A new novel, utterly convincing and haunting

Room by Emma Donoghue. Jack, our 5-year-old narrator, and his mother are being held captive in an 11' by 11' room. His mother struggles to give him as close to normal a childhood as possible under these desperate circumstances, with "Outside" being a made-up world he sees only on TV. But when Ma's daily struggle against insanity becomes too much to bear, Jack must bear the burden of a drastic escape plan. Donoghue's ability to portray Jack's understanding of his world and Ma's determination to keep him safe is both poignant and heart-wrenching. It's been a long time since I've read a book that has affected me as much as this one has--it's absolutely haunting. This title was the #1 choice among independent booksellers for the month of Septemer (you can see the entire list here). It's out this week in hardcover from Little, Brown.
~Emily Crowe