Reviews

Room by Emma Donoghue

kessler21's review against another edition

5.0

I saw this book in Goodwill and the back blurb interested me enough to read. I went in with zero expectations and was blown away. The first half of the book was thrilling and page turning. The next part was hopeful and emotional. The last part of the book was not as exciting or good, but still was hopeful.

Donoghue did a fantastic job of creating a new and intriguing way of telling this story. From the perspective of a 5-year old who has never been outside. He lives with his mother in this one room and occasionally a man visits.

A great read that potentially opens up a conversation about news story fame/stardom.

xomarvelgirl's review against another edition

4.0

Now this book is a tear-jerker. It took me a while to get used to the narration by five-year old Jack. His point of view was interesting and at times confusing. I had to accept that sometimes, I didn't know what he was talking about until later in the book. As I read more of it, and I couldn't put it down, his narration grew easier to understand and I even appreciated his innocent point of view. I don't think that the book would have been the same without Jack telling you the story exactly as he saw it.

I went into the story after only reading the Goodreads description and I was incredibly thankful that I did. It was interesting with plot turns and twists. Every character has a different emotion that makes you feel and think and since it's all told in Jack's point of view, you're never sure what people's motives actually are.

Spoiler

For instance, I couldn't tell whether his uncle and aunt really cared about his struggles. And I'm still not positive.

Normally it would frustrate me but this book is just so wonderful that not knowing is just part of the charm.

It's hard to describe this book. It's got a lot of charm. You get emotionally invested in the characters. Sometimes they make bad choices and you cry and hope that things get fixed because you want so badly for this five year old boy to be happy. I read it in two sittings and only because the first night I was too tired to read even another word. I would highly recommend it to just about anybody.

its_pam_ela's review against another edition

4.0

I wasn't sure I was going to like this book at first but I read the whole thing in a day and couldn't put it down. You get used to the child narration and it's really interested to get the perspective of the child instead of the mother. Great read for the day after giftmas!

blairfrank's review against another edition

3.0

After I became more acclimated to Jack's language, I enjoyed the story more. There were many times that the novel saddened me based on Jack's lack of knowledge. However, I also enjoyed reading about his new experiences with each encounter and interaction in Outside. I am undecided if I will watch the movie.

michaelpdonley's review against another edition

3.0

The narrator of the novel is a 5-year-old boy who has spent his lifetime locked in a small room with his mother, who was kidnapped 7 years earlier and kept as a sex slave.

The author does an amazing job of writing in the voice of Jack, but this point of view limits how the reader takes in the story. I might have preferred alternate chapters using different points of view. That said, it's a fascinating story made all the more chilling because of similarities to actual events.

I'm interested to see how the movie handled the story.

therejuvenatedreader's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

tinlizzyd08's review against another edition

4.0

Quick read. It started slow and I had a hard time buying into the story at first because the child is overly intelligent at times and then can’t speak well at others. But it gets better and is definitely a compelling story. Worth the read. Makes you think about what we consider normal on modern society. Lackluster ending

shazzab39's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0

A plot to drag you in, such a good read but emotionally challenging at the same time 

esme1903's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

So welll written nicely paced 

ash48's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5