ROOM.

I don't ever post about books I read because I figure it's boring and most people probably don't care, but this book has really stuck with me. (If you do care, there might be some spoilers in this post, just FYI). I hadn't heard much about it, but I read a synopsis of it online and was intrigued. So I put it on hold at the library and forgot about it. When they emailed me that it was in I was excited and went to pick it up. At first it was hard to get into because it is narrated entirely by a 5 year old boy. But I was sucked into it and couldn't stop reading. I was so interested to find out where the story was going and what was going to happen to Jack and his mom.

The subject matter might be a little too much for some people; a woman who is kidnapped, raped, and kept locked in a 12ft x 12ft shed for 7 years, gives birth to a little boy and raises him all alone in their shed. It avoids anything too intense because it's all being told by a 5 year old.

I just loved this book and fell in love with the characters and their story, and I think that the book gives you a lot to think about. Ever feel like your life is repetitive, or that you don't have enough or can't do all the things you want for your child? Then imagine raising a child in a tiny space that you can't leave and the only time you get anything new is when/if your captor brings you something you've asked for for "Sunday treat".
To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits. Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work. Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

Quote from the book:
“Also everywhere I’m looking at kids, adults mostly don’t seem to like them, not even the parents do. They call the kids gorgeous and so cute, they make the kids do the thing all over again so they can take a photo, but they don’t want to actually play with them, they’d rather drink coffee talking to other adults. Sometimes there’s a small kid crying and the Ma of it doesn’t even hear.” ~ p287