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I Am the Cage
CCBC Review:
Elisabeth (white) is a 19-year-old who has settled into a quiet, anonymous life in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, following a deliberate break from her past. Chapters alternate between present-day 1999, during which Elisabeth is trying to ride out a massive winter storm alone in her cabin, and flashbacks to her past, beginning with a traumatic medical event that began when she was 11 years old. Elisabeth is intentionally sheltered and self-protective in all aspects of her life. Throughout the course of the snowstorm, she reluctantly accepts necessary assistance from her rural neighbor, Noah, the town’s very young sheriff, when the power goes out for days. While huddled in blankets near the fireplace, Elisabeth finds a way to slowly emerge from her emotional cocoon and find her real self. The genuine care and kindness shown by Noah coaxes Elisabeth to examine the purpose of her self-loathing. When Elizabeth’s mom arrives unexpectedly to check on her snowed-in daughter, horrific pain and abuse from the past resurfaces. Partially based on the author’s childhood experience with limb-lengthening surgery, this book utilizes poetry and prose to process survival and resilience. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 14 and older
Age Range:
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Hope and Healing
Love and Romance
Mental Health and Illness
Mothers
Trauma
Diversity subject:
Physical Disability/Condition
On CCBC Booklists:
Privacy Between the Pages: Selected Books for Older Children and Teens
Lived Disability Experiences: Books for Children and Teens
Publishers:
Dutton, Penguin Random House
Publish Year: 2025
Pages: 295
ISBN: 9780593616918
CCBC Location: Fiction, Grant