Room

Emma Donoghue has written Room, a haunting fiction tale that is like nothing I have ever read.  It is the story of Jack, a five year old boy, that is being kept in an 11 x 11 foot room with his mother - against their wills.  Their captor has created this tiny room for them and just gives them weekly rations of food and necessary clothes, etc.  Wow - does this ever make you think - not only how you would survive - how they DID survive - but it broaches questions like "What would you be like when you did get out?"  or "What is ok to survive?"  I thought the book was very readable - I could hardly put it down and that's saying something since we were even on vacation!  I thought the characters were strong - you honestly feel sometimes like you are right inside Jack's little 5-year-old mind.  And yet you feel so strongly for his mom as well - she is all Jack has and she does the best she can with her limited resources.  It is quite a psychological read - I would highly recommend it!