Reader's Journal-     Fiction

#2                                                         Reader’s Journal                                           9/6/11

Dear Mrs. Zrihen,

            This week I decided to read the book ROOM by Emma Donoghue. The author wrote this book as a choice of realistic fiction. Realistic fiction is a type of subgenre, which falls in the category of fiction. It is written as believable fiction that is set in the present, (within the last 50 years). Since this book has a total of three hundred and thirty six pages, I am just getting started! I defiantly will continue to read in order to complete my next reader’s journal, including all literary elements.

There were many before, during, and after reading strategies that I have encountered today while reading this book. Before reading I skim and scanned the book for text features. As I did this, I came across the title, and noticed the font writing looks like it was written in a child-like way. Another thing I noticed was that the table of contents included no page numbers, and instead, zeros. The chapter’s titles left me with a mysterious mood as I read them each; DYING, AFTER, LIVING some were called. Also, I made predictions on what the book might be about and predicted that the bookis written from the point of view of a child. During reading, I wrote down some literary elements I found, in order to write my readers journal. Also, I tried to read with a fast pace because I realized that the book starts off at a very slow pace. After reading, I summarized everything I learned about the book so that I can contain all the important events that happened throughout the book. Also, I predicted what might happen next in my next day of reading.

A quote that really sparked my interest was actually the synopsis! The synopsis is located on the back cover of the book. It was the first thing I’ve read, and yet the best to the book, so far. “To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits. 

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work. 

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.” I chose this quote because it is what first hooked me to start reading this book. It has much significance to the book because I think it really gave and explained what the whole book is about to me. Also, it explains how important and valuable the room is to Jack in just a brief, small paragraph.

So far, the characters I have encountered throughout the text were Ma, Jack, and Nick. They were all clearly described as protagonists and round characters. This is because they are all fully made up and I can tell a lot about them by just reading the text. The setting of the book takes place in the room. Jack has grown up in the same room his whole life. The social conditions are that his Ma and Old Nick bring him food and occasionally treats once a week. There are no weather conditions that I was able to identify. Also, I have not yet reached a level to configure many literary elements, such as the plot structure, conflict, theme, author’s perspective, moral, and the pattern of organization, but I really hope to identify them in my next reader’s journal.

Although I am a few chapters in the book, I was able to see that during the exposition, the reader sees the world through the eyes of a five year old and his mother, where they are better introduced. Also, the tone and mood is scary, mysterious, and sad. The point of view is written from Jacks point of view; In first person, using the words I, me, we and my. The author’s purpose is to entertain the reader with a fiction story.

Even though I have only read a small portion of the book, I was able to identify a few signs of figurative language. “The room is a celebration of resistance” this quote is a metaphor because it compares two complete different things. Also, “ I can skateboard on rocker without holding I her.” This quote is personification because it gives the rocker skateboard human features and is called a “her”.

 So far I rate this book a 5-10. This is because the book starts off really slowly and takes a long time to read. Also, I have not yet “got into the zone” because the text has been written in a confusing and flat way. In contrast to all the cons, I still think it has a good story line and I really think I should give it a chance!

Love always,

Joelle Ben-Nissan 802