Emma Donoghue

A five-year-old narrates a story about his life growing up in a single room where his mother aims to protect him from the man who has held her prisoner for seven years since she was a teenager.

Jack has spent his life in a small space his mother calls Room, and while Jack uses his imagination to create fantasies to entertain himself, his mother finds a way for them to escape. The plot contains disturbing scenes of violence and confinement.

a novel

Room

‘I wait for his boots to drop. They fall on Floor, one thump, two thumps, that’s how I know he’s going to get into Bed with Ma now and make it squeak. I count the squeaks because I’m excellent at numbers. I have to count, I can’t lose count, if I lose count I don’t know what. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10...’ Kidnapped as a teenage girl, Ma has been locked inside a purpose built room in her captor’s garden for seven years. Her five-year-old son, Jack, has no concept of the world outside and happily exists inside Room with the help of Ma’s games and his vivid imagination where objects like Rug, Lamp and TV are his only friends. But for Ma the time has come to escape and face their biggest challenge to date: the world outside Room.

It’s very sweet how she protects his creative mind and just his childhood in general to allow the kid freedom but she never stops to survive even after 7 years 

ja’leasa

I play Keypad, that s I Stand on my chair by Door and usually Ma says the numbers but today I have to make them up. I press them on Keypad quick quick no mistakes. The numbers don't make Door beep open but I like the little clicks when I push them.

…we do Scream every day but not Saturdays or Sundays. We clear our throats and climb up on Table to be nearer Skylight, holding hands not to fall. We say "On your mark, get set, go," then we open wide our teeth and shout holler howl yowl shriek screech scream the loudest possible.

JUST WOW. He understands that he should be scared of him and that he comes in the night. But he doesnt rlly know bc he’s just a little boy. 

When Old NiCk Creaks Bed, I listen and count fives on my fingers, tonight it's 217 creaks. I always have to count till he makes that gaspy sound and stops. I don't know what would happen if I didn't count, because I always do. What about the nights I'm asleep? I don't know, maybe Ma does the counting. After the 217 it's all quiet.

I just started the book and it being from the child’s perspective is so sad and almost scary bc he doesn’t know that he’s rlly in danger

 "Ma!" "Mmm?" Why am I hided away like the chocolates?" I think she’s sitting on Bed. She talks quiet so I can hardly hear. “I just don’t want him looking at you. Even when you were a baby. I always wrapped you up in Blanket before he came in.”

A very strong read!! I loved the perspective being that of Jack’s, I didn’t find him annoying or grating EVER, which imo is hard when it comes to children characters 😭 I think the author is genuinely very intelligent, and reading her interview in the end and the hopes for the story hitting nail on the head of what she ended up with; the split in the action in the middle being admittedly boring but necessary for the story she wanted to tell, the feeling of Jack and Ma being “two parts of a lost tribe”, etc. i loved it, but I don’t think I could ever reread it. 

margo farto

Patrick Book

A very specific kind of harrowing. This lady is a good writer!

i love this movie and i’m so happy i got to read the book

Carmen Malca

Vicky  Nuñez 

I wish I had words to describe what this book was like for me. Needless to say, I loved every second of it. 

ROOM it's a haunting story and I assure you it'll keep you up until late.

Natasha Musa

Told from a 5-year old's point of view, Room is a touching tale of how a mother and her son survive years of captivity in a small room. Dark yet touching and memorable. A definite must read.

Room Movie Tie-in Edition

chloe rae

This book was stellar. I knew I had to pick it up when I saw the movie. Though it wasn't one of the best books I've ever read, it was insanely enjoyable and I loved it. I loved seeing the world through Jack's eyes. He was endlessly fascinating and I loved the relationship between him and his mother. I cried at the end. What a great read. Took me a while to get through but it was worth it!

