Monday, September 19, 2011

Room, by Emma Donoghue



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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.




I'm always leery of reading a best-seller, since I hate having high expectations only to end up reading a disappointing book.

This is not one of those times.

I can't say enough good things about Room. It's poignant, heartbreaking, hopeful. I cried at several points.

I read almost all of it in one sitting and am completely bummed that it's over.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Boy Proof, by Cecil Castellucci



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Feeling alienated from everyone around her, Los Angeles high school senior and cinephile Victoria Jurgen hides behind the identity of a favorite movie character until an interesting new boy arrives at school and helps her realize that there is more to life than just the movies.

I started this book thinking that I would read a couple of chapters and then go to bed. Wrong! I know that I'll regret my decision to stay up late in the morning, but it was totally worth it.

Boy Proof is a quick read about a geek girl. It is incredibly true-to-life and I connected with Egg, the main character. I'm so glad that I don't have to go through high school again.

Over the course of several hours, I laughed, I cried, and I smiled with happiness and relief. Two thumbs up!