Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Room by Emma Donoghue

5 reviews

aparker89's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Torture, and Sexual content

Moderate: Slavery, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Dysphoria, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Bullying, Body shaming, Excrement, Grief, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual assault, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Rape

hannalng's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

pkldpklz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

Because this story is told from a child’s point of view the writing can be difficult to read. The story however is touching

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

beesbookss's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Child abuse, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

simple_alien's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

A fascinating character study. A heart-wrenching premise. Avoids sensationalizing, which is important. It actually offers a critique in certain points of media sensationalism of these sorts of tragedies. 

I really liked that the story is from the perspective of the 5 year old boy Jack. I think it is an interesting lens to view such a story. The focus on Jack's limited but expanding view of the world is really cool, how his Ma teaches him a child-friendly version of the world to protect him, and how this starts getting challenged. It is very thought provoking to put yourself in his shoes as the story progresses and he experiences new and terrifying things about the world. 

It reminds me of Plato's Allegory of the Cave: "A group of humans live their whole lives in a cave, tied down to stare at a singular cave wall. Behind them, other people, puppeteers, use fire to project shadows on the wall. To the prisoners, these shadows are reality."

As is Jack's reality of himself, his Ma, Room, Space, and the things he sees on TV.

With all this in mind, there are times where the narration gets difficult to read. While Jack has a large vocabulary for a 5 year old, he still uses made up words, and the narration has purposefully child-like grammar. As a reader, you will either appreciate this as a novelty or it will frustrate you to no end. I personally thought it was great.

I watched the movie before I read the book. They are very similar. The book offers a little more in terms of expanding the details of their every day lives, but not too too much. The most interesting thing the book offers that the movie doesn't, is a more direct line into Jack's thoughts, as he offers a really interesting frame for the story. But again, you will either love that or hate it. 

Not a perfect book - at certain points it gets a little slow. But there are some parts that will really stick with me, and were quite gripping and emotional.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Trafficking

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Slavery, and Suicide attempt