"Room" Book Review

Renua Raje

Title: Room

Author: Emma Donoghue

Genre: Fiction

To Jack Room is all there is, its where he was born and all he has ever known while growing up. Jack lives with Ma in Room, this where he eats sleeps and learn as though he was just like every other child,  at night Ma puts Jack to sleep inside the closet, before waiting for their captor Old Nick to visit. Room is a story about a five year old and his Ma being held captive, Room is a garden shed 11 feet both ways that only has the very basics for a living environment. The five year old Jack treats the inanimate objects in the room as though they are alive; he refers to them on multiple occasions as his friends. Jack is oblivious to the situation him and his mother are in. Room was Jacks utopia while to Ma it was her dystopia. Room is written in Jacks perspective meaning the gloomy and haunting point in the novel were written lightly, the story is made light due to his naivety. Due to their captors cunning abilities the room seems almost impossible to escape. The overall story-line of the novel is very dark but seems light due to jacks innocence.

Room is written in Jacks point of view this helps you create a connection with his character throughout the novel; this was a part of the novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Due to it being in his point of view you understand how he sees the world and how he analyses the different situations he is put in. The beginning of the book moves at a quite slow pace to help you get connected with the characters and really understand what the situations is like for them. I connected with the book by creating sympathy for the characters throughout the novel. When i first started reading the novel i was surprised at how the author referred to such gloomy subject with “humor” and happiness.

I would recommend this story for people who are interested in fiction and non-fiction stories because although it is not based on a true story, the events of the story happen. I would also recommend this story to slightly older readers due to the harsh subjects taken place in the novel. The language in this novel is very basic due to it being written out of a five year old vocabulary, i would recommend it for people who may not be native English speakers. I think this book has multiple topics included in it that are very relevant in society today. The book grabs your attention from the start and I recommend it.