It has been a long while since I've read a book as wonderful and heart wrenching as A List of Cages.

Let me be upfront and say that this is not an easy book to devour as it features characters dealing with an extreme amount of abuse and the aftermath of living in a volatile environment. Don't let that put you off though, because light does shine through the darker moments.

This book isn't without its flaws and I can certainly see while it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but the stunning writing and poetic relationship between these two boys is what makes this book worth holding on to

Angie: Whoo. What a read. A List of Cages nearly did me in. If I had read it further out from when we chose to review it, I would have paced myself with this book. I had to gear myself up to reading. I don’t think this is a book that everyone is going to be able to swallow.

Birdie: I think most people would say it was well written, but yeah I think the subject matter is going to be tough for people to read. I mean, I read a lot of YA books about some pretty intense situations, and A List of Cages was still hard to read.

Angie: Let’s talk about Adam. What a good young man he was. This is the kind of child you hope to have. He was kind and caring, and I love that throughout the book, you got to see that part of him start to influence his friends.

Birdie: I thought it was pretty powerful, the idea that you can help people in different ways. I loved the idea that people needed Adam because of the light that he brought into their lives. It was a really wonderful way to describe him. It’s no wonder that Julian clung to him so deeply, even just in his memories.

Angie: Julian – this kid broke my heart. That he went from a home where he was so obviously and unabashedly loved to where his was killed me. And there was one scene where he extended kindness where it was so unexpected, it brought me tears. I was sobbing by the end of the scene. That someone could be so mistreated but still full of such compassion and willingness to care for others is so amazing.

Birdie: It was so awful. I think it was layered too, because even if his uncle had just been cold or mean, that would have been horrible enough (after losing his loving parents). Then, add to it just how horrific his uncle was. Even if he’d never had great parents, I think I still would have struggled reading this. The fact that it was BOTH, yeah I there were times I had to make myself keep reading.

I have to add, in addition to Adam and Julian, I actually really liked Charlie’s character. I loved that he was a bit of a dick, but that as the story progressed you watched him melt. Of all Adam’s friends, Charlie was my favorite.

Angie: I agree. I really liked Charlie’s character, too, and I like that he was able to eventually pinpoint what he was feeling. And that he took it a step further and shared it. I also loved how, even though his family wasn’t a huge presence in the book, they felt fairly fleshed out to me.

I did have two issues with this book – first Adam’s romance. I don’t really feel like the book was better for this. I don’t feel like it really added much to the story. And second, I thought the end was a bit drawn out. I think things could have been wrapped in more efficiently and kept a better pace.

Birdie: I didn’t mind the romance, in the sense that an 18 year old boy would have a crush on a girl and he was so dynamic it was hard to believe that she wouldn’t like him back. I also appreciated how Emerald influenced the story and the decisions that were made, and how that made Adam feel in the end. I also liked that Adam’s friends (including Emerald) adopted Julian. I’m not sure the story was made better for the romance. It could have been left out, and she could have been just a friend, and I would have liked the story just as much. It just didn’t detract from the book, for me.

Angie: I agree the crush was realistic. I just didn’t feel it was pertinent to the story, and I think that time could have been spent on something else, or left out altogether, and that may have helped the pacing for me.

Birdie: I did have a hard time at the end. I guessed how it would end, just because it had a predictable ‘bad guy’ ending. I hoped it wouldn’t go there, and that the Uncle’s story would end more realistically. BUT, this was countered by how well I think the author wrote the emotional scars left on everyone.

Angie: I guess that’s another issue I had. After the big event at the end (that I thought took too long to get to,) there wasn’t enough exploring of those feelings for me. But I do like how this book shows what a domino effect feelings are – the things you do don’t just impact one person. They have the ability to impact a bunch of people, for better or for worse, and in this case, we saw both.

