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.
Jackie's calling it "The Best Book of 2010", saying:"I could NOT put this book down. That is no exaggeration. This book is riveting and
beautiful. It's about how a mother's love can make the world magical even in the worst
of circumstances. The story is told by a 5 year old boy who has never been out of the
11x11 room that he was born in. His mother had been abducted by "Old Nick" seven years
before and stashed in a cleverly disguised shed. She got pregnant by her abductor, but
did not hold that against her son and protected him fiercely. Most of the days they
spent alone together, and she made up fantastic tales, projects, learning experiences and
ways to stay healthy and fit for the two of them. And, eventually, she devises a way to
escape.
I do not want to reveal too much about this book, because coming into it with innocent
eyes makes it more powerful and meaningful. Just know that it is ultimately a positive
book, though many dark and terrible things do happen. This book is going to be HUGE--you
just can't help but fall in love with it, especially the elfin Jack who's world view is
fresh and unforgettable. Book clubs will go nuts over it! "
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