The Cage by Megan Shepherd - Paul's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from Balzer+Bray via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: The Cage
Author: Megan Shepherd
Recent Release Date: May 26, 2015

Synopsis: When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone.

Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer—a handsome young guard called Cassian—appears, they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: Their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken the five teenagers for an otherworldly zoo—where the exhibits are humans.

As a forbidden attraction develops between Cora and Cassian, she realizes that her best chance of escape might be in the arms of her own jailer—though that would mean leaving the others behind. Can Cora manage to save herself and her companions? And if so . . . what world lies beyond the walls of their cage?

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Review: The concept of this book is very interesting. A group of teenagers wake up in a strange new place and they don't know how or why they are there. There are so many places this concept could have gone and I feel like this book only barely touched on them. Interesting theories and mysteries are brought up, but they aren't the focus. Too much of the focus is on a romance that just feels awkward. 

The characters at first seemed unique, but they became such cliches as the book progressed. I wanted more depth from all the characters. 

I felt some of the dialogues were so light in some pretty intense situations. I never really felt the intensity that should have been there. 

Although I feel like I'm saying a lot of negatives about the book, I did enjoy it. It was a fun read. It was a book that I continued reading, but when I had freetime this book was not the first thing I went to. It reminded me of a CW show. 

If you're looking for a fun read that isn't very heavy on the sci-fi, you may enjoy this. I've read some really excellent reviews of this book, so I guess it just didn't quite mesh with me. I don't think it was bad. I give this book a 3/5.


--PAUL