"Scared is what you're feeling. Brave is what you're doing."
 
A woman has been held captive for 7 years by a man they call Old Nick and longs to escape. However, to her son, Jack, the Room is his entire world and he doesn't want to leave. Ma devises a plan to escape that is carried out by Jack, but she realizes she is unprepared for returning to the real world.
 
This is a unique story. A woman is held captive for years and bears a child, Jack. He is all she has, thus a beautiful bond is created between the two. Their relationship was so sweet, seeing how much they depended on one another and making the best of what they had. Jack was this innocent boy whose extent of knowledge went no further than the walls he was contained in.
 
Going into this book, I did not know that it was written from the 5 year old's perspective. While it did have its benefits, and I will get to that momentarily, I found it difficult to get over the fact as there were parts that felt childish and it hindered my overall enjoyment of the book. I also would have liked some chapters from Ma's perspective to understand her feelings and anxieties of entering the real world again. You get some insight from Jack's point of view, however, having her outlook would have helped the reader truly understand her emotions.
 
Anyway, I enjoyed the second half of the book more. The first half became repetitive due to Jack's only experiences being the room and his daily routines within it. The second half was captivating because Jack's experiences were limited to the room therefore his wall of safety disappeared and he had to learn to adjust to the real world - the overwhelming stimuli, meeting real life people, and creating new experiences. It made for a wonderful story and renewed hope for Ma and Jack.