I DNFed this title. The following is my GR commentary on why

Robin Roe uses a dual first person POV, and she does it really effectively. Adam and Julian have different voices and personalities. Even better, neither boy's much like any of the common types of book boy.

My problem is that I'm just not invested in this understated story. There's not enough of a sense of a plot arc for me to compelled to find out what's going to happen next, and I'm not completely in love with either voice or character, despite thinking they're well done. It's perhaps that the story skews too much to the sad for me, though there's definitely some humor as well. I'm not sure why this one isn't clicking, but I just know it isn't.

There's a lot that I admire about A List of Cages, but I'm also admitting to myself that I'm not into it. Once I decided that, I skimmed the last couple of chapters, and the ending wasn't really to my taste, so I suspect this was a good call.

Rating: 100000000000000000000000000000000000000/5 stars

Trigger warning for: Physical abuse. As in, really, be warned. You will sob. A lot.

YOU GUYYYYYYYYYYYYYYS I’M GOING TO CRY. AGAIN.

At the time of my writing this (January 4th), I’ve just finished this book today. I started it at one am… And I just couldn’t stop. Really. I told myself I would stop at two… Then 2:30… Then at 3 I put my foot down. I couldn’t read anymore. I took out my contacts and then read some more until 3:30… 3:33… 4:00…. I still wasn’t tired and I only had half an hour left, but I knew I was going to have to wake up at least before 10 (spoiler alert: I was not the perkiest person ever the next day) and I wanted to make sure I read some of it in the daylight, in the hopes that my review would be semi-coherent. #fail
I thought this book was middle-grade?

For some reason, I just expected that going in to the book. Then the book started with Julian’s POV, so it still sounded very middle-grade-ish. And then I realized they were in high school, and things that would be… not suitable for middle grade started happening. I was surprised, to say the least. I thought this was going to be a cute middle grade book. If you’re still somehow thinking that, THROW THAT THOUGHT OUT THE WINDOW. WRONG.
I loved all of my babies characters.

Adam was hilarious, and I loved hearing about his bubbly person. We all know that one person who talks to everyone, is friends with everyone, is happy all the time, and literally cannot stop spilling over happiness. Adam is that person, and I loved watching all of the relationships he had with his friends progress as the book went on and I got to know them all better.

Julian makes me cry. Even though I love him. He just makes me cry. I’m guessing he has autism and/or social anxiety, or summat like that. When he was little, his mom always told him that mean people weren’t really mean, only unhappy. She meant this one boy who always picked on Julian, but Julian continued to apply that to everyone in his life from then on forward. Even when people were the most horrible they could possibly be to him, he always knew they were unhappy, and he didn’t hate them. He pitied them, and only wanted to help them. He was so sweet and… Oh my gosh I’m about to cry. HOW CAN A PERSON BE THAT WONDERFUL AND YET SO UNNOTICED.
As for the plot, I mean…

It was perfectly executed to rip my heart out. Basically, Julian’s parents died in a car crash when he was younger, and Adam and his mom became Julian’s foster family. Then Julian’s uncle showed up, and they weren’t allowed to see him anymore. Until Adam gets assigned to him at school. I can’t even talk about the rest of the book without major spoilers. Or crying. I’M SORRY GUYS. YOU WILL CRY READING THIS BOOK. JUST GO WITH IT.
I can’t words right now.

This book reads so fast, just like middle grade, and it reads beautifully and simplistically. It manages to cover so many important topics in a realistic manner (translate: while you cry) and then while you’re trying to mop up your tears, it sends so much love and cuteness at you that your heart just squeezes so hard it hurts and you very badly need to hug something. And quite possibly stop breathing for a few seconds and close your eyes because the cuteness and loveliness of it all is too much to handle. (Or, you know, maybe that’s just me)
What are you still doing here? Stop reading this post. Go get this book.

It comes out tomorrow. Consider this an early birthday present. (Or late, whichever) Buy yourself this book… As a present from me. (Yes, of course that makes PERFECT sense!) And then read it and love it and cry and come tell me because OF COURSE that will happen. Now go. Shoo. Really, how dare you still be here reading this? GO BUY IT. GOODBYE.

