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larawick's review against another edition
5.0
Entirely copied from www.metapsychology.com for my own use.
Jack is 5 years old; he lives with his mother in the room. He has lived there all his life. They have never left the room, so it is all he knows. Now that he is five, he is more curious about the world and he is starting to understand that the world extends beyond the room. Jack is linguistically precocious which is a good job for the reader, since Jack narrates the story. He knows lots of words even though he does not always use them in the right way. In particular, he does not use "a" or "the" because he never needed to when he was in the room. He also has distinctive phrases for some things -- the sun is "God's face," and when he wants to breast feed, he simply asks "can I have some?" They only have five books to read, but there is a TV that they watch sometimes, but she tells him that TV will rot his brain. Nevertheless, on the days when Jack's mother lies in bed without ever getting up, he can watch it all day. At night, Jack sleeps in the wardrobe, and often Old Nick enters through the steel door operated by a combination, bringing supplies and getting into the bed. Once Old Nick has gone, Jack comes out from the wardrobe and can be with his mother again.
Eventually Jack and his mother get out into the world and their story is national news. They hide away from the reporters, trying to maintain privacy and adjust to the world. Jack's mother eventually tells her story to the press and is reunited with her family, although her father had given her up for dead. It is an extremely difficult time for both of them. Everyone assumes that Jack must be relieved to be out of the room, but he does not know how to interact with other children or adults, and he hates to spend any time away from his mother. One of the most uncomfortable parts of the novel is not when Jack's life is in danger or his mother is enduring sex with Old Nick, but is when some other family members take Jack to the mall. They go in for one thing, and get side-tracked, and end up getting other things they don't need, and not getting what they went in for. The expedition ends badly. It's a sign that nobody apart from his mother understands Jack's needs, and furthermore, that for all the weirdness and claustrophobia of their old room, they were able to lead a controlled life, while on the outside, they are confronted by forces beyond their control. Jack's unusual first five years give him, and so also the reader, a new perspective on the familiar world.
Arguably, Donoghue overplays this element: there are times when Jack's observations about the strange ways of adults verge into the territory of 'kids say the darnedest things.' This feeling is heightened by the performance of the unabridged audiobook by four readers. The words of adults are read in adult voices, even though Jack is telling the story. But the part of Jack is read in the voice of a five year old boy by one of the women readers, and it does not quite work. Jack's combination of naivety and wisdom feels like the author's device, and the reading can feel artificial. Nevertheless, for the most part, it is a gripping story that makes you wonder what the effects of growing up in such a confined space would actually have on a young child and how he could adjust to the world outside.
Jack is 5 years old; he lives with his mother in the room. He has lived there all his life. They have never left the room, so it is all he knows. Now that he is five, he is more curious about the world and he is starting to understand that the world extends beyond the room. Jack is linguistically precocious which is a good job for the reader, since Jack narrates the story. He knows lots of words even though he does not always use them in the right way. In particular, he does not use "a" or "the" because he never needed to when he was in the room. He also has distinctive phrases for some things -- the sun is "God's face," and when he wants to breast feed, he simply asks "can I have some?" They only have five books to read, but there is a TV that they watch sometimes, but she tells him that TV will rot his brain. Nevertheless, on the days when Jack's mother lies in bed without ever getting up, he can watch it all day. At night, Jack sleeps in the wardrobe, and often Old Nick enters through the steel door operated by a combination, bringing supplies and getting into the bed. Once Old Nick has gone, Jack comes out from the wardrobe and can be with his mother again.
Eventually Jack and his mother get out into the world and their story is national news. They hide away from the reporters, trying to maintain privacy and adjust to the world. Jack's mother eventually tells her story to the press and is reunited with her family, although her father had given her up for dead. It is an extremely difficult time for both of them. Everyone assumes that Jack must be relieved to be out of the room, but he does not know how to interact with other children or adults, and he hates to spend any time away from his mother. One of the most uncomfortable parts of the novel is not when Jack's life is in danger or his mother is enduring sex with Old Nick, but is when some other family members take Jack to the mall. They go in for one thing, and get side-tracked, and end up getting other things they don't need, and not getting what they went in for. The expedition ends badly. It's a sign that nobody apart from his mother understands Jack's needs, and furthermore, that for all the weirdness and claustrophobia of their old room, they were able to lead a controlled life, while on the outside, they are confronted by forces beyond their control. Jack's unusual first five years give him, and so also the reader, a new perspective on the familiar world.
Arguably, Donoghue overplays this element: there are times when Jack's observations about the strange ways of adults verge into the territory of 'kids say the darnedest things.' This feeling is heightened by the performance of the unabridged audiobook by four readers. The words of adults are read in adult voices, even though Jack is telling the story. But the part of Jack is read in the voice of a five year old boy by one of the women readers, and it does not quite work. Jack's combination of naivety and wisdom feels like the author's device, and the reading can feel artificial. Nevertheless, for the most part, it is a gripping story that makes you wonder what the effects of growing up in such a confined space would actually have on a young child and how he could adjust to the world outside.
beck_wreck's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
After watching the movie, I was super excited to read the book. It definitely delivered. I didn't think the story could get any more intense or emotional but it certainly was. Hearing it play out from Jack's mind was an emotional rollercoaster and it was also so beautiful and innocent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, and Confinement
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Vomit, and Miscarriage
lmmw230494's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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? Yes
4.0
athaliahaywood's review against another edition
5.0
Goodness, this book was intense. I have never in my really understood how something like that would really take a toll on a child. Of course you know there will be trauma, but you think that once a small child is out of a horrible situation, because they’re young, they snap out of it faster. I really appreciate Emma Donoghue for setting me straight.
brittanyrader13's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This was heartbreaking and beautiful, but it just wasn’t for me.
kitayers's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Incredible read, I was totally hooked by this. An original and challenging POV. You feel the full spectrum of emotions and care for the characters immediately