YOUth Review – Room by Emma Donoghue

Room is a psychological fiction novel written by Emma Donoghue. The novel is told through the perspective of Jack, a five year old boy living with his mother, who he refers to as “Ma”. Jack and Ma live in a single room which they both refer to as “room”. Jack’s world has only ever consisted of room, never having left its walls, his only idea of the outside world seen through the television in Room, yet Ma tells Jack everything he sees on the television isn’t real, to him Room is the only thing that exists. Room follows the relationship between Jack and Ma and tells of their time in Room and how it affects their lives.

Overall I quite enjoyed Room. Initially I found this book somewhat hard to read as it is from Jack’s perspective, so it is written in a style that would reflect a five year-old child’s narration, meaning it isn’t always grammatically correct. However, once I was able to overcome the stylistic choices with the writing and come to understand why the author made this decision, I grew to appreciate the book. To me, the most engaging part of Room is the relationship between Ma and Jack as their relationship grows and changes and we learn more about Ma and how she ended up in “Room”. Additionally I enjoyed the pacing of Room as well, for the most part it was very engaging, and I very rarely felt bored while reading it. It is for these reasons I would recommend Room for readers looking for psychological fiction novels to read!

-Aiden