Overall, though, even with the problems I had with this book, I think it was a wonderful read. And I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

Birdie: Absolutely. My complaints were minor, because overall the story really got to me. Great pick for our first BaBAMB buddy read. 🙂

Angie: It was a great read! Thanks so much for visiting Ba_BAMB!

A List of Cages is a touching story of Julian, a freshman, who avoids people, eats lunch hidden in the rafters of the school auditorium, skips classes and misses scheduled appointments with the school psychologist. Adam is a Senior and is assigned to round up the missing underclassman and bring him to the psychologist’s room. Soon it’s apparent that the two boys have a history and Adam is asked to take the younger boy under his wing and try to find out what’s going on. Julian has secrets and a life of mystery, living with an uncle, ever since his parents died. He had the ideal childhood until a tragic accident left him an orphan. For a brief time, he was fostered by Adam’s mother and lived with her and Adam. Once his uncle stepped forward to take on the responsibility of Julian, the two boys never connected again. Not until high school, when Adam is assigned as his guide. But Adam takes his job very seriously and includes Julian in his social circle, inviting the boy to eat with them and even meet outside school. Adam has ADHD and his unfailing pleasantness is infectious. He is well-liked and seems to bring out the best in others. But Julian’s life is a minefield and he is barely hanging on.

The friendship between the two boys is powerful and moving. These characters are finely drawn and will leave an indelible mark on readers. Roe moves the tension along and the fear for Julian is palpable. It should appeal to readers who loved Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt.

An amazing book that showcases the importance of friendship, of warmth and human kindness. It is a testament to resilience and goodness. This promises to be one of the best books of 2017. It will grab readers and run them through an emotional rollercoaster.

Julian’s life is a tightrope walk. At school, he hides from belligerent teachers and from his trouble reading. At home, he tiptoes around the house where he’s not allowed to touch anything, where the only things that belong to him are the possessions in the trunk his parents gave him.

When the school counselor gets tired of Julian dodging his appointments with her, she sends her aide, a senior named Adam to find Julian. Adam quickly recognizes Julian as the foster brother who lived with him and his mom five years ago. Now, though, Julian isn’t the chatty kid he once was, and Adam has to figure out why. As he begins to uncover Julian’s secrets, he realizes Julian could be in terrible danger, but trying to rescue him could cost both boys their lives.

This isn’t the book I expected it to be. The story opens with Julian’s point-of-view, and right away, I was pretty hooked. He’s quiet—the kind of kid that struggles to come up with quick responses in conversation. The kind of kid that makes for an easy target to get picked on. But he’s kind and artistic, and I couldn’t help wanting him to find a way through his troubles.

Then I met Adam. Adam is likeable for a whole other host of reasons. He’s bouncy and fun and always upbeat. I loved that about him, and I loved his relationship with his grouchy-but-goodhearted best friend Charlie. I liked that Adam’s ADHD wasn’t the story. You kind of got the picture of how his mind worked and what life was like for him without it being center-stage.

What I didn’t like was the way Adam seemed so protective of Julian in some ways and sort of oblivious in other ways—like bringing him alcohol at a party and expecting his friends not to get Julian too drunk. That didn’t play for me, and I really had a hard time with how casual the attitude about alcohol was, especially when Adam and his mom were so careful about so many other things, like choosing homeopathic remedies over prescription drugs because of adverse side effects. Alcohol doesn’t have adverse side effects? This isn’t a concern?

Anyway. Sorry. Soapbox. Moving on.

The story had so many positive elements in it—messages about the healing power of love in friendships and family, the value of having the support of a community of people through a hard time. I think I would have enjoyed the story more if it lacked some of the casual attitude toward drinking and sex.

