Review: "Room," by Emma Donoghue

I'm not very keen on reading books about abuse and kidnapping, especially those involving children, but I kept hearing about how remarkable and gripping Room was, so I decided to give it a go. Told from the first person perspective of 5 year old Jack, Room did not disappoint and I found it to be an emotional and compelling read. While some readers may become annoyed with a child's narration, I enjoyed it and felt it brought a certain lightness to the book and saved us from the absolute darkness that would have been experienced had it been written in Ma's perspective. Although still unsettling, the book is really about finding hope after all is lost, new beginnings and the unfaltering bond and insurmountable amount of love between a mother and child.