Praise for A List of Cages: “A LIST OF CAGES is painful, devastating, beautiful and brilliant.” (starred review) - Shelf Awareness
“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 psychologically taut tale of foster brothers unexpectedly reunited . . . Written with honesty and compassion, this book will resonate with a wide range of readers.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Emotional, visceral, and heartbreaking, this novel offers expertly rendered characters and beautiful language. A potent and moving work. Do not pass over this book.” - School Library Journal (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. While the crimes she portrays are truly vile, their evil can’t stand up to the goodness in her protagonists, and the lesson that every kindness matters.” - The New York Times Book Review
“I burned through the pages of Dark Room Etiquette—riveted, transfixed, and deeply moved by Sayers’ journey and Roe’s stunning prose. This book is important and necessary and filled with love and hope. I ached when I finished. The best sort of ache. The kind that haunts you. Dear readers everywhere: read this now.” - Jennifer Niven, #1 New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places
"Intense and visceral, Dark Room Etiquette is an unforgettable story about trauma, resilience, and hope. A powerful, raw, and ultimately touching survival story.” - Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces, You'd Be Home Now, and The Agathas
“Haunting, beautiful, and impossible to put down, Dark Room Etiquette is nothing short of a masterpiece. Expertly paced with unforgettable characters and addictive, gorgeous writing, Robin Roe offers up a story that is as deeply thrilling as it is profound.”
- Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be
"A stunning achievement in psychological terror. I couldn't look away." - Gretchen McNeil, author of Ten and #murdertrending
“There are no easy answers for Sayers’ issues, but with determination and help from key friends, he finds hope… A deep dive into trauma, with light at the end of the tunnel.” - Kirkus Reviews
"[A] gripping and impossible-to-put-down read." - Booklist
“I love this book with my whole heart. A LIST OF CAGES is beautifully, achingly real. A heartbreaking yet hopeful reminder that kindness and love can change the world.” - Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places
“A remarkably gripping and moving tale of a life saved—in more than one way—by the power of friendship.” - Emma Donoghue, author of Room
“With Dark Room Etiquette, Robin Roe has surely cemented herself as one of the most compelling and honest YA writers of our time. Through searing and haunting prose, this exploration of trauma, identity, and resiliency will take your breath away—but not your light.” - John Corey Whaley, Printz winning author of Where Things Come Back
2022-07-27
A teen’s sense of self is unsettled by a kidnapping.
After a prologue reveals the hero’s captive status, the story introduces Sayers Wayte as he was before—an uber-wealthy, hard-partying, privilege-flaunting Texas teen who’s falling in with a meaner crowd (including a friendship with a bully who ridicules Sayers’ best friend for his bisexuality and targets a vulnerable nerd in encounters that rapidly escalate to disturbing levels off-page). The first act balances Sayers’ charm and potential with his character failings while keeping readers guessing who the kidnapper will be (and what their motivations are). Once he’s been kidnapped, Sayers must attempt to manipulate his kidnapper by playing along with who the kidnapper wants him to be—at first, it’s a ruse to create chances to try to escape, but eventually Sayers’ identity and feelings toward his kidnapper begin to blur. A dangerous discovery pushes his mind to the brink to protect him and keep him alive. Unlike hostage stories that end with the rescue, Roe digs deep into what happens in the aftermath as Sayers tries to learn how to be a functioning individual again and struggles with rebuilding his entire self. There are no easy answers for Sayers’ issues, but with determination and help from key friends, he finds hope. Aside from a character with a Guatemalan father, most characters default to White.
A deep dive into trauma, with light at the end of the tunnel. (Thriller. 15-18)