Where do I start with this one? A startlingly brilliant story of friendship and about being different that will have you experiencing every emotion under the sun. A List of Cages isn’t always an easy read with some really very harrowing scenes especially in Part Two of the book. Billed as a Young Adult book I’d say that this really isn’t suitable for younger more impressionable teens.
Adam Blake is in his Senior Year at High School and for his elective he is assisting the school psychologist. As someone who suffers from ADHD himself he knows what it is like to suffer at school. When a young freshman has been dodging sessions with the doctor he is sent to escort them to the sessions. He is shocked to discover that it is Julian, an orphan that his mother had fostered but hadn’t seen for five years since an uncle turned up and claimed him.
At first appearances it looks like Julian hasn’t changed too much. He is still a quirky lad with a love of storybooks aimed at much younger children. As Adam starts to get to know him again and befriends Julian it becomes clear that something odd is going on in his home life. Julian is sick a lot and has a lot of days off school with flu. Uncle Russell has strict rules and when Adam starts trying to push back and find out what is going on it only leads to more issues for poor Julian. A truly heart-breaking story with some exceptionally dark scenes that is balanced out by the heart and goodness of Adam. I love the idea of his kindness and humanity ricocheting around the school:
“When he starts walking, I fall into step beside him, and it’s like trying to keep up with something that has too much energy for its container. It fills the hall and ricochets against everyone we pass. A teacher can be approaching, face stressed or sad, and body bent as if they’re carrying something too heavy.
Then they see Adam.
They blink as if blinded, and their mouth spreads into a Christmasmorning smile.”
There have been so many wonderful debut books this year already and this one by Robin Roe looks to be on all the Must Read lists that matter. Her experience as a high school special education teacher has given her a unique insight into the issues discussed in the book.
Supplied by Net Galley and Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review.
UK Publication Date: Jan 10 2017. 310 pages.
#KindnessRicochets
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A List of Cages by Robin Roe is heartbreaking. This story is so incredibly good. Be prepared to go on an emotional roller coaster ride. Julian’s parents died and a foster family takes him in. Julian gets used to this foster family and really begins to love him, but the he gets stripped away from them to live with his closest relative.

Now Julian is a high school freshman and life is completely awful for him. School is hard because Julian has several learning disabilities and the teachers aren’t willing to help him. Julian ends up getting bullied a lot by the other students and his home life isn’t any better.

When Julian runs into his old foster brother Adam, he is extremely surprised. He hasn’t seen Adam in many years. Adam is a high school senior who has been assigned to Julian. Immediately Adam tries to get Julian to be a part of his group of friends. Adam has missed his friendship with Julian since he left them.

This book is an emotional roller coaster. The author brings so many issues to the forefront of our minds. We see ADHD, foster care, trauma, growth struggle, and child abuse. As the reader we get to see how the characters cope and overcome these issues. The writing is beautiful. Roe did a wonderful job with both of the main characters. I felt like I really got to know both Adam and Julian.

I think A List of Cages is an eye opener. This story really shows the horrors a child could go through. My heart ached for Julian. My heart aches for every child being mistreated. This book is definitely a tear-jerker but I think everyone should read it.

Disney Hyperion and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of A List of Cages. This is my honest opinion of the book.

Adam Blake scores one of the coveted aide positions as a high school senior. While helping the school psychologist, Adam sees his former foster brother whom he has not seen for five years. Julian, now a freshman at Adam's high school, has been living with his Uncle Russell and has been harboring a terrible secret. As Adam and Julian become closer, will their friendship threaten the boys' very existence?

Powerful and quite moving, A List of Cages follows two teenagers with good hearts, faced with impossible circumstances. Adam's zeal to help the boy he never forgot is heartfelt and quite believable. Julian's pain is so real that, in reading about his struggles, I actually winced. The story was very realistic and touched upon a social issue that is often overlooked or ignored. Well written and captivating, A List of Cages is a must read for those who like YA realistic fiction.

A List of Cages is beautifully written. It draws you along the story trail.

Adam is absolutely delightful! Fun, laid back, mischievous and always moving. His ADHD means he never settles down but his friends don’t mind. In one scene, they go to an outdoor concert and someone asks where Adam has gone. Of course, he’s running up and down the field talking to people.

