A LIST OF CAGES

Two excellent narrators deliver the alternating first-person accounts of this audiobook's two protagonists. Graham Halstead depicts confident, kind 18-year-old Adam. Adam may have ADHD and severe clumsiness, but friends flock to him. Christopher Gebauer's portrayal of 14-year-old Julian, Adam's former foster brother, stands in stark contrast. Gebauer depicts a withdrawn, near-invisible boy who would do anything to avoid human contact. When the two are reunited in school, Adam's sunny disposition bolsters wary, reticent Julian. Adam comes to suspect Julian's feelings are more than grief for his parents. Meanwhile, Julian's chapters reveal physical and emotional cruelties perpetrated by his uncle and guardian. Both narrators realistically register emotional changes as Adam's self-doubt grows and Julian better understands the abuse he experienced. The interplay of both voices produces a psychologically gripping story. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2017]