Gracie Marsden

I liked it, but less than I thought it would. The first part of the book is very exciting and engaging, and the second part is interesting but feels disjointed. It is very interesting to see the adjustments that Jack makes when he enters the "outside", but it is not as powerful as "Flowers for Algernon".

Jaden Nelson

Before I start this review, I want to say that I have a weird reviewing scale- I rate all books I read on a scale from 1 to 4, 1 being "ew" and 4 being something like "oh I really love that book." 5 stars are saved for the very few books I have encountered that I love with a passion, can see myself rereading routinely, and will proudly bring up in a conversation. So that being said, do not think that 4 stars doesn't mean this book wasn't amazing, because it was. This review may not make very much sense to people who have not read the book, but I think "Room" is best read without a lot of knowledge of the book's details prior to reading. OK NOW TO THE ACTUAL REVIEW SORRY. This book is exclusively told from the perspective of Jack, a 5 year old boy who lives in "Room" with his mother, "Ma". Room is Jack's whole world. Old nick is the man who touches the numbers and comes in through door. I don't want to say much more, but from the intentionally incorrect grammar, to the weird descriptions of simple things (to us), the book is written amazingly. Very long, sad, heart touching, happy, horrific story short... you should read room and also be in amazement at the hidden elements within the book that make you want to laugh, but also shiver. I would recommend, although it does contain some frightening and sickening descriptions of events occurring in jack's life, but being told from jack's point of view, it is most likely bearable to most people. A great work this book is , one that I can see myself rereading when I am older.

I have no words. The way the author wrote from the boys perspective completely respecting that he is confused and imaginative. And sometimes asks for the impossible of his mother. Just wow. 

Ayesha ahmed

When I read the first few pages of the book I wasn't entirely convinced that it would be a book that I would enjoy. The first hundred pages wasn't all that; it was quite difficult to read because it was boring, but when I reached the turning point I literally wanted to finish the book. 
What I loved about this story was that it was narrated by a 5year old, which I did not think would have intense feelings. I never read a book that was narrated by a child in such a professional way. It's true that his story was a sad one, but it was amazing how the author made me think about the world's problem in a different point of view and I basically don't know what I'm trying to say but read it, you'll love it.

incredibly well-written, no inconsistencies in sustaining such a hard-to-embody perspective of a toddler. show not tell at its finest. and the plot is absolutely heart-breaking.

Xin Ma

This was truly an amazing story, although quite distressing at times. Narrated (*might I say quite accurately and appropriately) by a young 7 year-old Jack, it is initially hard to understand the true extent of the situation at hand. However, we soon learn that he and his mum have been trapped, living only in a singular room. They are being imprisoned by a sinister man named Old Nick. Jack doesn't know anything other than the room, and his mother creates an elaborate escape plan. This story is brutally fierce, with a strong sense of determination. Jack's journey literally unfolds right in front of you, grasping every emotion and conveying an unbreakable bond between him and his mother. A must-read. Perfect to devour in a day on the couch with a warm blanket and some tissues.

Zoe Kirkilis

Ivy X

Told from a child's perspective--but the child actually sounds his age. 
The story is both raw and innocent/naive when told from Jack's perspective but doesn't hide the horror of their situation. I really enjoyed the plot and the way this story was narrated. One of my fave books I've read this year!

Sur le point de feter ses cinq ans, Jack a les preoccupations des enfants de son age. Ou presque. Il ne pense qu a jouer et a essayer de comprendre le monde qui l entoure, comptant sur sa mere pour repondre a ses questions. Celle-ci occupe dans sa vie une place immense, d autant plus qu il vit seul avec elle dans la meme piece, depuis sa naissance. Il y a bien les visites du Grand Mechant Nick, mais la mere fait tout pour eviter a Jack le moindre contact avec lui. Jusqu au jour ou elle comprend qu elle ne peut pas continuer a entretenir l illusion d une vie ordinaire. Elle va alors tout risquer pour permettre a Jack de s enfuir."Room, c est un sinistre fait divers revisite par Gulliver et par Alice, mais c est aussi une histoire de survie qui celebre l indefectible pouvoir de l amour maternel." Andre Clavel, L Express."Un roman d une douceur renversante." Emily Barnett, Les Inrockuptibles."