This book took my heart and shattered it completely! The only reason that I didn’t cry over it is because 1. I’ve been doing that a lot lately and I’ve run out of stock and 2. it took me totally by surprise and I’m still not over it.

The plot of this book is intense. We follow Adam, who is in his senior year of high school and acting as an aide for the school psychologist, is reunited with his old foster brother Julian, a freshman, who has been having the toughest time at life since they separated. I don’t really know how to begin to articulate my thoughts on this book and my feelings on this book, I’m sorry if this part doesn’t make any sense at all. This is basically a very emotional story and a friendship and abuse. Those two things don’t go together but they are the biggest themes within the book. First, I want to talk about the friendship. Adam and Julian’s friendship grows very slowly yet in such a beautiful way. Julian believes he’s very socially awkward and is always trying to say the right things, to say what people want to hear. I love how Adam was patient and kind and just open to talking or sharing or doing whatever it was that made Julian comfortable. It made it such a dynamic transition from old acquaintances to new friends. Julian started to open up and become more honest as time went on and I loved how that made him blossom. I also want to say that I liked Adam’s relationship with his bigger group of friends and how they slowly but surely started to accept Julian as a part of that group. Now to the hard part. There are some very graphic scenes of abuse that are extremely hard to read. They also escalated in a way that I did not see coming and that was hard to swallow. If I wasn’t so invested in the story, I might have stopped reading because it’s so intense and awful and just god, it hits really hard guys. I do recommend this book but please don’t go into it blind, it might be very triggering for you, even if it’s not a specific trigger. This stuff is hard to swallow. There are a lot of things going on in those final chapters. Every happens very quickly and I flew through it without meaning to. However, I felt that the ending itself was very rushed and left a lot of things unsaid. I wanted to know more because there’s still so much story that can be told. I wish we could’ve had a more detailed closure because I have a lot of questions about a lot of different things but I still feel that you end the book with a hopeful spirit within you and with a bright outlook on what the possible future for the characters may be.

Adam is a sweetheart. He’s the first narrator that we read from and I love his personality. He is so kind and open and honest. He feels and loves with his whole heart, body and soul. It never occurs to him to be mean or spiteful or rude to people. He knows how to set boundaries but doesn’t do it harshly. However, its this exact kind of personality that allows him to feel so full of guilt when he acts a certain way or does something that doesn’t have the result he’d like. He looks into himself and beats himself up and to be honest, that kind of reaction really resonated with me because I tend to do that as well. I don’t know what to say about Julian that I haven’t mentioned before because he’s such a fragile character. Reading from his perspective makes me feel like I need to wrap him in bubble wrap and keep him safe within my arms so no harm comes to him. He’s so lonely in the beginning and so hurt and quiet and just lost in grief but not able to really process that. I just… ugh guys he got to me so much.

I want to talk very briefly about the side characters. Adam’s friends are many, his group of friends is pretty big. I wish there could’ve been more development with all of them. Some felt like they were just there to take up space and make Julian’s anxiety around them a tangible thing. I never really got names confused but because they showed up so infrequently and each one had one specific thing that made them who they where that they were easy to tell apart. I wanted a lot more involvement, a lot more development from all of them. Emerald is one of the ones that gets a little bit more page time, but I don’t really know her very well. There are only a few specific details about her that are shown but no real personality. While Adam and Julian felt real, the side characters felt flat. With one exception which was Charlie. He’s the side character that had the most page time as Adam’s best friend. We got to know more about his family and his feelings. He also had a very sweet friendship with Julian that was an uphill battle to get to but made it so worth it to see in the end. I really loved him, with his temper issues and all.

Overall, I really loved this book, my first five star read of the year. The plot is intense and crazy and graphic so be cautious if you do decide to pick up this book. It’s emotionally draining and hard to read but I think it’s worth it to learn the story about this friendship. The main characters were beautifully written and genuinely developed and I really loved them as individuals as well as a unit. The side characters were a bit of a let down and while I didn’t speak on the villain above, his motivations were a bit unclear though inexcusable. That was one of the things I wanted to know about in the end that never really came. If you feel like you could handle the subject matter, I definitely recommend trying out this book.

