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michaelion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Confinement, Gaslighting, Grief, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Torture, Blood, Child death, Medical content, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Stalking
Minor: Excrement, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
aparker89's review against another edition
- 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
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
rjv6515's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Abandonment, Physical abuse, and Rape
Moderate: Medical content, Vomit, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Medical trauma
hannalng's review against another edition
- 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
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
sanjana_the_book_station's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Abandonment and Confinement
Minor: Suicide
beesbookss's review against another edition
- 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
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
katsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
“Stories are a different kind of true.”
“I've seen the world and I'm tired now.”
I think it will come as no surprise that the most interesting part of this book is the point-of-view. I find it very compelling when authors use the perspectives of "innocents" like children to tell stories. It takes away some of the bias and assumptions that we have as the reader. And this novel goes even further by making the narrator incredibly young. Jack, the narrator, is just 5 years old and he's never known anything other than Room. Getting to experience the world for the first time through his eyes was so interesting and provocative . My only major negative is also about the narrator, though. I've seen other people who've reviewed this book say that they found him annoying but for me, I just doubted that a 5 year old would be as articulate as he was sometimes portrayed. Granted, very few people can confirm or deny if it's actually possible but there were just instances when I felt like Jack was more articulate than any 5 year old would be even given the heinous and unique situation he was in.
Given all that, this book was incredibly well written. The audiobook was incredibly well done. I really liked how the author didn't turn this into a run-of-the-mill true crime novel. The focus was 100% on Ma and Jack and how their characters grow and develop through the trauma of their ordeal. Old Nick, the perpetrator, is a part of the story, obviously, but he spends very little time on page. His backstory is never explained or rationalized and I love that. I am now very interested in seeing the film adaptation!
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Rape, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Pregnancy, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Miscarriage, Medical content, and Cursing
Minor: Abortion, Excrement, and Self harm
martereadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Abandonment, Violence, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Rape, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Emotional abuse, Confinement, and Child abuse
Minor: Miscarriage and Child death
eve_o's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Miscarriage
Minor: Abandonment and Pregnancy
abrianna_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Violence