RoomRoom
Score Modern
What it's about
Jack is five, and he has lived his whole life in Room, a locked shed eleven feet square, with his mother, Ma. He thinks Room is the whole world. Ma was kidnapped seven years ago by the man who keeps them there, and she has made a life for Jack with games, stories and love. Now she's decided they must escape, and Jack has to learn there is a world outside.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Booker finalist and became an Oscar-winning film with Brie Larson. Told in Jack's voice, it's harrowing but full of love and wonder.
You'll love it if you liked
The Lovely Bones
The Diary of a Young Girl
Never Let Me GoGood to know
The captor's abuse of Ma is implied, not shown, through Jack's limited understanding. The second half, after the escape, is as important as the first.
By the numbers
- Readers59 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics49 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller74 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz1 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #24 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #50 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #227 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #451 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is Room worth reading?
Yes. It was a Booker finalist and became an Oscar-winning film with Brie Larson. It ranks #451 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 79.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Room about?
Jack is five, and he has lived his whole life in Room, a locked shed eleven feet square, with his mother, Ma. He thinks Room is the whole world. Ma was kidnapped seven years ago by the man who keeps them there, and she has made a life for Jack with games, stories and love. Now she's decided they must escape, and Jack has to learn there is a world outside.
How long does it take to read Room?
About 8 hours (336 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Room?
If you liked it, try The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank or Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.