Book Summary: Five-year-old Jack has never known anything but his mother and Room, a tiny sound-proof shack in which he was born. His mother is a kidnap victim and a prisoner, but she has somehow made Jack's tiny world magical and filled with her love and sacrificial protection. The real world, in many ways, is more traumatizing for him, and both of them must learn to overcome the horror they have experienced.
Indulgent Book Talk: This book was a gift from my mom, one that I hadn't heard of until she gave it to me. I read it in just over two days--definitely hard to put down! It is described as a thriller, and it was quite riveting, but I don't think that a book is a thriller just because it is a page-turner, and I'm not sure that is an appropriate distinction for this book. Told from the point of view of a five-year-old boy, the perspective somehow makes a horrible, upsetting situation somewhat placated and toned down, which was masterfully done and made this book readable and not too disturbing.
Glorifying Elements: Jack's mother keeps him safe and healthy under impossible odds, and I imagine reading this as a parent would be very moving experience. Also, the reader quickly understands that Jack is a product of rape, and yet his mother sees him as valuable, as a part of her, and I personally found that very counter-cultural and refreshing for a secular novel (although the book fails at one point in the pro-life theme; I'll describe that more fully below). I was also glad this book had a happy ending; it could've very easily been a depressing ending. But ultimately, despite all the evil Jack and his mother experienced, it celebrated the triumphs, sometimes just the small ones, of good.
Also, Jack's mother instills in him some Christian values. They pray to "Baby Jesus" and they talk about the saints. It's definitely watered down, but that element is there and provides a sense of hope and transcendence for both of them.
Worldly Elements: This book made such a good case for pro-life arguments until one comment made by Ma (the only name ever given to Jack's mother): "I had an abortion at 18, and I don't regret that, but..." and then she goes on to explain why Jack is a worthwhile human being and shouldn't just be viewed as living reminder of the sexual slavery she experienced. When my mom and I discussed the book afterwards, we agreed that this was so opposite of the pro-life themes that were so blatant in the book that we speculated whether an editor forced Donoghue to add that dialogue in because they thought that theme was too heavy-handed (It is also interesting to note that Donoghue lives in Ireland, with a high Catholic population and where most abortion is illegal). A shame, really. That one line really weakened the powerful impact of Jack's character.
Other elements to be aware of are scenes of rape, but since they are told from the point of view of a little boy, they are very tame. Some mild use of language. And a book about a kidnapping and imprisonment is never going to be completely rated G. But Jack's perspective keeps it toned down.
General Recommendation: I think this book is well-done and an engaging read. If you are not too disturbed by the premise and subject matter, it would definitely be one to try.
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