A List of Cages is an astounding debut novel that leaves me deeply affected and emotionally invested. It is brave, gripping, if at times uncomfortable read that sometimes makes me wish there’s something I can do for the characters.

Adam and Julian are foster brothers for a time, until Julian is forced to live with his only living relative. Their lives crossed again when Adam is assigned to help the school psychologist as his elective. Part of his task is to track down Julian, making sure Julian won’t skip more of his appointments. As Adam try to do his job, he noticed the difference between the Julian who used to live with them and the present Julian. Concerned with his former foster brother, he tries his best to be part of Julian’s life once again. As Adam unravel the new Julian, Adam not only understand Julian but also see the reality of the situation he was in.

Robin Roe did a wonderful job of writing Julian and Adam’s story. I almost can’t believe that ‘A List of Cages’ is her debut novel given how good and affecting her writing is. The alternating narration between Adam and Julian easily shows the contrast between Adam and Julian’s lives. Not just their personal living condition, but as well as the way they handle their mental health conditions.

Julian’s storyline will undoubtedly linger to readers. My hearts bleeds for him, and constantly lost my breath while reading his parts. He affected me deeply that even I feel uncomfortable reading some of the things that happened to him I still can’t stop reading, if only to prove to Julian that he has someone who won’t leave him.

Julian doesn’t deserve those horrifying things. Sometimes I wonder who’s to blame -- his uncle or the foster system that put Julian to his uncle’s care? But as much as I want to point finger, I also know that there’s no use in condemning any of those people. This is fiction after all. I can only hope that no one suffers like Julian in real life. No one deserves that kind of treatment or that kind of life.

“I used to think struggle was what aged you, but if that were the case, Julian should’ve been a hundred years old. Now I wonder if the opposite is true. Maybe instead of accelerating your age, pain won’t let you grow.”

As for Adam, well he is genuinely caring guy. He reminds me that kindness and love goes a long way. Sometimes it’s easy to forget little things like that. I’ve seen many times how hardships change people. How bad experiences can make someone tough by stripping him of kindness and love. It is sad but it is also a reality.

“Hate ricochets, but kindness does too.”

On the whole, A List of Cages touches some difficult issues with sensitivity and reality that will surely make readers think of things and feel every kind of emotions that the characters went through. It’s unflinching, honest, and uncompromising story that shows the power of kindness, friendship and brotherhood.

This new addition to the ya contemporary novels is not to be missed.
—

* This review is based on an eBook I received courtesy of the publisher, Disney-Hyperion via NetGalley

The writing-style took some getting used to - to the point that the first 25% took me 2 months to read, and I then finished the last 75% in one sitting!

I wasn't as blown away by this book as other reviews had let me to hope I would be. As already mentioned it took some getting into, and while I loved the growing friendship between Julian and Adam and his friends (definite shades of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" there!) and found the middle part of the book captivating, the lack of communication and trust in adults was still frustrating (Adam's mother especially). Worst of all, the ending was <i>deeply</i> unsatisfying. The other issues I could have ignored or forgiven, but a poor ending means a poor lasting effect of a book.

It still deserves 3 stars though, as it was a very powerful book up until then. With a better ending, it could easily have been a 5-star read.

A List of Cages by Robin Roe is a fabulous read! The author brings us on a journey by slowly revealing pieces of the life of Julian, interspersed with the revealing life of Adam as he reconnects and tries to form a bond with Julian. The story is complicated, poignant and horrifying as each piece of the puzzle is revealed. I think this book would be more for older teens, because of the subject matter.