Julien is sweet and strangely naïve. He must have been relatively naïve to begin with because the stuff his uncle puts him through would age anyone else. Instead he thinks he owes his uncle for taking him in, that it’s normal to shave his legs, that putting posters in his bedroom caused his last foster family to reject him (instead of telling him to maybe not put posters up?).

I do question the extremes of the book. How likely is it that nobody noticed the abuse before it escalated so badly. Wouldn’t Julien realize that anything was better than what he was accepting by the end? Because he did accept his uncle’s treatment even through brutal abuse.

This book should already be in 2017's best novels. It made me cry loads and felt emotions I thought was numbed out of my system. It's a beautiful story that everyone should read.

Full Review on my blog: https://awkwardfanaa.wordpress.com
Review posted: Jan 17, 2017

Sorry. I can't keep reading: the abuse is too much and too graphic. Although it's hinted in the summary, I didn't think it was going to be this bad. I know this is a book that will appeal to many readers, especially those with a stronger stomach than mine.

Heart-breaking and sob-inducing. Julian's plight was so very realistic and I felt deeply for him. However, I cannot recommend it because it is wildly inaccurate when it comes to how the school would have handled Julian's situation. There is absolutely no way a social worker would not have been involved with a child who has consistent absences, consistent low achievement, lack of participation, clothes that don't fit, regular trips to the psychologist, and a guardian who doesn't answer the phone. That would be illegal. And I fear kids who read this book may leave with the message that adults won't notice me.

Julian was always being ridiculed because of his learning condition - a disability no one knew of and no one even cared about. Being a dyslexic, he really had a hard time with his studies and often found himself sitting alone in his secret place. When his parents died, he was taken by a foster family but soon he was taken by his evil uncle Russell, who abused and tortured him with a switch and put him in a trunk. Julian's life was hell.

Adam, who was once Julian's foster brother, was diagnosed with ADHD and always had a hard time keeping still and silent. When Julian was assigned to him in school, they became friends again and he even introduced him to his own peers, which consisted of Emerald, Camille, Matt, Jesse and Charlie. (Oh Charlie was such a great character, he was the bully that you'd love to hate and hate to love, and I love him so much!)

Adam knew Julian was keeping secrets from him. Deadly secrets. And he was hellbent on discovering this secret, no matter how dangerous it could get.

This.Was.Heartbreaking!

There's no dry spot on my handkerchief after reading this book. All of my tears poured out of my eyes, my heart shattering into pieces. Julian and Adam are two broken souls, physically, emotionally, mentally. A List of Cages is a hard-hitting drama that would haunt you even in your sleep.

Honestly, with all the pain and hurt I've felt in this book, I don't even want to review it. God knows I could never do it justice to the suffering that Julian had experienced. God.. I can't help but wail when I see him in that trunk.. in that shell... in that cage. How could somebody be so cruel and evil and monstrous to this little angel?

Robin Roe's writing was poignant, raw and masterful and had mentally overwhelmed me. This isn't something you'll likely forget in weeks. This story will leave a mark to the reader and would move even the most insensitive person into tears.

As a precaution, when you get to read this, prepare a nebulizer at hand, because this will surely leave you breathless.

An incredibly powerful contemporary, this book tells the story of a boy who has been suffering abuse in silence, convinced that he deserves the pain he’s subjected to. This is the type of compelling story that breaks your heart and won’t let you go!

What Fed My Addiction:

Julian’s voice.
In many ways, Julian seemed very young—much younger than his fourteen years. But he had been so sheltered and kept away from outside influences that it made sense. In many ways, Julian’s uncle had brainwashed him into backward thinking patterns that held him back. Julian had a hard time discerning between what was “normal” and what wasn’t, especially where his uncle’s treatment of him was concerned. Unfortunately, I think this portrayal was probably very realistic. A child who’s told that there’s something wrong with him and that he deserves to be treated badly may very well believe it. Self-blame in cases of abuse is sadly common. My heart broke for Julian just as Adam’s did.

