If you loved

Books like A list of cages

A devastating but ultimately radiant testament to how radical kindness can pierce through the darkest isolation. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with A list of cages.

heart-wrenching
claustrophobic
hopeful
tense

01
Lock and Key
Sarah Dessen · 2008
A tender, character-driven journey about a fiercely guarded girl discovering that letting people in is the bravest thing she can do.
Shares:
- hopeful
- earnest
- compassionate
- tender
02
This raging light
Estelle Laure
A raw, lyrical exploration of a girl holding her fractured world together, illuminated by the sudden, complicated spark of first love.
Shares:
- hopeful
- earnest
- tender
03
When Jeff comes home
Catherine Atkins · 1999
A raw, unflinching exploration of the quiet, agonizing work of surviving the aftermath of unimaginable trauma.
Shares:
- claustrophobic
- tense
- earnest
04
House Arrest
K. A. Holt
A raw, fast-paced verse novel that beats with the fierce, desperate heart of a boy trying to save his family.
Shares:
- claustrophobic
- hopeful
- tense
- earnest
05
Count all her bones
April Henry
A tense, high-stakes thriller where a blind protagonist flips the script to rescue the boy who once held her captive.
Shares:
- tense
- earnest
- urgent
06
Little Bea
Daniel Roode
A sunny, energetic romp through a day of friendship and community care.
Shares:
- earnest
07
Playlist for the Dead
Michelle Falkoff
A poignant, music-infused journey through the messy, confusing aftermath of losing a best friend.
Shares:
- earnest
08
Breathing underwater
Alex Flinn
A raw, confessional descent into the mind of a teenage boy forced to confront the ugly truth of his own violent actions.
Shares:
- claustrophobic
- tense
09
Dangling
Lillian Eige
A quiet, reflective exploration of the spaces left behind when a profound friendship suddenly vanishes.
Shares:
- earnest
- tender
10
Hold Still
Nina LaCour
A tender, aching exploration of the quiet spaces left behind by loss, and the slow, messy art of learning to breathe again.
Shares:
- hopeful
- earnest
- compassionate
- tender
11
Finding Katie
Beatrice Sparks
An intimate, diary-style exploration of a teenager's hidden trauma behind closed doors and her journey toward safety.
Shares:
- tense
- earnest
12
Hate list
Jennifer Brown · 2009
A raw, unflinching exploration of guilt, grief, and the agonizingly slow journey toward self-forgiveness in the wake of unimaginable tragedy.
Shares:
- tense
- earnest

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