Klara And The Sun

I originally rated this three stars, but this book did something that few books do: it stuck in my head, and I kept thinking about it long after I'd finished it. The premise may seem like cheap sci-fi up front, but it makes you think about life, planned obsolescence, and more.

I don't know how to rate this one. The writing style didn't really land for me stylistically- a little too straightforward for my taste, I think. On the other hand, I can certainly see it as a stylistic choice to mimic the perspective of the robot main character... I guess it should have been leaned into a little harder in that case. The concepts behind the story are the strongest part of the book. There's an underlying tone of loneliness among others that I found accurate to my experiences as an autistic person and was probably my favorite component. I don't know. There's a lot here with potential, but the overall experience wasn't particularly good.

I love Kazuo Ishiguro

Amazing story in a dystopian future where parents gamble their child's future by making them go through gene manipulation. Klara gives us her account on how Josie went through her most critical phase. Her view is a mix between that of a naive and innocent child and a very attentive adult.
In the end the Sun is one of the main characters of a novel hardly anyone can go through not feeling touched.

Beautifully written, and I think it’s going to haunt me in the same way that "Never Let Me Go" did. It explores important issues and raises some difficult questions about humanity. I like the way that, through much of the novel, certain dystopian aspects of life are more hinted at than described explicitly; I think that adds a nice element of mystery – or perhaps suspense would be a better word for it. Also, Klara must be one of the most sensitive characters/narrators I've ever encountered, which is quite something considering the context.

Klara is a Clever AF. AF, in this book, stands for Artificial Friend. It is great to see the world through Klara's eyes as she evolves. The book challenges us to think about how we perceive things, especially around technology, genetic modifications, privilege, and what it means to be human.

It is a surprisingly engaging story well-woven and carefully told in great detail.

I highly recommend it.