Read this book if your are interested in: A totally unique book that will make you think and feel, and maybe even laugh and cry. Adult fiction, a few strong profanities.
I have to say I really loved this book. But, I wasn’t so sure about it in the beginning. The story is told by a five-year-old boy named Jack, who lives in a room with his mother. One room, that’s it. He’s never been outside the room and has very little comprehension of the rest of the world. As a result, his “voice” is a little different than what you’re probably used to. At the beginning I wasn’t sure if I loved the way the story was being told, and then when I found out Jack and his mom were being held in the room against their will, I almost stopped reading the book. I thought I could see where it was going, and I just wasn’t in the mood for a heart-wrenchingly terrible story about a woman who’s been abducted.
But I kept going, and I am so glad I did. Jack has never experienced anything else, so to him, life inside “Room” isn’t terrible at all. Some things about it are quite wonderful, and I quickly came to admire his mother. Don’t get me wrong – there are certainly some heart-wrenching moments, but they are tempered by Jack’s innocence. Donoghue gives you just long enough to really start to fall in love with little Jack and his totally unique view of life, and then the story rockets into full gear and becomes totally compelling. It was one of those I-can-hardly-stand-not-to-read-this-straight-though-to-the-end type books. Once you’re about a quarter of the way through the plot starts moving very quickly, but the writing remains interesting and effortless. I thought about this book for days after I finished it, and I felt the ending was positive in a realistic way and not at all depressing. I’ve already recommended it to a couple of people, and I’m sure I’ll be recommending it to more.
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