Books I've Read: A List of Cages

After having had a bad run with my library choices, this week has brought me two books I really liked, so picking which one to review today was hard!  So I picked the one I finished last night because I'm still reeling from it.

This is not an easy book to read.  It deals with some horrific abuse in a very realistic and graphic way.  But essentially it is a book about friendship and if you read this blog regularly, you know I love books that deal with friendships in a real way.

And this friendship is unusual because the two boys are four years apart in age.  And they were once foster brothers, so they have a history that could have been messy.

Adam is a fantastic character.  He's ADHD, but has found ways to manage it without chemical medication.  He's one of those people others are drawn to and has a big circle of friends who hang on his every word and would follow him to the end of the earth.

By contrast, Julian is quiet and finds ways and places to hide himself away.  But once Adam finds him, he won't allow Julian to hide and brings him into the circle of friends that surround him.  And Julian blossoms with the affection and attention he gets, even when it makes him uncomfortable at times.

As Adam and Julian grow closer, Adam realizes there's something wrong in Julian's life.  But as he gets close to what it is, things become more dangerous for both boys.

The second half of this book becomes particularly harrowing, but I couldn't put it down.  I had to know what was going to happen next, even if the bath was cold and it was getting close to midnight…

I'd recommend this one, but be aware it isn't easy to read in places. I had tears in my eyes a few times while I read.  But if you can make it though the horror, it's well worth it.

But don't just trust me.  Here's the blurb:

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…