Genre: Science Fiction, Contemporary
Hailsham seems like a pleasant English boarding school, far from the influences of the city. Its students are well tended and supported, trained in art and literature, and become just the sort of people the world wants them to be. But, curiously, they are taught nothing of the outside world and are allowed little contact with it. Within the grounds of Hailsham, Kathy grows from schoolgirl to young woman, but it’s only when she and her friends Ruth and Tommy leave the safe grounds of the school (as they always knew they would) that they realize the full truth of what Hailsham is (description via goodreads).
I have not been reading over the past few weeks. I won a reading raffle at my local library, had my picture taken for their social media and then the fame got to my head and I’ve just been focusing on being a celebrity ever since.
This book was fairly short, but I wouldn’t say it was a quick read. I did struggle to pick it up when I was in Part I. I think that I was ready for the story to get rolling…the beginning is composed of many memories and tidbits regarding the students’ lives at Hailsham. I had seen the movie prior to reading the book, so I already knew the big secret and didn’t really want to play along with getting small pieces of information. This is really my own fault, and not the book’s. However, I will say that the narration can take a while to get used to. The narrator jumps around between memories and the point that she is trying to make. It’s not a bad thing, but it can get confusing at times.
The story itself is unique and heart-breaking. I don’t consider myself a big sci-fi fan, but I really like the creativity behind different dystopian societies. This book definitely has that element, so I really enjoyed it. I think that this would make for an excellent book club read as there are a lot of things that can be discussed.
I just finished up a few online courses, so I’m hoping to get back into the swing of reading!
Final Rating:
0=No 1=Yes .5 =Kind of
- Was the book interesting? 1
- Was it easy to finish (even if I didn’t like it)? .5
- Was it emotionally engaging? 1
- Was it memorable? 1
- Would I read it again? .5
4/5 Stars
