Susie's Review: Room by Emma Donoghue

Room is a book that unavoidably makes its readers re-examine the world in which they live. While there are now huge selections of books written about abuse and rape, the thing that makes Room unique is its voice. The entire book is written from the perspective of Jack; a five-year-old boy who has spent his entire life in a twelve-foot-square room. He lives there with his 'Ma' who has been held captive there for seven years. Jack's mother has done everything in her power to construct a safe, enchanting world for Jack; reading him stories, singing songs, and never speaking of 'Old Nick', the man who comes at night while Jack sleeps in the wardrobe.

While the story is sometimes terrifying, author Emma Donoghue consistently de-emphasizes Old Nick, a strategy that reflects Jack's limited perspective but also demonstrates that she has no intention of exploiting sexual abuse for dramatic effect or trafficking in the sexual charge of abduction thrillers.

We learn that Jack doesn't think of his room as a prison, for it is all he knows of the world. His mother has done such a good job of hiding the horrors that keep her there, that he is surprised and disbelieving when about halfway through the book he realizes that there might be a bigger world outside of room.

The special thing about this book is that the reader learns as Jack learns. Many times we learn more than he can yet grasp, but as with most books narrated by children, the space between his understanding and ours is a territory of emotional power. I don't want to give very much away, because if you do choose to read this you will want to discover the details as they happen.

Once you've read Room, it's hard to look at the world or your children the same way again. It was amazing to see the world through the perspective of a child, to see all their innocence and wonder and steadfast love expressed in realistic five-year-old words. I found myself appreciating my own daughter more after reading Jack's story. You also will see the world as a vastly different place; although with that appreciation you'll also see the insufficiencies and flaws therein. It's an unsettling story, but well worth your time.

I give Room 5 out of 5 stars. Get it at your library!

Susie's Review: Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffeneger

The synopsis: When Elspeth Noblin dies of cancer, she leaves her London apartment to her twin nieces, Julia and Valentina. These two American girls never met their English aunt, only knew that their mother, too, was a twin, and Elspeth her sister.

The girls move to Elspeth's flat, which borders the historic Highgate Cemetery in London. They come to know the building's other residents. There is Martin, a brilliant and charming man suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Marjike, Martin's devoted but trapped wife; and Robert, Elspeth's lover, a scholar of the cemetery. As the girls become embroiled in the fraying lives of their aunt's neighbors, they also discover that much is still alive in Highgate, including - perhaps - their aunt, who can't seem to leave her old apartment and life behind.


I was very excited to pick up this book, as I'd thoroughly enjoyed Niffeneger's The Time Traveler's Wife. However, I was sadly disappointed. It kept me interested through the first half, and then I found myself having to try hard to ignore the glaring holes in logic. I have no problem with a ghost story; but it has to be well-crafted, and the ghost can't wander around magically wearing fancy clothes, when in fact the ghost is invisible and can't even lift a pencil on her own - much less change wardrobes. Yes, that really bothered me. The ghost can be invisible yes, but where is she getting these invisible ghost-clothes? Doesn't make sense! This, along with the fact that Elsbeth is a despicable character and the decisions made by the characters were completely absurd made this a book I didn't really enjoy; particularly after thinking about it months later.


What Niffeneger did do very well is provide one thoroughly realized, lovable character. The agoraphobic Martin was my favorite; an obsessive-compulsive hermit on a quest to win back the affections of his wife. That was the real love story to me in this novel. Sadly, his character plays a relatively minor role in the story and he isn't all that relevant to the main plot.

I give this a 2 out of 5 stars. I know Audrey Niffeneger can do way better, so I'm hoping her next book is more like her first!

Christina's Review: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

From Amazon: Since the beginning of the school year, high school freshman Melinda has found that it's been getting harder and harder for her to speak out loud: "My throat is always sore, my lips raw.... Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze.... It's like I have some kind of spastic laryngitis." What could have caused Melinda to suddenly fall mute? Could it be due to the fact that no one at school is speaking to her because she called the cops and got everyone busted at the seniors' big end-of-summer party? Or maybe it's because her parents' only form of communication is Post-It notes written on their way out the door to their nine-to-whenever jobs. While Melinda is bothered by these things, deep down she knows the real reason why she's been struck mute...

I've heard great things about this 10 year old book by Laurie Halse Anderson and finally Susie sent me a copy to read for myself. Seems like books without chapters in them (divided rather by day/content/event) are coming into style, and I'm follow suit with my upcoming book, Imaginary Lives. As for Speak, I enjoyed the lead character's style: very blunt and honest. The mood was portrayed perfectly, allowing us to only know the other people according to Melinda's view of them. Her teachers were referred to by nicknames rather than real names half the time. Her days were recorded only as important in her eyes and in the way people treated her due to the "incident" the previous summer.

The one thing I disliked about the book was Melinda's extreme negativity about the "incident" when i felt that she should have talked to people rather than keeping it a secret. I suppose this is an example of a typical teenager, who feels so strongly that no one will listen or understand that they decide its better to simply keep it quiet. However, this only pushed her further away from those around her, leaving Melinda hurt and disconnected all the time. I wish she'd learned faster how to cope. But I suppose that was the point of the book!

I know this is a brief description, but overall, I enjoyed the simple writing style and the mood setting. I loved the art teacher, although he was still a little one-dimensional. I did take the style of the book and apply it to my own story, so it wasn't all bad. I do, however, wish that Melinda and some of the other characters had a little more depth.

Overall, I give this book a 3 out of 5 stars.

Christina