From the Bookshelf of Nothing But Reading Challenges…

Room

Emma Donoghue

Start date: September 2, 2012

Finish date: September 30, 2012

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What Members Thought

Jan 10, 2018 Lesa Divine rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018, read-it, i-own

A story told from Jack a five year old boy that only know of his life in a small room with his Ma. And Old Nick is a man he's to hide from come nighttime.
Sad story. Jack Ma finally tells him how she's come to be in that room and how he comes to be Jack.
His Ma teaches him the best she can. But explaining to him about the outside world beyond that Room is hard for him to understand.
To read from Jack's point of view was interesting, sad at times and sometimes funny.
Very emotional at times.
My first ...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Karen (EarthAngel2911) rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio-books, do-not-own, library-overdrive-ebook, literary-fiction, library-overdrive-audio

I just finished listening to this book yesterday, and it elicited such mixed emotions for me. I was captivated in the beginning of the story, listening to this little kid process all of the input around him.

However, it didn't take long for that to annoy me. And it wasn't the fact that the story is being told in a child's voice; that's what I liked about it. What bothered me was that this 5-yr-old child spoke like a 3-yr-old. I don't think it was the fact that all the objects in the room had gen I just finished listening to this book yesterday, and it elicited such mixed emotions for me. I was captivated in the beginning of the story, listening to this little kid process all of the input around him.

However, it didn't take long for that to annoy me. And it wasn't the fact that the story is being told in a child's voice; that's what I liked about it. What bothered me was that this 5-yr-old child spoke like a 3-yr-old. I don't think it was the fact that all the objects in the room had genders and were treated as proper nouns. I think it annoyed me that the mother chose to allow the baby-speak to contine for so long. I know this is only a book, but you would think she would have prefered to have her son speak more coherently. He's obviously capable.

Once I got past that, I appreciated the way the author chose to get different points of view across to the reader. I especially liked the game the mother played with Jack, called "Parrot." (At least I think that's what it was.) I actually thought, "What a great game for a kid!" Until I realized that I don't think I would want my kids so aware of everything going on. They are aware enough as it is... my husband calls my older son "radar ears." We're pretty sure he hangs around the corner listening to our private conversations! Anyway, little Jack was able to parrot so much of what he heard, I figured that's how we were able to find out some of the adults' viewpoints at various points in the story. He may not have understood what he was repeating, but it helped the reader see past the 5-yr-old's viewpoint. I thought that was a very subtle, but very ingenious way for the author to keep the tone consistent throughout the story but still give the reader more to digest.

I liked the fact that the mother and Jack were rescued halfway through the story, because no doubt, there's so much more ahead of them now that they're Outside.

I confess that in the beginning I was wondering what the point of this book was. Until I realized that it's the story of an abduction, the life they try to make for themselves with what they have, the pain of recovery, and the resilience of spirit. The thing that makes this story unique is the voice of the storyteller.

Definitely a book worth reading! ...more

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Aug 05, 2013 Nancy rated it liked it · review of another edition

I didn't hate this book, but nor did I love it. I wasn't sure how I felt about it in fact. I couldn't really relate to any of the characters although I appreciated the clever use of the 5 year old narrator. It was a strange and eerie premise, and I was sure the whole book was going to be the story of this boy and his mother in the locked room, so I was quite glad that that only took us halfway. I have to admit, I couldn't stop reading it so I guess that should mean it was good. I wish I could gi ...more

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Aug 27, 2016 Snuffles rated it really liked it · review of another edition

(Picked this up at Dublin airport)

I am really torn between 4-5 stars. At the beginning I wasn't sure whether I could even get through the book since it was from the perspective of a 5-year-old. But in the end that unique perspective worked out very well, I think and really drew me in. Despite the horrible things that are going on, it's never gruesome, thanks to the lack of understanding on the narrator's side. The book focuses more on his world and how his world changes and keeps changing, so it ...more

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May 18, 2015 Gabriela rated it really liked it

Shelves: nytimes-bestseller, world-book-night-2012

Sad, overwhelming and oh so strange. This was my reaction while reading the book. It's just so unreal, so amazing, yet it can definitely be a real story - that's the strange sad thing about Room. ...more

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