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Room

Donoghue, Emma, 1969- Book - 2010 Fiction / Donoghue, Emma, Adult Book / Fiction / General / Donoghue, Emma 3 On Shelf No requests on this item Community Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Call Number: Fiction / Donoghue, Emma, Adult Book / Fiction / General / Donoghue, Emma
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Pittsfield Branch

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Downtown 2nd Floor
4-week checkout
Fiction / Donoghue, Emma 4-week checkout On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor
4-week checkout
Fiction / Donoghue, Emma 4-week checkout On Shelf
Pittsfield Adult Books
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Adult Book / Fiction / General / Donoghue, Emma 4-week checkout On Shelf
Malletts Adult Books
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Fiction / Donoghue, Emma 4-week checkout Due 04-15-2024

Narrator Jack and his mother, who was kidnapped seven years earlier when she was a 19-year-old college student, celebrate his fifth birthday. They live in a tiny, 11-foot-square soundproofed cell in a converted shed in the kidnapper's yard. The sociopath, whom Jack has dubbed Old Nick, visits at night, grudgingly doling out food and supplies. But Ma, as Jack calls her, proves to be resilient and resourceful--and attempts a nail-biting escape.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

amazing! submitted by sbaccouc on December 15, 2010, 7:09pm This book was amazing, from a totally different point of view... and a must read in one sitting! You will appreciate your normal world after reading this one.

cool submitted by tcaldera97 on June 22, 2011, 2:25pm cool

Good, but disturbing submitted by monkk on June 28, 2011, 10:55am I loved this book, but I like a darker read now and then. If you don't, skip this one!

Awesome submitted by bbelalggazali on July 5, 2011, 10:27am Awesome

unique submitted by kemeyer on July 5, 2011, 11:46am The unique perspective of this 5 year old boy whose world consists of an 11 by 11 foot room is both innocent and sweet. Yet, through various details he gives us, the reader becomes aware of the dangerous, painful and disturbing life his mother is leading, trapped in this room and sheltering her child from the reality of their situation. I absolutely admired the mother and her creative ways of keeping her son physically and mentally active, protecting him from Old Nick and from what he is missing Outside while enduring hell herself. Truly one of the most unusual premises and perspectives I've ever found in a book. I couldn't put it down!

good book submitted by kawthar333 on July 5, 2011, 1:14pm good

It will trap you! submitted by eringogreen on July 5, 2011, 8:40pm Totally agree with the review on the back of the book that says Donoghue will take you as her prisoner - I read this in a day! I was intrigued by the subject matter because I followed the Fritzl case pretty closely, always shocked as more was revealed about the family trapped in a dungeon for 24 years. But you don't have to be a crime nut to enjoy this. Really, don't let the subject matter scare you away! Donaghue does a really nice job of keeping the book clean and while the story, of course, is horrific, it is truly about hope and love -- it won't depress you! Since the story is told from a 5-year-old boy's perspective, it makes it much more innocent, even though the reader knows horrible things that Jack doesn't.

This would be a great book club book because there are many themes. While most people haven't had similar life experiences, I think what Ma and Jack go through is something we can all relate to on some level. "Room" is home to Jack, he knows nothing else, but Ma knows what she's missing and she knows to hide the fact that their circumstances are so horrible from her son. It's about sometimes not knowing what is best for yourself, but needing to take a leap, even though you may be "scared," you have to be "brave" at the same time.

Interesting submitted by slsk on July 13, 2011, 4:21pm I found the young boy's point of view really interesting. I can't even imagine what it would be like to go through an experience like this.

nice submitted by readingking on July 14, 2011, 6:38pm cool book

keep reading submitted by sara on July 17, 2011, 9:53pm The opening was annoying, but if you keep reading, it's quite good.

touching submitted by klsyking on July 19, 2011, 12:44pm This book was so sad... It's a great read, but a little hard to digest because it reminds you that there is so much evil in the world

Engaging well written submitted by alarkin on August 1, 2011, 11:27am I loved how the author was able to convey so much through the voice of the 5 year old, based on both what he knew, and on what you could tell he didn't know. It was so fascinating to try to imagine life from his perspective before leaving the room and the issues after leaving. I couldn't put it down!

