A List of Cages (Spoiler Free Review!)
Rating: 97% ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pages: 320Author: Robin Roe Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Genre: Contemporary Release Date: Jan. 10, 2017
A List of Cages by Robin Roe is one of the most inspiring stories I have read in a while. There’s a way this book impacts me that I can barely put into words, but the theme of friendship and reaching out is one that needs to be spread.
This dual-point-of-view book follows two boys; Adam, the popular high school senior, and Julian, the shy freshman who is considered an outcast. Their story starts when Adam and Julian find each other attending the same high school after years of being separated. They used to be foster brothers. As their friendship forms, we see that Julian is hiding something about himself, and the story blooms from there.
Let me just say, Adam is one of the friendliest, most genuine characters I have ever read about. There is no ulterior motive in his friendship with Julian. He is a guy that really wants to be friends with everyone and is very empathetic. Julian is also a cinnamon roll of a character. Sweet and innocent, it’s like there is no bad thing he could do. His situation is heartbreaking, but his faith in the goodness of people is uplifting and inspiring, even when it is misplaced. Although these two characters are both super sweet, their voices were very different. Adam is a lot more confident in his narration and in himself than Julian, but Julian sees certain things in a deeper way and with more appreciation than Adam. I applaud Robin Roe for her attention to detail and her effort to make both of the voices so different and unique.
“People I love will be watching me. Their eyes like safety nets, I can’t fall.”
Part of the book that really hit me in a powerful way was the friendship between Julian and Adam, and later Julian and some of Adam’s friends. Although they were three years apart in age, they each understood each other and never assumed anything negative based on their ages. Adam never thought of himself as too good to be friends with Julian, and while Julian was intimidated by Adam’s popularity at first, he wasn’t jealous or too afraid of him. He eventually opened up. Personally, I want to stop limiting my friendships to people my age. This book was such a positive example of how friendship isn’t defined by age, and that sometimes it can help you gain a new perspective. This theme of kindness and reaching out was something I truly want to bring into my own life. Usually, it' hard to say and believe that we learned something from EACH AND EVERY book we read, but this one is something special, and I think everyone can benefit from reading this.
“Hate ricochets, but kindness does too.”
There were so many topics that were dealt with so well. Adam has ADHD and Julian has dyslexia. It was so great to see them having already overcome their challenges, maybe not completely, but enough that it doesn’t define them. There are other topics as well, but I don’t want to spoil anything. You will just have to read and find out. :)
Something I thought was so refreshing was that there was not a romance in the center of the story. There is a point where a romantic relationship is introduced, but it rarely comes up and it does not “save” any of the characters.
This was a superb book. It was well-written and had a beautiful message about friendship and kindness. A List of Cages will stick with me for a very long time. Adam and Julian are characters I want to be more like, and I think that everyone will get something from reading a story as amazing as this one.
“Because people heal a whole lot faster when they're with someone who loves them."
Lots of love,
Ellie
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