Never Let Me Go 5

I CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO INDENT.

Here's the real world! I was beginning to wonder if these children were actually children at all, but their inner adolescense comes out in chapter 5. Kathy opens up about rumors, cliques, and betrayals and I couldn't have been more delighted to stop all of the "donation" talk. This clique, the secret guard (a little demented I know) was what we would call the cool crowd, and of course lead by none other than Ruth herself. To complete the preteen girl stereotype, the guard liked to bend and break rules, which brings up the rumors of what's outside Hailsham and what happens to those who venture outside the walls. Sidenote: The New York Times is sick for calling this book a "tour de force". At first I didn't know what it was, but upon googling it I learned that force, in this situation refers to "to compel, constrain, or oblige (oneself or someone) to do something". My adventures on dictionary.com are not helping my confusion. I think the characters know they will be forced to donate (hence force), and the book is exploring, or touring, how this effects their lives. A tour of the misery of knowing you'll have a short life. That's just not right. Anyway, the guard's leader lies to her ladies about a prized posession being a gift from their favorite teacher, and none other than her supposed best friend finds out and confronts her. Kathy, being the good person she is, regrets outting her best friend immediately after. It was refreshing to have a typical "preteen scene" played out, kind of like comic relief, but still cruel because as a reader I'm still not too sure when these girls are going to be asked to donate.