Review: A List of Cages

A List of Cages by Robin Roe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I apologise for how long this took to come out! I've been extremely busy over the past two months and just haven't had time to post or even read much lately! But finally I'm back, so here is my long overdue review of a List of Cages.

The Writing

The writing in ALOC flowed really well, the pacing was perfect, nothing dragged or felt rushed. The way Roe handled the topics raised in the book was handled with extreme sensitivity, it was raw and natural; it tells the truth and doesn't shy away from the seriousness of the issues.

A List of Cages is not only a heartbreaking tale of pain and sorrow but also one of kindness and friendship; it's thought-provoking in ways I wasn't expecting. This book simultaneously broke and warmed my heart within the turn of a page.

Characters

Julian is a sweetheart and I just wanted to protect him the entire time. The portrayal of Julian's anxiety is handled very well, the feelings that he has through the course of the novel are relatable - I'm not saying that everyone has gone through what Julian has - but I definitely that the feelings he displays will resonant with some people.
Julian's character has so many layers to it, you can see the outline of the boy he used to be within the boy he has become. it's heartbreaking to see the way that life had treated Julian and it left me rooting for him right from the very beginning. The more Julian lt Adam and the others into his life, the more you see how his character grew and developed; his character arc was one of beauty.

Adam is wonderful and I love him with all of my heart.
His bubbly attitude made me smile through the story, but I loved that as the story progressed, we started to see the cracks within Adam's happy-go-lucky front that he presents to the people around him. The vulnerability that Adam started to show as the story developed, lent so much more to his charact and he is someone who a lot of people can probably relate to.

Seeing how much Adam cares about Julian was lovely to see, you could tell that Adam regards Julian with the highest respect and truly loves him as his little brother. The way Adam is with his friends is also really nice to see as I found it refreshing to read about a group of friends where everyone genuinely gets along and who care about one another like family.

Charlie, Emerald, Camila and the rest of the group were wonderful additions to the story and being able to watch them grow and adapt as a friend group was awesome to see. The development between Julian and Charlie was also super heartwarming to see.

Content Warning:

Child abuse, Ableism, Occasional strong language.

Overall

This book was a simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming story about brotherhood, friendship and the lengths you'd go to protect your family. If you are sensitive to any of the topics raised, I would read with caution. But I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who is interested in learning more about what happens to these two brothers.

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