations” she’s expected to make when she’s grown. Who is the strange woman who comes each year to collect the best of the students’art work for her gallery and why does she cringe when she comes near the Halisham students? Secrets and rumors make up a lot of what Kathy and her friends know. Kathy will discover the truth about Halisham and the purpose of her life in the startling conclusion of Never Let Me Go.