From what I already knew of it, I anticipated that this book would be a tear-making factory. I don’t have a heart of stone when it comes to books, in fact, I am legend for mid-read weeping. Heck, “Lolita” made my cry, to say nothing of my tear party at work for “The Green Mile.” I had a feeling “Room” would be just another way I would publicly humiliate myself. I was surprised to find that “Room” was much more tender and optimistic about human nature than overwhelming, owing to the excitement and naivety of Jack. I didn’t cry once.

Having a 5-year-old for a narrator was a smooth move considering the nature of this story. His innocence guides us through scenes with “Ma” and her captor, creepily nicknamed “Old Nick”. While sometimes Jack seems overly precocious, to the point of being adult-like, I felt like his tone was mostly consistent and believable. This is a daunting task for an author, especially when the audience is so curious to know more details about the kidnapping and the nature of her confinement. But the real skill of this novel is Jack’s fresh perspective on the whole world; it’s beautiful and in some ways philosophical. It’s hard to believe any child growing up in captivity could have an ounce of fun, but Jack loves the creative games he plays with Ma, and his brief stint of TV watching “Dora the Explorer”.

I was impressed by this book’s ability to handle the plot without feeling sensational. In the wake of other captive stories, such as the recent Fritzl case in Austria, it is hard to humanize this issue without feeling horrified and unable to comprehend it. By focusing on Jack’s world and his own joys, we are better able to envision this life without feeling awful throughout. This was overall very well done, and highly recommended by me.

EZ Read Staffer Jenifer