Room by Emma Donoghugh

Room, By Emma Donoghue
Publisher- Little Brown
Release date-September 13, 2010
Genera- Contemporary
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rating- 5 

To five-year-old-Jack, Room is the world. . . . It's where he was born, it's where he and his Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it's the prison where she has been held for seven years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in this eleven-by-eleven-foot space. But with Jack's curiosity building alongside her own desperation, she knows that Room cannot contain either much longer.

Room was something else. Although its technically for the adult audience, Its so unique that I cant help but review it. Overall the idea of people who are kidnapped, isn't that uncommon, what really put Room out there, is that the whole book is from Jack, who has lived in Room his whole life, and honest to god thinks that there is no one in the world other then his mom, himself, and Old Nick, their captor. Even though his mother tries to explain that what you see in TV is real, that there are people and grass, and animals, its almost impossible for jack to wrap his head around. Like if for example, you were trying to explain what colors look like to someone who was born blind. However, even though its impossible for jack to contemplate how huge the world really is, he seems to be an accelerated learner, his vocabulary is much higher then your average 5 year old's. (probably from all the tv ) and he's much more perceptive then you would expect.

I wonder what Donoghue had to do to get into Jacks mind, It really is quite extraordinary...

The Books split up into multiple parts, from Jack first learning that hes actually locked up, to the escape. and yes -SPOILER- they do find a way to escape. (but that's predictable) Almost more interesting was how jack reacted in the environments outside of room. He has depth perception problems, and an innocence that you wouldn't expect from a child in that situation. 

anyways I think its a definite yes, recommendation wise. There's something in it for everyone, and its the type of book that's not easy to forget.

Dana