The Cage

by Megan Shepherd

First published 2016

Cora Mason opens her eyes in a desert with no memory of how she arrived. The landscape makes no sense. Tundra borders jungle. Farmland sits next to wasteland. A town built from mismatched architectural styles stands empty under the watch of dark windows. Four other teenagers share her predicament: a model, a smuggler, a genius, and a soldier who knows disturbing details about Cora's history. Each harbors secrets. None understands their situation. The group fights for control while learning to depend on each other. Then Cassian appears. Their attractive young guard delivers shocking news. Their captors come from another world. The five teenagers now live as specimens in an extraterrestrial zoo. Humans serve as the main attraction. Cora must navigate the politics of her fellow prisoners while facing the reality that Earth lies far behind them. The artificial habitat becomes both prison and stage where every action serves the entertainment of alien observers.

Genres: science-fiction, adventure, action, aliens

Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family

Setting: Desert, Tundra, Jungle, Farmland, Wasteland, Town

Period: Extraterrestrial

416 pages · Paperback · HarperCollins

Content warnings: violence

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