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I Am the Cage by Allison Sweet Grant book coverOut in 59 days
Young AdultMental HealthDisabilityContemporaryPoetryRomance

I Am the Cage

by Allison Sweet Grant

DEC15Tue
Publishes Tuesday 15 December 2026Paperback · Dutton Books for Young Readers · 304 pagesSee everything out in December 2026 →
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About the book

From the publisher

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 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

“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

“Artfully showcases the complicated back-and-forth between keeping oneself safe and staunching one’s own growth…. Crackles with tension and sincerity… cathartic.” -Publishers Weekly

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