room

Title: Room

Author: Emma Donoghue

Date Finished: February 2, 2011

Personal Book Count: 5 out of 75

Rating: 4 out o 5

Genre/ Subject: fiction

First Line: Today I'm five.

Why did I pick this book?: I selected this book because it was long listed for the manner book price in 2010. I had seen it on the shelf many times in my local bookstore, and had read several positive reviews online.

Summary and Review: taken from the back of the book-

“To five-year-old-Jack, Room is the world....
It's where he was born, it's where he and Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. There are endless wonders that let loose Jack's imagination-the snake under Bed that he constructs out of eggshells, the imaginary world projected through the TV, the coziness of Wardrobe beneath Ma's clothes, where she tucks him in safely at night, in case Old Nick comes.
Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it's the prison where she's been held since she was nineteen-for seven long years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in that eleven-by-eleven-foot space. But Jack's curiosity is building alongside Ma’s desperation—and she knows that Room cannot contain either indefinitely....
Told in the inventive, funny, and poignant voice of Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience-and a powerful story of a mother and son whose love lets them survive the impossible.”

I'm not sure what I can say about this book that hasn't already been said. It is such an amazing work that had me hooked from the first through to the last word. Emma Donoghue writes the entire book from the point of view of a five-year-old named Jack. I find it amazing the way she captures his voice and nailed it so completely and perfectly. I wish more authors had a grasp of voice and could continue it through an entire novel but Donoghue does. The journey you are taken on is rewarding at times, and very difficult to read and at other times. Overall I found this a very satisfying read. It is emotional all the way through. Sometimes you cheer, sometimes it’s crying. We see the world through the eyes of a child perhaps more innocent than most. I found myself adopting "Jack-isms" and using them in my daily language. The way he talks becomes very infectious. I love the way she wrapped it up on a very positive note, and I hope one day that we may see a sequel, as I am sure there is much more to tell of Jack’s story.

Agree? Disagree? Recommendations? Any insights, suggestions, or comments on the book or format, or blog at all are most welcome. If you have read this and/ or review it yourself, please let me know. Can you think of any books like this? Give me a recommendation! =D