Room by Emma Donoghue

Room is one of the darkest, most fascinating books I've ever read. Five year old Jack is a curious little boy who discovers that everything he knows is completely wrong. When his world is turned upside down, supposedly for the better, he has trouble adjusting to his new life and accepting that the world he used to live in is gone.

Emma Donoghue takes the reader on quite a journey. At first, we appear to be in a completely different world called Room, a simple 11 x 11 ft space where Jack and his mother live. We eventually find out, however, that this room is an all too real part of our reality. As young Jack was exposed to world he thought was only on TV, I found delight in rediscovering all the wonderful things that he was experiencing for the first time. This process made me appreciate the wonder that can be found in nature and the amazing power we have in modern technology and medicine. It made me question the social norms of society that we've become so accustomed to and trivialize the issues I face in everyday life. I would love to continue following Jack on his never-ending journey towards enlightenment, as I'm sure I would only learn more about myself, but every book must end. Be warned, this book can be painful to read at times. There are some heavy concepts and tragic events, but I think that Room is completely worthwhile.