The New York Times Book Review - Jen Doll
This is Roe's first young adult novel, and it's impressive. Julian's and Adam's perspectives alternate, and the plot chugs steadily forward, moments of beauty and humor interspersed with scenes of abuse and violence. Roe runs a mentoring program for at-risk teens; it's clear she brings firsthand experience to the subject. While the crimes she portrays are truly vile (and make for difficult reading), their evil can't stand up to the goodness in her protagonists, and the lesson that every kindness matters—and that we always have the choice to be kind.
Publishers Weekly
★ 10/17/2016
Roe draws from her work with at-risk teens to create her first novel, a psychologically taut tale of foster brothers unexpectedly reunited. The story alternates between the perspectives of Adam, the son of a social worker, and Julian, who lived at Adam’s house for a time after his parents died. Seven years later, Julian, who currently lives with his uncle, enters the same high school where Adam is a senior. Adam again finds himself playing the role of big brother to Julian, but besides having grown older, some things about Julian have changed: he’s quieter, his clothes don’t fit, and he seems to be sick too often. After drawing grim conclusions about Julian’s home life and guardian, Adam opts not to speak out, a decision that could have serious consequences. Roe gives a close-up view of two teens with disabilities (Julian has dyslexia, Adam has been diagnosed with ADHD) while building a sharp contrast between their views of the world and sense of normalcy. Written with honesty and compassion, this book will resonate with a wide range of readers. Ages 12–up. Agent: Peter Steinberg, Foundry Literary + Media. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
"Emotion courses through every sentence of this novel, whether it is love, compassion, or bone-chilling cruelty. A triumphant story about the power of friendship and of truly being seen."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A page-turner with a lot of compassion."—Booklist (starred review)
A remarkably gripping and moving tale of a life saved—in more than one way—by the power of friendship."—Emma Donoghue, best-selling author of Room
"As inspiring as it is heartbreaking, A List of Cages is a hero story you will never forget."—Tamara Ireland Stone, best-selling author of Every Last Word
"A poignant, hopeful story about loss, grief, abuse, and the transformative power of friendship."—Amber Smith, New York Times best-selling author of The Way I Used to Be
"Written with honesty and compassion, this book will resonate with a wide range of readers."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"This is Roe's first novel, and it's impressive. Julian's and Adam's perspectives alternate . . . moments of beauty and humor interspersed with scenes of abuse and violence."
—The New York Times Book Review
School Library Journal
01/01/2017
Gr 9 Up—Julian—shy, quiet, and nervous—has just entered high school, and it's a nightmare. Kids pick on him for the children's books that he keeps in his backpack; teachers berate him for not speaking up in class and for handing in near-illegible assignments because of his undiagnosed dyslexia. He hides away in the school theater at lunchtime just to get away from everything, and he has to go home to his tyrannical and abusive uncle, who beats him with a switch. His daily appointments with the school psychiatrist yield nothing but further anxiety, until one day, Julian discovers that Adam, his former foster brother, is the psychiatrist's intern. Adam's family took Julian in after his parents were killed in a car crash, but then his uncle stepped forward as his legal guardian, and Julian was taken away. Adam, a bright, popular senior with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, takes Julian under his wing and brings him out of his shell, and when Julian abruptly "falls ill" for two weeks, Adam and his friends suspect there is something much more sinister at hand. Roe, a social worker, has written a stunning debut about loss, friendship, and the power of family. Many scenes of abuse will challenge readers with authentic detail; Julian suffers regular beatings and is, at one point, locked in a chest without food. Emotional, visceral, and heartbreaking, this novel offers expertly rendered characters and beautiful language, especially when describing Julian's struggles. VERDICT A potent and moving work. Do not pass over this book.—Tyler Hixson, School Library Journal
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2016-09-19
In her debut, Roe tells the story of a friendship between two young men who will linger in the thoughts and minds of readers long after the final page is turned. Told through alternating first-person narration, the story of 14-year-old Julian and his former foster brother, 18-year-old Adam, is equally heartwarming and heartbreaking. Five years after losing his parents in a tragic accident and being taken from a loving foster home to live with a cold and brutal uncle, Adam Blake quite literally walks back into Julians life. Plagued by antsy feet courtesy of his ADHD, Adam is happy to be assigned the job of escorting Julian to the counseling sessions that hes been frequently skipping. Though both boys are thrilled to be reunited, theres an uneasiness that lies between them. Reclusive and wracked with self-doubt, Adam quickly realizes that this Julian is much different from the one he used to know. Roe deliberately unspools her story, keeping readers wondering why Julian, who clearly desperately craves connection, keeps Adam at arms length. Emotion courses through every sentence of this novel, whether it is love, compassion, or bone-chilling cruelty. Julian and Adam are dark-haired but otherwise racially indeterminate. A triumphant story about the power of friendship and of truly being seen. (Fiction. 14 & up)
