To me, this book is interesting, it is easy to follow as we dive into the head of the main character.
From the start, there is something odd about it. The way everyone has initials as their last names, the terms used, and the flashbacks.
The story is predictable, there are no spectacular revelations or twists. You can follow around the narration, make your guesses, and peel the story like layers of an onion. It explains everything as if the narrator is speaking with you and try to make you understand from her point of view at particular times. I think far before the end, everything is out in the open. It doesn’t go in the direction that most books feel like they need to go; I think there is a unique charm to it.
It’s thought-provoking, with a flow that makes you want to continue reading.
I give this one 4 Babies out of 5 Norfolks.
Now to spoiler territory. (And spoiler for The Island movie too)
There is a 2005 movie that I like, but it is considered a low-rated movie because the director kind of screwing and focusing on different strengths of the story. It is called The Island. Imo, the main idea itself is very strong, and it creates an intriguing world that is probably close to reality in our future. I would like to add another movie here, The Passenger, in which the same thing happens. They both should be great movies, but Hollywood felt the need to make them bombastic, bang bang, and in the end, they couldn’t conclude them properly. Fortunately, some things remain, and they make me think long after I have watched it. A lot. The ideas themselves leave a lot of impressions.
Since very early in the book, it reminds me of The Island; I know almost instantly that it’s about clones (I checked the year and believe in the early 2000s there were a lot of hypes and shows about cloning).
So it tells the story about Hailsham, some type of Academy where children are reared to become donors. That is their destiny, when they are ready, they give donations until they perish.
I like the book gives it a lot of soul, to make us see it subtly but doesn’t try to mislead the readers. If you expect actions, solutions, or reactions, you will be disappointed. I think that is the charm of this book, instead of turning it into predictable actions or forced conclusions. However, there is a tiny dissatisfaction about it as well, but I can live with that.
So the kids in Hailsham are considered the lucky ones, they get to experience childhoods and lives, before finally becoming carers and donors. Donors to everyone in need (who can afford it I suppose), donors to the actual human. It’s terrifying, really. To put it simply, they are harvested until their death. Some survive two donations, some fours, but most of them need to go to the grueling last stage of their life when they are basically harvested like vegetables. These are implied in the book, and not in so many details, but the writing on the wall is clear. I guess the first donation is something ‘light’ like blood, bone marrow or a kidney, or probably half a liver. The second and above should be something critical and fatal. And the last stage is when you are just alive enough to be harvested until they ‘shut you down’.
It explores the same issue with The Island, but this book offers no solution or way out, which is something I find a tiny bit frustrating, and I wish there are some explanations to help me understand that. I have unanswered questions and curiosity, for example, what is the early life like? Where do they start? Why are they so submissive? They have the knowledge, resources, and enough awareness. Where is flight or fight?
Having said that, I am fine that the book ends the way it is. And if I read deeper, the answer could be implied as well, there could be some tinkering to make them that way, physically or emotionally, like the way they are unable to reproduce. Although many of them have a lot of traits and ideologies, it’s questionable why there are zero attempts, even in thoughts.
.
