Reviews

I truly and deeply loved the story from start to finish; it's a testament to the human capacity for survival and for joy in the face of unimaginable horror and cruelty. I have a great respect for Donoghue's ability to develop such a precise and coherent voice for her five-year-old narrator. It's four stars for me only because my enjoyment of the act of reading the book decreased as the story went on - not for a lack of interesting content, but because I found the voice of a five-year-old a bit grating after a while.

christyrannosaurus_rex's review against another edition

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4.0

Very intense. I couldn't stop reading--I was so involved in the story that I was in it even after I put the book down.

The story follows five-year-old Jack and his Ma, who are being help captive in Room. As the story progresses, the reader learns that Jack has never left Room, he was born there and is completely unaware that a world exists outside of Room. Their captor, Old Nick, kidnapped Ma seven years ago. The subject matter is obviously sickening and very difficult to handle but the book is written from the perspective of a child, creating necessary distance between reader and story.

Thrilling and emotionally intense read. Don't start it during the work week, though, or you might have to call in sick!

katireads321's review against another edition

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5.0

I loved this book. It took me a little bit to get into the flow of 5 year old Jack's narration, but once I caught on I was hooked and couldn't put it down. Interesting concept and well written from a child perspective who knows nothing else other than room. Haunting and upsetting but exhilarating and amazing

protoman21's review against another edition

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4.0

Donoghue made an interesting choice to have Jack be the narrator and it certainly paid off. His language built by only being exposed to his mother is interesting and walks the fine line between being creative and being too much that it is annoying. The first part of the book is the strongest as we discover their living conditions filtered through the innocence of a child. He is sheltered from much of the horrors of their situation, but enough trickles through that you feel the suffocating effect of the room the entire time.

I felt like the second part of the book, after the escape was weaker and although it suggested how reentry into society is difficult, here, the fact that it was seen through Jack's eyes, felt a bit strained and it left some important issues on the table. Still a great book and I'm excited to watch the movie.

hunnylemon_'s review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

readingrockk's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.0

sneezer's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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