Review: Room

I received a review copy of Room from the lovely people at Little, Brown.  I have been really eager to read this book because of all the buzz surrounding it.  Before it was even published, it was put on the Booker Prize short-list.  I have read dozens of reviews on other blogs, and not one had a bad thing to say about this book. 

At first, I was afraid that Room would not live up to the hype, but it really did.  I loved how the story was told from the point of view of Jack, a five year old.  The book starts on his 5th birthday.  He lives with his ma in an 11 by 11 foot room.  He believes that "Room" is all there is of the world.  They have a television, but he thinks that is all fake.  Throughout the first half of the book, Ma begins to get more desperate to escape the prison she has lived in for seven years.  When she and Jack finally do escape, they both have to get used to living in the "real world."  Jack has a harder time, because he doesn't know what is real and what is not real. 

I really liked the writing style of Room.  I thought it was completely believable that this was written by a 5 year old.  A lot of the things he thinks are really cute, like when he learns about manners.  His mom teaches him that when you don't really like something you should say "It was interesting".  I really liked that this book wasn't like anything I have read before.  It wouldn't have been as exciting if it had been narrated by Ma. 

This was a book that I could not put down.  I started reading it one night, and before I knew it, it was after midnight and I was on page 250.  That is the way I love my books.  The escape scene had me on the edge of my seat, and I really hated Old Nick, their captor.  I thought this book was amazing, and I see why is was short-listed for the Booker Prize.