ROOM
by Emma DonoghueLittle, Brown & Co.
321 pp
Ages: Adult (but also appropriate for teens)
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SUMMARY
Jack's world is confined to the four walls of the room he shares with his mother. He was born there and knows nothing of the outside world except what he sees on TV and from stories his mother tells him. But his mother wants more for him - she wants him to be free.
REVIEW
Eerily reminiscent of true stories of those who have been kidnapped and held in captivity, ROOM explores how such an experience would shape the mind and existence of a young child. Brilliantly told through 5-year-old Jack's point of view, ROOM is both charming and disturbing at the same time. Ms. Donoghue tackles difficult issues and events with sensitivity and finesse.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading ROOM and highly recommend it. In fact, I liked it enough to pick up another of her books. I just started reading SLAMMERKIN and plan to review it here down the road. In the meantime, take a look at ROOM's interactive website. It's pretty neat.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Profanity: None (that I can recall)
Violence: Very mild
Sex: Present, but only alluded to
I am almost speechless. Not since reading To Kill a Mockingbird. I read a book that has so profoundly affected me. At times the story was horrific, at other times heartbreaking. Though I can understand those readers who read Room in one sitting, I was not one of them. There were times I had to stop and simply breathe. It was only near the end of the book that I realized that Jack was the only undamaged character in the story. He was a child who was loved.
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