Fiction Pick of the Week: Room

The Evergreen nominees were announced last week, so we thought we'd include a review of one of the selections...

Room by Emma Donoghue 2010

A five-year-old boy narrates this story and you are never outside his psyche as he tries to make sense of his surroundings. It is, at the centre, a love story between mother and son, imprisoned in a small room, the only world Jack has ever known. The horror that brought his mother there and held them both for years, seeps out through a child's innocent quest for knowledge.

It takes getting used to Jack's narration, but the author needs this tool to make this kidnapping story a true original. What impressed me most was that the young mother's character is so well developed; her entire psyche exposed through the scope of Jack's perception.

This is a one sitting read that is absolutely captivating (no pun intended!). The escape plan and its execution is pure suspense and terror. Jack and his mother have a lasting effect- you may not take your world for granted so quickly again.

Find the other nominees at this link:
Evergreen Nominees