I Am the Cage

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Synopsis

Fish Creek, Wisconsin—Beautiful. Quiet. Isolated. Anonymous. It’s all that nineteen-year-old Elisabeth needs, and everything she wants. Cloistered in her tiny cabin, Elisabeth is determined to be alone, hiding from her memories and making sure that no one can ever hurt her again.

But when a massive snowstorm strikes, plunging the town into darkness, Elisabeth finally allows herself to accept help from her neighbor, Noah, the town’s young sheriff. Forced to show him more vulnerability than she ever intended, Elisabeth realizes she can no longer outrun the scars of her childhood, and facing the darkness might be exactly what she needs to let the light in.

In a searing own-voices story accented by poignant childhood flashbacks and stunning poetry, Allison Sweet Grant’s young adult debut is a quietly powerful portrait of a young woman’s journey to confront the medical trauma inflicted to “fix” her—and heal her heart in the process. An emotional coming-of-age story about a young woman running away from herself, yet grasping to find a way back. Deeply moving, authentically raw, and humming with the possibility of a new love.

Synopsis source: Goodreads

What pattern is that?
Pictured with the book in this post is a blanket made using the granite stitch. You can find a tutorial for the stitch here, then make to your desired size!

Review

Genre(s): YA Fiction
HB&W Rating: 5 star
View on Goodreads
Buy on Barnes & Noble, Amazon
Releases February 18, 2025

I Am the Cage was a stunning and absolutely beautiful work of literature. The writing and poetry was so good, so evocative that I felt like I was right there watching Elisabeth go through everything and I was so moved. The way her trauma, emotional abuse, and mental health were so sympathetically written, it seemed like the author was writing what she knows in a way we can all relate to. That she’s made this her YA debut and seeks to target a younger audience only makes me love it more.

As a mother, I couldn’t understand how Elisabeth’s mother, Iris, could act the way she did. Still, no one is ever really sure what’s in someone else’s head until they share it, and Iris did very little sharing and I loved that the author allowed her some grace in how Elisabeth considered her, acknowledging Iris’ unacceptable behavior while allowing for Iris’ own possible pain. Iris’ inaction and unwillingness to speak up for her daughter showed just how much authority we give to doctors without question as well as how much we cater to others’ perceptions of us.

I loved how friendship was portrayed in the book in both Kacey and Noah. They showed kindness, empathy, patience, and understanding, even when it was hard, even when they didn’t know if it was making any difference. They were a perfect example of unconditional love. Mr. Ito and Jonathan were wonderful examples of how family should be there for you, Mr. Ito as a sort of father figure and Jonathan as a sort of older brother.

Short chapters kept the story moving quickly, moving back and forth between timelines in an organic way. The amount of emotional punch those chapters packed into so few pages was really impressive. I found the entire thing to be so cathartic.

I would have loved to have seen what happened with Elisabeth’s relationship with her sisters after her time in Fish Creek. I’m left wondering if she found any kind of closure with them and how they moved forward. I could take or leave any kind of closure with her father, as he didn’t feature heavily in the story. But I can’t fault the book for this in the ratings because I just loved it so much.

With evocative writing and a powerful story that explores the space between who we are and who we let others define us to be, this is sure to be a story that will resonate with readers of all ages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for Young Readers for an eARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Until next time,

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