Adam a high school senior helps out the school psychologist for credit. While helping her he find Julian, a kid who stayed with his family for a short time after his parents died. Adam is thrilled at seeing Julian again and wants to help and include him. Julian is not the boy he once was. His parents’ death and most recently living with his Uncle has been traumatic. As the time moves on, more information about Julian and Adam’s life is slowly revealed, drawing the reader into each of their lives. What the reader finds out is heartbreaking! And the journey becomes more fraught with danger and intrigue. I loved Adam as one of the main characters; his insight and acceptance helps underscore the difficulties of Julian’s reality.

A List of Cages by Robin Roe did have some subject matter better left of older teens, but the handling of them within the story was very well done. The plot of the story moved along and allowed for the suspense of the story line. It was difficult to imagine how the story was going to end and I found myself reading faster as the book continued. This is a book I would highly recommend.

This book gutted me. Julian gutted me. I could see what was coming…not the exact how or when, but the main idea of what was to come; yet I was still gutted when the story got there.

I very recently talked about not quite understanding how books are classified. In everything I’ve ever seen, YA is listed as for 12-18 years of age. There are many, many, many important lessons to be learned from this book. That does not mean I will be handing it to a 12 year old to read. Just because the characters are teens doesn’t make it okay for all teens to read. I will STRONGLY suggest this be read by an adult close to any teen before it is given to them to read.

I was hooked from the beginning of this book. Julian tugged at my heart. He reminded me of both of my sons in different ways. It was great how Robin Roe made him so child-like in his understanding of the world around him. It’s noticed by Adam in the book, Julian has a before and after. Only one seems real to him. Part of that is because of how close he was to his parents; part because he’s become so sheltered from the real world the last few years.

Adam is fun. I love a character that is so beloved but not conceited. Adam doesn’t even realize the pull he has on people and that’s what is so great about him. He’s not consciously trying to make people like him, he’s a genuinely good guy and those around him see that shining through. There’s also an innocence about him that is endearing. He truly wants others to be happy so doesn’t even realize when he is the object of affection to a couple of the girls in his group.

A character that I slowly came to hate as the book progressed ended up being a favorite of mine by the end. Charlie is a real piece of work. He becomes more and more of a jerk as Julian becomes more a part of their circle of friends. I’m not one for spoilers but just know he experiences his own growth through this story and it’s amazing to watch him grow up as the story unfolds.

As a parent and an adult, there are some decisions the teens in this book make that made me yell at them through the pages. It was gratifying to see these bad decisions get addressed later in the story instead of swept under the rug. The author really didn’t have to revisit them. Her decision to circle it all back around was more realistic and really helped the character of Adam learn to deal with some things.

I can’t wait to see what else this author will bring us in the future. As far as I’ve been able to find, this is her debut novel and it’s beyond wonderful.

When I got an email notification saying that I've been approved for this book, honestly I'm really surprised. Firstly, because Disney Hyperion usually decline my request, and secondly, because I didn't even request this book. I admit, prior to the approved email, I never even heard about this book, so I know nothing. But I decide to give it a try because of the glowing reviews on Goodreads, and it gave me a new perspective on life.

A List of Cages basically tells about the friendship between Adam--a senior with ADHD--and Julian--a freshman with dyslexia. Adam and Julian used to be foster brothers for while, after Julian's parents died in accident. But Julian soon is taken by his uncle and they lost contact, until one day, they met again at high school. I have to be honest that I didn't know much about both ADHD and dyslexia. I rarely read books that deals with it--the last time probably is Percy Jackson series, which I read a few years ago. But I think, based on my not-really-complete knowledge, it's pretty accurate, Roe's description are vivid that I felt as if I'm the one in there. Also, this book is told in both Adam and Julian's POVs, so we get to feel whatever they're feeling at the moment.

One thing that I didn't expect--though I probably should've known if I actually read the summary and not skimming it--is this book also deals with child abuse. Again, I rarely read book about child abuse--usually they're only there as backstory--and guys, it's terrifying. I've read plenty of news about child abuse, but they aren't as clear as when you read it as a novel. When I read it, I feel Julian's pain and how he endures it all this year. Not just at home, he's also getting bullied a lot at school. Julian is a really strong character since if it were me, I don't think I can make it.

