By Kazuo Ishiguro

⭐️⭐️⭐️

First thing’s first: This was a page turner. I did appreciate the artistic choice of starting this strange novel by pretending that everything is normal. The slow realization that the characters live in a very NOT normal world is what keeps the pages turning. At first, I was very intrigued by the rambling confessional style, however by the middle of the novel it felt very repetitive and slightly kitschy. I was kind of drawn out of the story by how many times the narrator would say things like— I’ll tell you about that time later, or what happened with Tommy about that was this… I know these were just stylistic choices (and points to the author for being consistent), but it just wasn’t my bag.

I don’t want to say too much about the subject matter or plot because figuring out what is going on and who these kids are is half the fun of the story. However the story does follow the lives of three friends who grow up together in what seems to be an idyllic boarding school. The plot of the story centers around figuring out what changed their lives so much and why the narrator feels she must confess.

The moral questions the story brings up were intriguing, but I can’t decide if I’m pleased the author didn’t delve into them more or not. Either way I will let you decide. It’s a solidly entertaining book, just not my favorite.