A List of Cages by Robin Roe-- Where I Give It As Many Stars As Are On The Cover

A List of Cages by Robin Roe

This book is about Julian and Adam.  Julian is a damaged boy who went from foster care to the care of his uncle after his parents died.  Adam is Julian's former foster brother, and also the most lovable Senior at their school.

When they reconnect, Adam sees that Julian needs someone looking out for him.  He invites the shy, introverted boy out with his group of fun-loving friends, where he eventually starts to feel at home with.

But the more time Adam spends with Julian, the more it seems like Julian is hiding something.  The harder Adam tries to help, the harder Julian has to work to keep his secrets secret.

It's only 3 weeks into 2017, and I think I've already found my favorite of the year.  If I could give this book all the stars, I would because it deserves it.  I was up all night reading it because I just couldn't look away.  It had me crying my eyes out on multiple occasions, which is really rare for me to do anymore.  A book really has to hit me hard for me to get emotional, and this one did that throughout.

As the synopsis says Julian and Adam were former foster brothers, with Adam's mom being the one who took Julian in after his parents died in a car accident.  The loss that this woman felt at losing Julian to his uncle BROKE MY FUCKING HEART.  Her pain at losing this kid that she clearly loved permeated through the pages.  I was a sobbing mess every time she made an appearance in the book-- and I was SO, SO, SO grateful that Julian had someone like her to love him.

Adam was a great character as well.  He had a pretty severe case of ADHD and controlled it through diet and natural remedies-- so he had his problems, but this kid was so positive and was the center of his friend group, but still cared enough to lookout for an awkward, damaged kid that needed his help. He was my favorite part of this book and pretty much everything I strive to be as a person.

Julian-- what can I even say about him??  He was so unique and special and had no one to see that for so long.  It broke my heart to see him slip through the cracks because I couldn't help thinking about all the kids that don't get an Adam or an Adam's mom to seek them out.  As I said above, Julian's hiding a secret from them and even with all the attention and offers of help, Julian still doesn't come clean. He clings to his secrets because he doesn't know anything else.  God, it's SO EMOTIONAL.

So, this isn't one of those fluffy Contemporaries, but it's not dark.  It's sad at times and very emotional (for me, at least), but it's about love and loyalty and I found it to be so beautiful, I didn't ever want it to end.

OVERALL:  ALL THE STARS!!  This is going to be one of my favorite books of 2017 (and probably ever).  It's beautiful, heart-hurting, and unputdownable.  It'll make you believe that there are still good people in the world.  It'll make you want to scream at the injustices in the world.  Basically, you'll feel all the emotions, and it'll be totally worth it.

Date Published: 1/10/2017
How I got this book: Thanks to Disney-Hyperion and Netgalley for allowing me to read and honestly review this book.
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Add it to your To-Read List!!


This Book Contains:

• ADHD
• Dyslexia
• Foster care
• Social workers
• Dual POV
• Friendship
• Abuse
• Alternative medicine
• First love

My Rating: 5/5

Character: Charlie
Book: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

• As much as My Life Next Door is about Sam and Jase getting together, it's about the crazy, large, beautiful Garrett family.  Charlie could definitely gain some perspective reading about how a large family isn't always a burden.