Aside from Adam and Julian, I also love the secondary characters, most of which is Adam's friends. They're all supportive and welcoming toward Julian. They truly care for Julian, and I'm glad that he has someone who could look after him.

In conclusion, A List of Cages gives me a new perspective on life. I know not everyone has a loving, cheerful family, but before reading this, I don't know that it could be that terrifying. I really recommend this book, but just remember, it deals with child abuse and its descriptions are pretty vivid, so if you're not comfortable, you can skip it.

A powerful book with larger-than-life characters that somehow seem believable. Glorious, heart-wrenching, appalling, wonderful. If only every Julian had such friends to help him survive.

This book was amazing. When I decided to read this book, I hadn't seen anything about it. The description looked compelling so I took a chance on it. I made a very good decision because this book ended up not only being one that I couldn't put down but one that I couldn't stop thinking about long after reading the final page. The story is both heartbreaking and hopeful with characters you want to spend as much time with as possible. This was an incredibly well told story.

Adam is the kind of kid that seems to have everything going for him. He has a great relationship with his mother and a very good home life. He has a tight group of friends that he cares about. He is a senior in high school and he is doing great in school. Adam seems to know just the right thing to say and sometimes can even make things better by offering up a quick smile at just the right time. Adam does have to deal with his ADHD but he has things generally under control.

Julian has had to deal with a lot in his life. His parents both died in a car crash when he was very young. He actually spent some time in the foster system and lived with Adam and his mother for a period of time. Julian moved in with his uncle years ago and as far as everyone knows everything is fine at home. But everything is not fine at home. Not by a lot. To make matters worse, Julian has no friends and is often teased and bullied at school. When Adam sees Julian at school and they reconnect, Julian is eager to be around someone that actually wants him around.

This wasn't really an easy story to read. My heart broke so many times while I read this book. I felt like I was there with Julian every time somebody said something mean to him and I was there with him at his house with his uncle. I also felt Adam's uncertainty regarding what was the right thing to do. Adam's determination to be there for his friend no matter what was equally powerful. The truly sad part of this book is that these kind of stories aren't too different than what really happens to some teens.

This book was wonderfully written. I honestly put the book down once to sleep and then picked it back up again and couldn't put it down until I was done. I loved the characters. Adam and Julian were wonderful but there was a whole cast of people in this book that each added something worthwhile to the story. Some scenes were intense and the way that they were written made them seem so incredibly real and vivid.

I would highly recommend this book to others. I think that this is a book that needs to find its way into everyone's hands. I cannot remember the last time that I was as emotionally involved in a book as I was with this one. It was really that good.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Disney Book Group via NetGalley.

A List of Cages was even more emotionally draining than I expected, and I was prepared for it to be quite intense. At times the writing and things that Julian (one of our main characters) would do really reminded me of Neal Shusterman's Challenger Deep (which I adore). Later on it had kind of a The Perks of Being a Wallflower feel. It wasn't particularly similar to either of these novels, but they both came to mind while I was reading, for mostly good reasons.

Our two leads in this novel, Julian and Adam, were very realistic teenagers. Julian is suffering under a lot of pressure, dealing with bullies and his outcast status, just trying to make it through life as a freshman. Adam is finishing his senior year and is the guy that everyone likes, he's one of those people that everyone wants to be friends with. The best thing about the relationship between these two is that Adam isn't a character that needs to be changed. He's genuinely nice and caring, easily makes friends, and connects people that would not be connected otherwise.

The side characters are enjoyable for the most part. Charlie, one of Adam's best friends, is probably my favorite of the minor characters. You get more hints about what drives him than you do about the others. You see him changing throughout (to an extent). Emerald was likable, but I never felt overly connected to her character. Adam's mom was another nice but not overly memorable character.

This novel deals with some really difficult subjects, but I don't want to get too much into that because it could be somewhat spoilery. Overall I think it handled these subjects very realistically and was informative. There were some things with pacing that I didn't particularly enjoy, a few details that were skimmed over, and the ending was a little cleaner (and also a little messier) than I would have liked. Some of the larger plot points were given very definite conclusions, which I think was a little extreme, and some of the smaller pieces were left a little mroe open than I would have liked.

