Kazuo Ishiguro's novel for young adults, Never let me go, starts innocuously enough - until the reader realises the chilling nature of the theme. Set in a UK of the future, the young adults on whom the story centres have been bred through medical technology, and brought up in a special institution - so have no 'birth parents'. They demonstrate the same range of emotions as you'd expect of normal young people. Their chilling destiny is to become 'carers' and then 'donors', until they finally 'complete'. The full impact of these words hits you as the story unfolds. The underlying ethical issues could provide a great springboard for class discussion. Carers look after others who are donors, until they themselves are called to donate. Their 'donations' are their vital organs. Some cannot survive beyond their second donation, others might make it to four. The term 'complete' probably speaks for itself. This author is probably best known for the novel, The Remains of the Day - but I can strongly recommend Never let me Go, for a secondary audience.

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I've recently read this book and found it really interesting. The perspective of terrorism, muslimism and the point of view of someone looking at capitalism from the inside as well as the outside really drew me in. The novel is told from the perspective of a Pakastani man who studied and then worked in the US but then went back to Pakistan because of circumstances which become clear during the book. He is talking to another man in a cafe in Pakistan and we assume the other man to be a U.S. agent of the government. The whole book is really just the course of their conversation during and after a meal. Very interesting, compelling and I read it in two sittings. Highly recommended for your staff and senior students.

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