BEST BOOK EVER! submitted by shailu on August 1, 2011, 3:51pm good book

loved it submitted by unknown on January 5, 2012, 8:46pm To view room from the perspective of a 5-6 year old is fascinating

book clubs take note submitted by unknown on July 5, 2012, 10:44pm This is a great book for book club discussions

Just read it! submitted by marielle on July 7, 2012, 9:19am My mom read this book for her book club and she told me to read it... but she wouldn't tell me what it was about because "then you wouldn't want to read it." And she's right; the subject matter is kind of off-putting. But the book was wonderfully executed and I really enjoyed it.

So my advice is to skip all the reviews and certainly don't read the synopsis, and just read it!

Great book submitted by HY Qiu on July 29, 2012, 1:50pm Good book

Absorbing submitted by Zekicmom on June 19, 2013, 10:30am I couldn't put it down and then I couldn't stop thinking about it.

good submitted by michael007 on July 4, 2013, 7:36am The book "Room" is good!

Excellent that it kept going after a main event submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on July 8, 2014, 8:01am Outstanding! Absolutely fascinating progression of events, and really interesting that it was told from the perspective of the five-year-old. There's a major event right in the middle of the book, and I love that we get to see the aftermath for the remaining half. It could have been very easy for the author to put that event at the end, but this makes for a much better story.

Really hard to put down.

Heartbreaking submitted by Judeyblu on July 31, 2015, 4:48pm A heartbreaking story, seen through the fresh and innocent eyes of a young child that has never known any other life.

Room submitted by leenajong on July 25, 2016, 6:02am Good book. Couldn't put it down.

Surprisingly good submitted by mrajraspn08 on July 26, 2016, 10:45am I was surprised to see that this was told from the perspective of the child, but that makes it all the more fascinating. It is heartbreaking to see his view of the world, and as someone with social anxiety, I found myself relating a lot to him and seeing things from his perspective. A little slow, but a very good read.

every bit as good as they say submitted by 21621031390949 on August 12, 2016, 9:10am I put off reading this book for the longest time because it sounded like such a painful topic. Finally, I succumbed, and I'm so glad I did. An excellent book by a very creative writer.

A Mother's devotion submitted by kferguson on August 20, 2016, 8:19pm A story of a Mother's devotion

Engaging submitted by mrondo on June 17, 2017, 10:03pm This book was very engaging and I could barely put it down. The story is pretty intense but telling it through Jack's 5-year-old point of view makes it bearable since we experience it with his limited knowledge and have to make inferences.
Toward the end it made me very emotional and any book that pulls at your heartstrings like that is a good book. My heart is in shreds from this book.
Overall it is expertly crafted. It is full of symbolism and parallels that are subtle but brilliant. I will never look at Dora the same again!

Room submitted by a2sue on August 3, 2017, 10:22pm Room is very good, but truly disturbing...

Incredible! submitted by gmknitter on July 11, 2018, 7:04pm **Spoilers**
I found it difficult to start this book because it is narrated by 5-year-old Jack, but as the book continued his voice became very endearing and I loved seeing the way he described all the new things he discovered. One of my favorite things about this book was the fact that it didn't end after Jack and Ma escaped Room. This book became so much more powerful when Ma began familiarizing herself with what the world had become while she was trapped and as Jack saw Outside for the first time. Their adjustment was written so well and it made so much sense that Jack would want to return to Room and didn't understand why Ma wouldn't want to, because Jack only knew the good parts of it. Overall I found this book to be extremely powerful and Jack's voice was such a nice change of pace from the traditional first-person narrator.

Interesting Perspective on Tragic Situation submitted by j9hutch on August 6, 2018, 5:57pm It's amazing how great this book is, despite a tragic premise, but it shows there can be beauty even in a tragic situation. Hard to read, but so worth it.

Intense submitted by keldan315 on August 25, 2018, 11:48pm Powerful and hard to put down. It's also not predictable, which is wonderful.

Wow submitted by c_zhang on June 26, 2019, 7:14pm Powerful and captivating.

Room submitted by Clown81 on August 31, 2019, 5:14pm Trap.

Wonderful book submitted by onpaper24 on August 12, 2022, 10:18pm I really love the way this book was written, a lot from the perspective of the kid.

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PUBLISHED
New York : Little, Brown and Co., 2010.
Year Published: 2010
Description: ix, 321 p. ; 25 cm.
Language: English
Format: Book

ISBN/STANDARD NUMBER
9780316098335
0316098337
9780316125086 (pbk. : international ed.)
0316125083 (pbk. : international ed.)

SUBJECTS
Mother and child -- Fiction.
Kidnapping -- Fiction.
Psychopaths -- Fiction.
Escapes -- Fiction.
Suspense fiction.
Psychological fiction.