This is a well written novel about the relationship between two teenage boys who enter each others lives again and again, just when they both need it most. This is an addictive read with some great messages that a lot of readers could benefit from.

4.5 stars

A List of Cages is hard to read at times, excruciatingly real, with well-developed characters and a story I couldn't put down. But it's also a story of friendship and love and hope. I know this one will stick with me for awhile.

I think the hardest part about reading this book is knowing the fact that while this story was fiction, this truly happens to children around the world. A List of Cages is a heart-wrenching and deeply emotional story with dashes of hope spread out just enough to keep me from becoming a ball of tears (which may have happened a little as well…). In all honesty, this book left me speechless, which really doesn’t happen a lot, especially if you’re someone who knows me in real life. It was raw, it was real, and it was terrible. I mean that in the best way possible, because the story was beautifully written. It seriously took me quite a while to fully process this book and what it means.

Dual narration seems to either work out perfectly well or not work at all, and here it flourished. Not only did the narration make complete sense, but Ms Roe is able to bring to life the true power of friendship and how understanding can change a person’s world. It also shows the difficulties of being a high schooler with a learning disability, be it ADHD or dyslexia or anything in between. I could go into detail but that’s a whole different can of worms that I shan’t open right now.

Moving on, this book addresses some very difficult subjects, and should not be taken lightly. Like I stated before, it blows my mind that this could actually happen to someone in our time and world, but it could and it does.

This book is listed as a contemporary, and I have to say that while there was romance involved (very slightly), it is refreshing to have a bond that surpasses the puppy romance we read about so much. The bond Adam and Julian share is something that does interfere with other relationships, but the fact that the others are willing to stick around says so much more about them and I love the depiction of this type of devotion friendship. It is a perfect example of how family doesn’t always mean those who are blood-related to you.

The only thing I wish is that we could learn more about Charlie and Emerald. I feel like they have stories as well and I really want to hear them! I highly recommend this book, I really can’t express my love for it adequately, but I do warn that it is hard to read at points.

Don't let the blurb mislead you.
It makes it sound like the main character is Adam, and he is, but Julian is also the main character. The book follows two points of views but it starts out with Julian's voice in the first chapter. His personality and voice was easily distinguishable because it is Adam's foil. They are polar opposites in dispositions, mannerisms, and thought processes. It was at first distracting but I nevertheless powered through because I wanted to see how Julian's story would unfold. It was quite devastating, to be honest. Events in his life stunted his character development severely and I empathized with his feelings of insecurity, shyness, and fears. So when Adam was introduced, his optimism and all the things that were going well in his life felt like a slap to my face. It was almost like the author was saying 'How could someone be suffering but elsewhere, others are living carefree lives?' This made me dislike Adam's group of friends because they felt contrived solely to represent Adam's popularity and contentment; was Adam was only friends with them out of convenience? It did not help that the author did not fully flesh out his friend group or provide more insight about their personalities. Aside from Emerald and Charlie, it seemed they were just there because it added numbers to his friends list. Side note: Charlie is practically the MVP of this book, I'm kind of proud but I wish there was more background information about him. He played a pivotal role and I wished he had more screen time since he's actually important.
"I used to think struggle was what aged you, but if that were the case, Julian should've been a hundred years old. Now I wonder if the opposite if true. Maybe instead of accelerating your age, pain won't let you grow."

Additionally, this book should come with a trigger warning just in case because I cried a lot. The tears did not come until the last quarter of the book. I was eating dinner while reading and tears were streaming down as I crammed food into my mouth. I SWEAR I'M NOT AN EMOTIONAL EATER. But wow, things escalated quickly and I liked that it was not all fully resolved by the end. The story Roe wants to tell is one that cannot be tied together neatly with a bow. In a way, the story ends with a marked change within Adam and Julian; this is a good place to leave off because they're still hurt and broken, but they now have each other to lean on and heal together. Although the genre indicates many tragic incidents, this is ultimately a story about courage, support, and friendship.