Learning disorders highlighted.
In addition to tackling the issue of abuse in this story, Roe also addresses learning issues: Adam has ADHD and has a hard time keeping still and focusing, and Julian suffers from dyslexia, believing himself to be unintelligent because he can’t read well. Neither of these issues took center stage in the book, but they were both there as peripheral elements. I actually sort of liked the fact that we got to see characters with these learning issues but that the book wasn’t specifically about them. Many kids today have learning disorders that prevent them from meeting their full potential (I know this firsthand), and it’s nice to see it de-stigmatized in a book.

Adam.
I felt for Adam, who strove to do the “right thing” and succeeded in some ways but failed in others. This is so true to life. Every day, we make choices—big and small—that can set us or others on a trajectory that’s either positive or negative. Adam took Julian under his wing and wanted to shield him from pain, but all the attention in the world couldn’t protect Julian from what he was facing at home. I loved that Adam never gave up. He never decided it was just too hard to keep helping or to keep caring. I would hope that there’s an Adam in every Julian’s life.

Friendships highlighted.
Not only did Adam and Julian’s friendship flourish in this book, but Adam’s whole group of friends sort of took Julian under their wing. I loved that this developed in a relatively realistic way. Everyone didn’t just completely accept Julian immediately just because Adam did, but they all did eventually come around, and they turned into this fantastic support system when things went downhill (fast). There was a tiny bit of a romance in this book, but friendships were stressed over romance throughout.

Shocking developments.
I knew that this book was going to feature abuse, but nothing could have prepared me for the horrific turn that the book took and the way that Julian was treated—and the purely shocking nature of that abuse. (If you’re very sensitive to the idea of child abuse, you might not be able to handle this book!) It’s the type of book that tears you apart inside and makes you realize just how terrible this world can be. It says right in the synopsis that Roe pulled from real-life experiences (perhaps from her counseling days?) for this story. I don’t know how many of the specific circumstances in this book were real, but I do know that abuse happens in so many forms. We need to pay attention—no one should fall through the cracks.

What Left Me Hungry for More:

Few loose threads.
There were a couple of tiny plot points that didn’t seem to go anywhere or that left me with questions. For instance, there was some implication that Julian’s mother didn’t get along with her family, but we never found out anything about that. And we discovered something else surprising about the uncle in the end—a contradiction to what Julian thought was happening with him—but we never discovered the full truth about that either. (See my blog for a spoiler) But these points were minor.

This book wrecked me in all the best ways. Be ready for an emotional story that will rock you to your core. I give this book 5/5 stars!

Review - A List of Cages
A List of Cages by Robin Roe

* Read via NetGalley for review

2 out of 5 gnomes

This was not at all what I was expecting from the description. I thought there would be more depth to everything.

The story about Julian and Adam is okay but it feels lacking in a couple of areas. I think I wanted to know more about them. Plus they make some spectacularly bad decisions.

There is a lot of abuse in the story, so be warned it’s not exactly light reading.

The lack of communication bothered me the most, also the story seemed to be arbitrarily split into two parts for some reason.

The communication is definitely a problem because Adam seems to be really close to his mom but still can't figure out when he needs to talk to her ASAP. Plus with all the zero tolerance policies etc... around today you would like to think the school would have noticed something was wrong.

The ending was the best part of the book because it was super tense and really made you wonder what was going to happen.

A List of Cages is a hard book to review or discuss without dropping the spoiler bomb, so this may be relatively short in terms of a review.

I instantly bonded with the main character Julian, as somebody who has experienced the loss of a parent while I was quite young its a loss that hangs over your life like a shadow and you become acutely aware of all the things that will never happen as they should have. This personal experience helped me understand exactly how Julian was feeling and all I wanted to do was jump into the pages of the book and give the boy a hug.

