When Jack went to sleep last night in Wardrobe, he was only four; but today, as if by magic, he is five.
It’s been five whole years since he was born on Rug, right there at the foot of Bed, in the same small space where he has eaten, slept and played every day of his life. Jack knows the story of his birth well.
What he doesn’t know, however, is that this birthday will also mark more than seven years since Ma was abducted and caged by the man they know only as
“Old Nick.” In fact, he doesn’t know that anything outside of Room exists at all.But now that Jack is five, it’s becoming painfully clear that Room is just too small to hold all the curiosity of a growing child — and Ma’s memories of her life outside their 11-foot by 11-foot prison are tearing at her seams.
“Room” is a psychological rollercoaster of a novel, divided into two acts by a heart-stopping climax that will demand and accept nothing less than your full attention until it is finished.
Donoghue’s story of a mother’s boundless love is punctuated by the very raw, human failings of a woman thrust into unthinkable circumstances, torn between the innocence of her child and the horror of their eventual fate.
Though the thrilling action of this book eventually tapers away, the emotional story of Ma and Jack grows no less wrenching, and their struggle will fascinate and shock you to the very end.
Review by Nicole Hodges, events coordinator for Greenville Area Community Center, is an aspiring linguist and teacher of English as a second language. She spends her free time reading books, studying etymology, and wondering why no one will play Scrabble with her anymore.