I would like to thank NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book for my honest opinion.

It's funny. I read this book a little bit ago, and now that I'm sitting and really thinking about it again, I feel all of the emotions over again. This review won't be as long as usual, because to be honest it's hard to describe a book like this. I think the most appropriate thing to say is, READ THIS.

A POWERFUL BOOK

Before you want to get into this, you should be aware of the trigger warning here: (SPOILER) child abuse (/SPOILER). This was no easy read. If I'm being honest, I read the three quarters of this book with a lump in my throat. This is the story of Adam and Julian, two high school boys who lived together for a few years after Julian's parents died, and until his uncle came back to take care of him. Or something like that, let's say, because these aren't the right words. Their lives grow apart for a few years, until they collide again...at the right moment. That book is a contemporary, but it's one that screams out loud. It's one that makes you grab the pages in anticipation, while the lump in your throat just grows and grows and cut your breath away. This wasn't an easy read, but it made me highly emotional. If anything, this is for me the sign of the power of this book.

REAL, GENUINE CHARACTERS. ALSO, NEEDING HUGS.

Told from a dual point of view, we get to meet Adam, and Julian. Both characters are very different and their voices stood out, which I appreciated. Both felt real and genuine. Adam has ADHD, and it was my first time reading about this, which was very interesting. Moreover, it didn't feel stigmatized or cliché or anything, it just felt real and part of his life, his mother's life, which I really appreciated. It wasn't here to make a point, it was just here because it was part of the character. Adam was so refreshing to read about. He was always positive, always trying to help, which made me want to hug him basically all the time.
Julian, on the other side...well, I just wanted to hug him forever. When you feel like hugging the characters in a story, I'm guessing that's a good sign, isn't it? Julian is such a good character, yet he goes through so, so much. It's heartbreaking to read about, and I just wanted him to be okay. He was so endearing, I quickly grew attached to him.

A BEAUTIFUL, HEARTBREAKING SURPRISE


A List of Cages definitely was a surprise. I started this book with no expectations at all, I kind of stumbled into it on NetGalley and decided to give it a try, and boy, I'm glad I did. I really am. I thought I wouldn't feel too much. I thought it would be good, but nothing exceptional. But that book was different. At times, I wanted to stop reading, take a break, because everything happening just felt overwhelming and it was too much. But I couldn't. The story was gripping, and the writing style was gorgeous, making me feel everything for the characters. It was a highly emotional, powerful, beautiful book. The subject is nothing easy to read about, let me warn you. But if you're feeling okay with this, give it a try. Despite my discomfort about this, at times, I still ended up loving it, and I hope you will too.

Summary

A List of Cages by Robin Roe is probably one of the most emotional and powerful books I read in 2016. It follows two boys, Adam and Julian, as they are reunited after five years apart. While Adam is much older than Julian, they rekindle their friendship. From there, however, things take a darker turn as a secret is revealed which would threaten both boys’ lives.

Plot

This book delivered more than I expected it to. A number of various themes and topics were covered, from the foster system to ADHD (which Adam has) to child abuse, but none felt particularly forced or overlooked. While I don’t have experience of any of those mentioned, it did feel like Roe had done a well-rounded depiction of each and treated the more difficult themes with the necessary respect. However, that being said, if you are affected by them, it does get quite dark towards the end, so I would recommend doing a touch more research into the book before reading it.

Every component of the story fit perfectly and I ended up being quite emotionally invested in the story-line, so much so that I ended up feeling like a helpless bystander, wanting to do something but being unable to, in the latter half. There were sections which I found difficult to read, but that was purely the content. The writing was brilliant and allowed for easy reading so you could really focus on the story.

Characters

I really enjoyed the characters of Adam and Julian. They felt real to me, which only increased the impact of the story. I thought Roe conveyed their experiences well through how they acted and also developed their friendship with each other beautifully.

However, where the book is let down is in the other characters. I felt like they were not quite as developed as they could be and this did lessen their relationships with the two main characters a bit and stopped me connecting with them. Aside from Charlie and Emerald, I can’t remember the names of the rest of Adam’s friends, nor Adam or Julian’s family members. While the plot mainly focuses on the two boys, it would have been nice to see a bit more of how the other characters were affected by the events unfolding.

