A list of cages

Title: A List of Cages
Author: Robin Roe
Genre: Young Adult

★★★★★

Synopsis:
When Adam Blake lands the best elective ever in his senior year, serving as an aide to the school psychologist, he thinks he’s got it made. Sure, it means a lot of sitting around, which isn’t easy for a guy with ADHD, but he can’t complain, since he gets to spend the period texting all his friends. Then the doctor asks him to track down the troubled freshman who keeps dodging her, and Adam discovers that the boy is Julian—the foster brother he hasn’t seen in five years.

Adam is ecstatic to be reunited. At first, Julian seems like the boy he once knew. He’s still kindhearted. He still writes stories and loves picture books meant for little kids. But as they spend more time together, Adam realizes that Julian is keeping secrets, like where he hides during the middle of the day, and what’s really going on inside his house. Adam is determined to help him, but his involvement could cost both boys their lives…

If I could, I would give this book ten million stars. This is one of those books that sneaks up on you. You find yourself reading it in between classes or while you're drinking your tea in the morning, and you won't necessarily remember opening it up. It's impossible to stop and absolutely harrowing, it's one of those books that will keep you thinking long after you've finished.

Adam and Julian are beautifully written characters and they're so frustratingly real. Adam is too cheerful to see Julian's struggles and Julian is too reserved to tell him. Adam always knows the right thing to say and the best thing to do and he has the right friends and the right grades and on and on and on. Julian's been through a lot in his life. When both of his parents died, Adam was the person that made his life a little bit lighter again, and then even that was taken away from him.

This book was not easy to read; this book is not for the light of heart. I felt like I was there with Julian through every terrible place he had to endure – mental and physical. I could hear his thoughts and I could feel his sanity and it was enough for anyone's heart to break.

While this was a phenomenal book and one of my new favorites, I don't think I could read it again. It was one of those books that only needs to be read once.

With love, 

Abbie xo