Outside of the protective love I grew to have for Julian I didn’t get very attached to any other characters. Most felt a little under developed for my liking, an example of this is Adam’s friend Charlie. He’s perpetually angry and other than his never ending stream of siblings potentially annoying him the explanation for his anger is left unexplained. Along with characters being under developed there were some plot holes that left me with questions I couldn’t find answers or explanations for (details on the plot sadly fall under spoilers and I can’t openly discuss them).

But overlooking the small plot holes A List of Cages is a quick, enjoyable read. It does follow an important topic (one which I cannot go into detail of because of spoilers) and touches briefly on a couple of mental health topics as well, I just wish these topics were explored a little more than they were.

In short, A List Of Cages is one of the BEST books on friendship, abuse, hope and family that the Young Adult world has to offer.

A List of Cages was ADORABLE, perfect in every sense of the word and it also succeeded in breaking my heart, had me sobbing uncontrollably and then managed to put it together again. I’ve NEVER felt so much – I didn’t think it was possible to feel so much – for two foster brothers and their stories, but Robin Roe had me feeling it all.

Let me make a list of things I LOVED about this book:

1. Julian: Julian was such an adorable little boy, and I connected with him in the very first chapter. He was… afraid to be who he was on the inside, afraid to be happy and be himself as if he was intentionally making himself less noticeable, and it broke my heart. My heart broke with the fact that he even had to deal with Russell and school, but he was a beautifully real character.

2. Adam: It took me a little longer to get used to Adam, mostly because he seemed like a ridiculously perfect person. He had only nice things to say about everyone, he could take and dish out jokes, had a great home life and the girl he liked obviously liked him back and so it took a while for me to warm up to the Golden Boy. I did, however, and MAN I LOVED THIS BOY. He was the sweetest to my adorable Julian, and a perfect friend and older brother and ACK.



3. THE FRIENDSHIPS: There were a lot of GREAT friendships between the wonderful characters in this book, between Adam and Charlie and the rest of Adam’s friends but most of all I loved the camaraderie and sibling-esque bond between Julian and Adam. Also, the one that developed between Charlie (Adam’s best friend) and Julian was pretty great, and I only wish we saw more of it.

There was only one REAL thing that disappointed me in this book and it was the lack of Parental Supervision.

I was SUPER PLEASED in the beginning because Adam’s mom WAS around, but all of a sudden there were sleepovers with Emerald and her BARELY being there was Julian *spoiler* was in the hospital and it just seems strange. I know some parents don’t like to smother children but parents disappearing in YOUNG ADULT books where the kids are still living at home and are dependent seems VAGUE? Like is it REALLY allowed to happen, or are parents conveniently erased from the storyline?

A List of Cages is a mark above the rest it ALL aspects. A Beautiful, Heart-wrenching tale from a great new writer. 4 stars.

Full disclosure: I accidentally requested an ARC of A List of Cages by Robin Roe. I hadn’t fully committed to reading it yet, but while looking for more information ended up submitting my request. So this started as an obligatory read, but I quickly realized this was going to be a very lucky stumble onto something really great.

Roe has a way of writing with such realness. We are first introduced to Julian, a shy and awkward and confused kid and Roe is spot on with all the insecurities and emotions that overwhelm such an individual. I couldn’t help but think this would be great for a number of high school kids who didn’t fit in, it really gives the reader that sense that these are normal and natural feelings during a time when you feel anything but.

Opposite of Julian is Adam, an over-exuberant ADHD kid who seems to be endlessly happy, without much care in the world. He’s got a core group of friends, everyone seems to like him and he’s charming as heck. I’d say even I ended up with a little crush on him, it’s almost impossible not to.

But it’s the friendship between Julian and Adam that really got to me. It was so touching how Adam kind of took Julian under his wing, how he really genuinely wanted to try to help him break out of his shell and how protective he was when he realized exactly what Julian was going through.

And the characters around them, the few who showed kindness and compassion when they didn’t have to, this is the kind of book that reinstates a certain level of hope and faith in people. And frankly, we all need a bit of that right now.

