- Room was short-listed for the Man Booker Prize.
- When I saw the book on the shelf it just begged to be picked up and brought home.
- When I read the summary I had to know … what happens next?
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
- Coraline by Neil Gaiman
- Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
- The Child Thief by Brom
Book Trailer:
My Review:
I”ve started my review of this book about a half-dozen times. In the book trailer above (and I hope you watched it), Audrey Niffenegger writes:
Room is a book to read in one sitting. When it’s over you look up: the world looks the same but you are somehow different and that feeling lingers for days
I picked this book up around 7:00 in the evening. I put it down at around 3:00 the next morning. When I closed my eyes out of sheer exhaustion I had dreams that centered around Room. I woke up feeling dazed and heart-broken.
Room is a book that requires intense emotional investment. That’s all the warning I can give you about the story contained in this book, so when you pick it up prepare to invest in it and to lose yourself in Jack’s voice. I was apprehensive for the first page or so in wondering if I could connect to Jack, the five year old narrating the story but… this worry was unfounded. I’m in awe of the power Emma Donoghue wields through the voice of Jack and think this book should be read widely.
While reading this book I was reminded of a human interest story I’d read in the news a while back. In Plant City, Florida a 6 year old girl was found living in horrible conditions. They compared (as this story has been compared) her story to that of Tarzan and speculations were going crazy about her development and how she would be affected by this.
While the similarities are not exact, Room brought back the memories I had of reading this story and evoked the same emotional rage I felt.
I feel it’s important to note that although this book is narrated by a 5 year old, this is not a story for children to read. This is a very adult story with adult themes. That said, I want to encourage every single one of you reading this review to move this book to the top of your to-be-read pile and experience it. There are few books that I really get the hype on, but this book is one that deserves it.
Check out these reviews:
Kevin from Canada (warning: spoilers)
How do you feel about books that emotionally drain you? Do you make an effort to read or avoid them?
