Coffee Bean Bookshelf

From the first time I set eyes on this book I knew I'd love it. And I definitely did. At first it was weird reading the story from Jack's point of view, the way he talked was hard to get used to ("I climbed on Rocker to look at Watch"). But once the story got going, I didn't notice it too much, and once he was in the outside world, his fresh eyes seeing how society works made me laugh at how accurate it is.

At first I didn't like Ma, although she was very human - just like everyone else, she had her bad days. But I guess I felt like she wasn't allowed to have them when she was sharing an 11x11 space with her son. Once I understood her moodiness I came to like her more. And I completely understood her frustration with Jack once they got out - he was in a world he didn't know or understand and she wanted to experience everything. It was unfair on both their parts - his reluctance and her pushiness.

The story is heartbreaking but unbelieveably well written, you'd almost think that the author herself had been tucked inside a tiny room for 7 years.