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Thursday, January 22, 2015

Audio Review: Room by Emma Donoghue

Title: Room
Author: Emma Donoghue
Narrators: Michal Friedman, Ellen Archer, Robert Petkoff, Suzanne Toren
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Format: Unabridged Audio
Length: 10 hrs 45 mins
Publication: November 16, 2010
Source: Library
Genre: Fiction


Synopsis: 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.

My Thoughts: This is the heart breaking story of survival. Jack loves Room; it's all he knows. I have never thought about survival from the eyes of the smallest victim. I'm glad that with this read I got the opportunity to see it. All Jack knows is Room and as far as he can tell Room is safe. The safety of room is only confirmed when Jack participates in his mother's plans to get him out of Room. 

This read is not for the fain of heart. I shed many tears during this story. In my past life i worked with survivors everyday. But, I was only working toward a goal. I didn't take the time to learn about how they survived and how they were affected by the struggle to survive and how they felt about things outside of the their struggles. This book reminded me that my struggles are small and insignificant compared to others and to never take freedom for granted. This is a great read for mature readers. Just be prepared that the content is difficult to swallow.