REVIEW: ROOM BY EMMA DONOGHUE

 ***There are spoilers in this review. 

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Title: ROOM

Author: Emma Donoghue

Genre: Literary Fiction, Thriller

Where I Got It: New York Public Library 

Buy it here: Amazon or borrow from your local library 

Recommend: Yes

⭐️ Rating: 4.5/5

Today I choose Dylan the Digger, he's near the bottom so he does a demolition on the skyscraper crashhhhhh.

Synopsis

To five-year-old-Jack, Room is the world....

Told in the inventive, funny, and poignant voice of Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience—and a powerful story of a mother and son whose love lets them survive the impossible.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.

Characters 

• Jack – The five-year-old narrator and heart of the story. Jack is curious, literal, observant, and emotionally intuitive in ways only a child can be. His imagination fills in the gaps of his confined world, and his “scarve” personality—brave yet scared—defines him. Jack’s innocence and resourcefulness drive much of the story’s emotional tension and make his journey compelling and relatable.
• Ma – The silent hero of the story. Abducted at nineteen and held in captivity for seven years, Ma raises Jack entirely in Room, balancing protection, teaching, and emotional support with the planning of their escape. She is resilient, strategic, and deeply loving. Her ability to maintain routines, teach Jack, and provide emotional safety while quietly managing her own trauma makes her one of the most inspiring maternal figures in contemporary fiction.
• Old Nick – The antagonist in the story. Old Nick is the man who abducted Ma and is the only other adult in Room. He brings supplies and controls the environment, maintaining a constant threat to Ma and Jack’s safety. Though Jack initially sees him as part of his limited reality, Old Nick’s presence creates tension and underlines the stakes of captivity. His role is central to the story’s suspense and the eventual drive for escape.

I wait till Ma’s all heavy, then I wriggle out and go look at the trash can. I find the lollipop nearly at the bottom, it’s a red ball shape. I wash my arms and my lollipop too because it has yucky stew on it.

My Thoughts

From the moment I started reading, I was completely drawn into Jack’s world. His bravery, curiosity, and literal, observant nature made every scene feel immediate and emotionally charged. Jack’s “scarve” personality—both brave and scared—kept me rooting for him at every twist, and his five-year-old “superpowers” added a layer of innocence and wonder that made his courage even more remarkable.

Ma’s quiet strength and unwavering dedication to Jack struck me deeply. I admired the way she balanced protecting her son, nurturing him, and planning their escape, all while managing the mental toll of years in captivity. Her ability to create routine, structure, and emotional safety in such impossible circumstances made her one of the most inspiring literary mothers I’ve ever read.

The tension during the escape and its aftermath is relentless. Watching Jack navigate a world he doesn’t yet understand was both heartbreaking and fascinating. His desire to return to Room highlights the complex psychology of trauma and safety: a place that is a prison for Ma becomes a sanctuary for Jack. I found this duality incredibly compelling, and it made the story feel psychologically rich and emotionally authentic.

I also loved the novel’s structure. Told in five sections rather than traditional chapters, each part marks a step closer to Ma’s ultimate goal—freedom. This sectional format mirrors Jack’s growth and the unfolding tension, making the story feel immediate and immersive.

Overall, Room isn’t just a story about escape; it’s about resilience, the bond between parent and child, and the complicated process of adapting to a world you’ve never known. I was captivated from start to finish and found myself reflecting on the bravery and love it takes to survive—and thrive—against impossible odds.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️