I have to give Donoghue credit. Telling a story from the point of view of a five year old boy is one of the more unique twists I’ve read, particularly when the boy has lived his life entirely in a 12 x 12 garden shed he calls Room. His mother was kidnapped at age 19 by Old Nick and kept in Room for seven years, during which time she gave birth to Jack. The story opens on Jack’s fifth birthday. It appears to be a normal day at home for a preschooler and his mom, but we soon find that the duo are kept behind a security coded door which can only be opened by their captor. Jack hides in the wardrobe on the nights Old Nick “visits” with Ma.
The story unfolds with a risky escape and the aftermath of freedom in the world Outside. In spite of the disturbing subject, Jack’s narration filters the haunting bits through young eyes. His attention is ever flitting toward his childish interests rather than his mother’s suffering, which makes the harsh scenario tolerable. Sometimes his voice made me think I was reading a dark and perverse Junie B. Jones – like some tragic offspring of Cormac McCarthy and Barbara Park.