Final thoughts

This book connected with me from the start and I found myself fully caught up in the boys’ journey.  While it did take me a little while to get into it at the beginning, I ended up reading the second half well into the night and I still think about it long after finishing that final page. Robin Roe has written a powerful story in A List of Cages.

A List of Cages will be released on January 10th 2017 and I would fully recommend reading it.

3.5 stars

Trigger Warning: Physical (= violence) & Mental Abuse. Do not read if you're sensitive to these things.

This is a really tough book to review. Or to rate for that matter. I know that when you're reading this you can see my rating already. But as of right now, when I'm writing it, I still have no idea how to rate it. Because for the longest time this looked like it'd be a 3-star read. It wasn't bad... but it also wasn't great either to me. But then the second half amped things up to eleven and it was intense as all hell. So now I have no idea where I'm at anymore. Maybe I should follow my wise ruler Cait's example and make a list. Because lists solve all your problems, obviously. So here goes.

The Things I Liked/Loved:

♦ I liked the friendship between Lucian and Adam. It felt very genuine to me and it was just very nice to see them reconnect and get better friends throughout the book. I love great friendships in books so I'm glad this one was done well and it was the heart of the story really. So yay friendship!

♦ I liked the characters themselves. Of course I hated Lucian's uncle with the passion of a million suns, but I'm supposed to so that's great. If you don't hate him, I'll be very worried about your sanity. But I liked all the others. Especially Charlie, Adam, Lucian and Adam's mom.

♦ Lucian reminded me a bit of a character of one of my own projects and I liked that! Because that character of mine is one of my most precious darlings and though they're lives and stuff are very different, they had the same quiet, shy, adorable thing going on. They're both the type of character you just want to wrap in warm blankets and cuddle and keep safe. I very much wanted to do that with Lucian. He's so precious and sweet and I just want to protect him from harm, poor thing.

♦ I also liked how Adam was the opposite of Lucian but they still worked very well as friends. Adam is this very bright, energetic, caring and sweet guy. He's often silly and he has ADHD and sometimes he does stupid things in this book like neglecting his best friend Charlie but I still cared about him so much because he has such a big heart. He's like a ray of sunshine and I just really liked him a lot.

♦ And lastly, I liked that it didn't shy away from the tough things. This book got really intense and super heartbreaking at times and the author didn't shy away from anything and went full-out with it. Which I appreciate, even though it was greatly upsetting and maybe even triggering for some people. This book should definitely come with a trigger warning. For sure. But the whole second half was SO intense and so engaging and I found myself finishing it in one sitting because I just HAD to know how it would end.

The Things I Didn't Like:

♦ Okay so the beginning was super confusing to me. The pacing and plot felt all over the place and I had no idea what was going on. Yes, that did get better eventually and I'm glad I kept reading, but I still have no idea why the beginning was so confusing. Maybe it's just me though.

♦ I was bored a whole lot in the first half of the book. I was interested in the story and I liked the characters and all, but overall I was very bored at first.

♦ I also wished I could've gotten to know the other characters more. Because while I liked them, the only ones that got some developement are Adam, Lucian and Charlie a little bit. But even Charlie I didn't get to know as much as I wanted to. I didn't really know the others. Which made me sad.

♦ Due to this, the romance also fell a bit flat to me. I didn't really know Emerald and her romance with Adam came a bit out of nowhere and felt more like a plot device than anything else. I never really bought it. I didn't see what its purpose was in the end. If it had been left out, I don't think the book would've changed at all. Maybe it would've been better. Not every book needs romance. This one would've been better off without it. In my opinion.

So in the end... A List of Cages is a very tough book to read at times. It's heartbreaking and intense, but occasionally also very sweet and Adam and Lucian's genuine, normal friendship is the heart of the story. So should you read it? Yes. Provided you won't be triggered by the aforementioned tough parts, you absolutely should check it out.