This is a beautiful book. I was hooked on page 1. The plot is gripping and I was emotionally invested in Jack and his Ma. I loved experiencing the world through Jack's point of view and his love for his mother was so pure and poignant. We take for granted the things and people we are accustomed to and it's refreshing to re-experience them through the eyes of an observant five-year-old for whom literally everything is new. Although Jack's perspective on the world is different from mine or any average adult, I recognize the truth in everything he says and feels. It reminds me of the saying "out of the mouths of babes..." And I loved the ending. It was just the right amount of closure without tying everything up in a ribbon. I've looked through other readers' reviews and I've seen a lot of one stars because the reader found the child narrator asinine and boring. I feel the opposite and I found this book to be very touching.