There is a point in the middle of the book where Adam expresses that sometimes, the things Julian says is like a suckerpunch to the chest. I think this part sums up this book entirely, this book is absolutely a sucker punch to the chest.

A List of Cages is Robin Roe's debut novel. Fourteen year old Julian has lived with his uncle for the past four years. Prior to that he was in foster care after the death of his parents. Julian misses his parents everyday. They were wonderful parents and he doesn't understand why they would leave him. Adam, a senior, has ADD. He lives with his mum, a former social worker. He's a pretty happy guy, he has a bunch of close friends, and he manages his ADD using homeopathy and nutrition, something he started after he reacted badly to medications a few years back and his mum decided to try a different approach.

I didn't know much about the plot of this book when I requested it, it was mostly a cover-choice, but I'm so glad I read it. I was about to say that I enjoyed it, but I don't know if I can use the word enjoy with a book like this. I haven't had such a visceral reaction to a book in a long, long time. I felt a range of things: sickened, sadness, disgust, anger. And I really felt them, so much so that I had to keep stopping to take a breath and calm down. I know this sort of reaction might put people off, but I hope you won't let it stop you from reading this amazing book.

Julian's life felt so real and scary. From the first time his home is described I could feel the creepy and anxiety-inducing environment that he lives in. Julian's uncle is abusive, seeming to stem from his own trauma as a teenager. Julian has been enduring this for so long that he doesn't want anything to change, he doesn't want to be punished for getting his uncle in trouble. It was absolutely heartbreaking.

Adam comes back into Julian's life just at the right time. Julian's school attendance is slipping and he often hides in a secret room at school, but once Adam starts hanging out with him, he's able to make some progress.

My only issue, and it's a minor one, was the ending. There's a dramatic final scene and while something major happens, the consequences for one of the secondary characters was never explained. Also, despite feeling so much throughout this story, I didn't feel quite as connected to Julian or Adam as I would have expected.

Ableist language: crazy, idiot, insane, lame, dumb.

A List of Cages is an impressive, compelling debut novel, and a powerful, important story. It's perfectly paced, hauntingly atmospheric, and so real it's heartbreaking.

Thank you to Disney Hyperion for my Netgalley copy.

Oh my, this was a great book. It one of those where I find myself talking out loud. "Oh my gosh, he didn't!" Or "awww." Anyone who is sensitive regarding emotional or physical abuse should not read it. It is easy to love the two main characters, and the view points allow the reader to see the control an abuser can hold over a victim.

I received an ARC from Disney Hyperion via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A List of Cages is a beautiful, touching debut novel and fighting back the tears is impossible. It's well written, there are parts that broke my heart and I can't help but shed tears on it. It's a story about two boys, Adam -- a senior student who has ADHD and Julian -- a dyslexic boy whose parents passed away and is now under the care of his abusive uncle. Also, he's Adam's former foster brother.

I love the friendship Adam and Julian shared in this book, their bonding is strong and genuine. These two boys are imperfectly perfect. Adam is a loyal, sincere, helpful and caring friend. His friends might not understand why he cares on a weird boy like Julian and yet, defends him like a big brother. He's concerned on Julian and feels there's something wrong. He always makes him comfortable whenever he hangs out with his friends. Such kindness brought happiness to Julian in his darkest moments.

Mostly, my tears are for Julian. He's aloof and people distance themselves from him. It really breaks my heart to see him lonely and no one is kind enough to him especially he lives with someone cruel. He's longing for love and kindness and he felt secured when Adam is around. I bawled more when Adam's friends finally come around and shown kindness to him. Deep down, Julian cries for joy and despite of them being mean at first, not once he's mad at them and instead, he remained humble.

Overall, this is really a great novel. I recommend you have a box of tissues if you're going to read it. I'm giving this 4.5 / 5 stars because the pacing is slow and it took me a while to get into it.