Jeannette Ordas

I read the first half of the book in 1 night and it freaked me out and found it hard to sleep afterwards without dreaming of Room. Yet at the same time, I felt a distance between me and the characters, I was intrigued but closed off, which is probably best.

Fran Lewis

Izza

** spoiler alert **
           I gave this book 3 stars, but I'm not really sure it's worth that many. The beginning was AWFUL to me. I understand that the kid is 5, but the choice of words was annoying the f out of me. I was ready to drop it. 

I must admit that it gets better though. I'm not sure if it's because I got used to the way he talks, but the narration wasn't as PAINFUL. 

I feel like there are a lot of things left unfinished. I really think it would've been better if we'd read this from the mother's perspective. 

I guess I can see why it was acclaimed by the critics, but idk. For me it wasn't that well done. 

I think that it's kind of ironic that at some point the mother says : "You think we should sell ourselves before someone else does?" (referencing to writing a book) when it's EXACTLY what the author did. This book was based on a similar case (Fritzl) that happened in Australia. It kinda bothered me. idk why.

The ending is rushed. The mother's recovery is unrealistic. and I feel like the reaction/attitude of the mother's family is WRONG WRONG WRONG. Nobody would be this "passive".

Elisavet Petridis

This chilling yet loving novel of a mother who will do anything for her child compels you at the first page until the end. Pretty often, you hear of kidnaps, but we never really think about who is affected or what’s going on, at least I haven’t paid much attention to it. I see amber alerts, and I do wonder, but I never find myself following up. Room is such a great story, especially being told in the perspective Jack, the little boy who is the product of rape between an innocent girl and her kidnapper. It makes you realize that these things actually happen-people could be locked in rooms, raped, and just finding a way to exist while the lives they once knew are out of their immediate mindset. Donoghue does a great job of weaving life before, during, and after Room and the struggles and obstacles both Jack and Ma have to endure. You’re always on your toes and your heart beats fast but that’s what makes a great novel.

Amanda Castaneda

The best audio book I have ever heard!!! I seriously suggest it! They have diff voices for the diff characters. This book went up to my top 10 of all time!

Belle

I'm not sure if I would have liked this as much if I hadn't seen the movie, but I got really hooked on it. I really liked the movie even though it was scary, so I think that helped me appreciate the book, too. I had to take a break when I got to the scary bit, but once I got through that I couldn't put the book down.

Stephanie Honour

After the first chapter, I was addicted. By the last chapter, I was eager to finish so that I could move onto another book; the outcome was predictable, as were the main characters' reactions. That being said, it was so well written that I had to triple check as to whether it was fiction or not.

Andrea

I loved this book!

To be honest, I didn't think I would before I started reading it. It exceeded my expectations though.

I found it so refreshingly unique and the story sucked me in. Jack, the main character is absolutely lovable and adorable. 

This book is definitely worth 5 stars!

Emelie

2,5owls

It truly is a touching story, but it surely Didnt have to be 400 pages. It would've been enough with 250 at the most. Cause let me tell ya, the last 100 pages was sooooo slow!! 

Also i Didnt like the way Ma pushed Jack to do stuff just because she wanted it but he wasnt ready. He was scared of the world outside the Room, and thats Understandable , so i wished his Ma could've listen to him a little bit more.. Cause after all, he's only 5 years old! 

Jack was a really cute, intelligent, caring, scared and a wonderful little boy! I just wanted to kiss him all over and tell him that his reality wasnt real and there's a much bigger adventure waiting for him outside the Room (but we'll take it in his pace ofc!).

Mohammed Moussa

This is an emotional and great book about love and innocence I really enjoyed my time with it. "good bye book".

Room a novel

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