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“A beautiful and poetic book about the many ways pain, and love in all its forms, leaves a lasting stain.” –Kathleen Glasgow, #1 bestselling author of Girl in Pieces

“A brilliant book about what we survive—and how. Visceral, wrenching, and beautiful.” –John Green, #1 bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars

“A tender, heartfelt story about the wounds childhood trauma can leave on its survivors. The sense of powerlessness—and redemption—will stay with you.” –Jojo Moyes, #1 bestselling author of Me Before You

“Heartfelt, human and true. I loved it.” –Markus Zusak, #1 bestselling author of The Book Thief


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.

“A beautiful and poetic book about the many ways pain, and love in all its forms, leaves a lasting stain. Elisabeth’s story of childhood trauma, both physical and emotional, is brutal, heartfelt, and a testament to finally breaking free and moving forward on your own terms.” –Kathleen Glasgow, #1 bestselling author of Girl in Pieces

“A brilliant book about what we survive—and how. Visceral, wrenching, and beautiful, Grant’s triumphant novel will stick with you.” –John Green, #1 bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars

“A tender, heartfelt story about the wounds childhood trauma can leave on its survivors. The sense of powerlessness—and redemption—will stay with you.” –Jojo Moyes, #1 bestselling author of The Giver of Stars and Me Before You

“Allison Sweet Grant is a natural storyteller with the keen eye and ear of a poet. Deftly toggling between past and present, childhood trauma and its painful aftershocks, I Am the Cage is a story of love, resilience, and healing. What a beautiful, moving, and insightful debut.” –Maggie Smith, bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful

“Heartfelt, human and true—a novel that feels real from the first word to the last. I loved it.” –Markus Zusak, #1 bestselling author of The Book Thief

“Through Elisabeth’s poetry, integrated throughout, Grant artfully showcases the complicated back-and-forth between keeping oneself safe and staunching one’s own growth. Elisabeth and Noah’s dialogue crackles with tension and sincerity, and depictions of Elisabeth’s harrowing struggles with her narcissistic mother are cathartic.” –Publishers Weekly

  • Pages: 304 Pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
  • Imprint: Dutton Books for Young Readers
  • ISBN: 9780593616918
Penguin Teen