Room

'Room' is the story of five year old Jack and his Ma who live in a 11'x11' hidden room. For Ma, this is a living nightmare after being locked away here ever since her abduction by 'Old Nick' 8 years before. Jack's only contact with the real world is through TV, although Ma has convinced him that the real things he sees on TV are in fact make believe.

Ma finally tells Jack the truth about their situation and convinces a disbelieving and very reluctant Jack that they need to escape. I suppose I took it for granted that Jack would be excited and happy to leave, but we have to remember that he feels happy and safe with his life. It's just him, his Ma, his 'friends' (Duvet, Table, Chair, Rug, Meltedy Spoon...) and the promise of 'Sunday Treats' (although we can guess the full implications of Ma getting these 'treats' from Old Nick.)

What follows is the elaborate plan to escape, subsequent rescue, and life in the outside world.

Donoghue presents the entire story in Jack's voice rather than Ma's (which would've created a
very different novel.) Jack's narrative can therefore only hint at the horrors of being trapped and confined in Room, and it's only by reading between the lines that we realise Ma's motives behind such activities as flashing Lamp through Skylight or the daily screaming and shouting exercise. A game for Jack, but a desperate attempt to be rescued for Ma. Jack's matter-of-fact descriptions of his daily life and routines actually make the book all the more disturbing to read - especially as Jack believes that his life is 'normal'.

It was hard to get used to Jack's language and way of describing things at first, but it was nice to see how his language skills subtly developed towards the end of the book after he had had more contact with people. As we only ever see things through Jack's eyes, it's sometimes easy to forget the full horror of the situation: we only learn how hunched and pale he is from living all his life in a confined space, for example, because of him telling us something about the media.

'Room' was the book I've been most looking forward to reading from the shortlist. I've read some great reviews and was looking forward to a 'life changing' read. I was promised one of those rare books that would stay with me long after I'd put it down. So has it? Well, it has, but not for the reasons I thought it would...

Lots of people have described it as an uplifting read - which it is - but I've actually been left feeling very sorry for Jack. I feel sorry that he begins to lose his simplistic outlook on life. I feel sorry that the strong mother/son bond shows signs of weakening through no fault of his own.

But the thing I find hardest to bear is that Jack now has to come to terms with the fact that his previous reality is actually wrong. I found it quite heart-wrenching that he couldn't bear to be parted from Rug - it becomes his security blanket in the same way other children would use a blankey or teddy as he struggles to hold onto the familiar. And it's strange because I know I should be pleased that Jack and Ma are now free (and I am - I'm not totally heartless!) but my overwhelming emotion is one of sadness. It's only when he goes back to Room after his experience of living on the outside that Jack finally realises that Room was a bad place and that it's OK to 'not remember' his life there anymore, and we get the sense that he's ready to move on.

I'm not sure if this is the winner, but it certainly deserves its place on the shortlist.

By the way, you may be interested in this drawing of Room