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The Favorite Girl #2
The Caged Girl: A twisted psychological thriller
What if the vacation of your dreams turned into the one from your nightmare?
In life, it's always the goal to be the most desired. The most loved, respected, and adored. The favorite, if you will. However, Demi Rao has realized being the favorite isn't always the dream. In reality, being the favorite can sometimes almost kill you. After escaping her worst nightmare, she runs away to start a new chapter of her life an an employee for the most exclusive resort on a stunning, private island.
But as she begins her new job, she realizes that the gorgeous ocean-views and sparkling amenities are there as a distraction. Guests start going missing, couples are being chosen and invited for peculiar reasons and most of all...
She knows something or rather someone is being hidden away or perhaps caged away.
Demi recognizes she has to figure it out soon before she goes from being the favorite girl to the caged girl.
In life, it's always the goal to be the most desired. The most loved, respected, and adored. The favorite, if you will. However, Demi Rao has realized being the favorite isn't always the dream. In reality, being the favorite can sometimes almost kill you. After escaping her worst nightmare, she runs away to start a new chapter of her life an an employee for the most exclusive resort on a stunning, private island.
But as she begins her new job, she realizes that the gorgeous ocean-views and sparkling amenities are there as a distraction. Guests start going missing, couples are being chosen and invited for peculiar reasons and most of all...
She knows something or rather someone is being hidden away or perhaps caged away.
Demi recognizes she has to figure it out soon before she goes from being the favorite girl to the caged girl.
398 pages, Paperback
Published May 15, 2025
2897 people are currently reading
14343 people want to read
About the author
Monica Arya
12 books1,837 followersMonica Arya is an Amazon Top 35 bestselling and award winning author. Her books have been #1 bestsellers. She is a multi-genre author, writing both thrillers and romance. Monica resides in the Carolinas with her husband and two children. She loves to connect with readers and you can find her on social media @monicaaryaauthor or www.monicaarya.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,003 reviews
May 25, 2025
Almost became a DNF—and I wish it had.
This is of the most frustrating reading experiences I’ve had in a long time. What could have been a fast-paced psychological thriller is instead a repetitive, overwritten, and amateurish mess that drags nearly 300 pages without saying anything new after the first 20.
The most glaring issue? Repetition. Over and over again, we’re told the same two things: Demi has to save everyone and Alister has all the power. We get it. We understood it the first time, and maybe even the second. By the tenth time, it feels less like narrative tension and more like the author forgot what had already been said.
The dialogue is painfully inorganic. Characters don’t speak like real people—they speak like characters who know they’re in a book and are trying very hard to sound mysterious or intense. It doesn’t work.
Then there are the irrelevant, baffling details—like Bradley being a twin, not a twin, maybe a twin again? It’s hard to tell because it never mattered in the first place. This kind of filler clutters the book constantly and adds nothing to the plot or characters.
Speaking of repetition again (yes, just like the book), how many times is Demi going to black out or open a door to someone ominously standing there? It becomes almost laughable. There’s no suspense when the same scene structure keeps getting recycled.
And let’s talk editing—or the apparent lack of it. A good editor would have slashed at least two-thirds of this book. The pacing is glacial, the structure is chaotic, and it reads like a first draft that desperately needed more revision. With tighter writing, this could have been told in under 20 pages.
Overall, the writing is juvenile, the plot drags, and the book relies far too heavily on clichés and filler. If you’re considering reading Caged Girl, save yourself the time and skip it. There are far better thrillers out there that actually respect the reader’s attention span.
This is of the most frustrating reading experiences I’ve had in a long time. What could have been a fast-paced psychological thriller is instead a repetitive, overwritten, and amateurish mess that drags nearly 300 pages without saying anything new after the first 20.
The most glaring issue? Repetition. Over and over again, we’re told the same two things: Demi has to save everyone and Alister has all the power. We get it. We understood it the first time, and maybe even the second. By the tenth time, it feels less like narrative tension and more like the author forgot what had already been said.
The dialogue is painfully inorganic. Characters don’t speak like real people—they speak like characters who know they’re in a book and are trying very hard to sound mysterious or intense. It doesn’t work.
Then there are the irrelevant, baffling details—like Bradley being a twin, not a twin, maybe a twin again? It’s hard to tell because it never mattered in the first place. This kind of filler clutters the book constantly and adds nothing to the plot or characters.
Speaking of repetition again (yes, just like the book), how many times is Demi going to black out or open a door to someone ominously standing there? It becomes almost laughable. There’s no suspense when the same scene structure keeps getting recycled.
And let’s talk editing—or the apparent lack of it. A good editor would have slashed at least two-thirds of this book. The pacing is glacial, the structure is chaotic, and it reads like a first draft that desperately needed more revision. With tighter writing, this could have been told in under 20 pages.
Overall, the writing is juvenile, the plot drags, and the book relies far too heavily on clichés and filler. If you’re considering reading Caged Girl, save yourself the time and skip it. There are far better thrillers out there that actually respect the reader’s attention span.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2025
I absolutely loved the first book in this series, but this was just ridiculous and unnecessary. Low key mad that I wasted my time on it.
July 27, 2025
UTTERLY DISTURBING😂😂😂😂
June 3, 2025
Demi is an idiot and I didn’t like her whatsoever. Repetitive and juvenile writing despite the dark content. I forgot how much I didn’t like the first book until I started reading this one. Almost DNF’d it multiple times but I forced myself to push through. I got another one of this author’s books for free on my kindle and I literally don’t want to read it because her synopses always sound better than the actual book.
I’m so sorry but these books just aren’t for me I guess.
I’m so sorry but these books just aren’t for me I guess.
June 9, 2025
Utter bizarre book.
Rather than creating a solid story that was a little dark and twisty, this book created a story that has no storyline and instead just tried to shock and disgust the reader.
The same things were mentioned over and over again, along with a lot of details that seemed like they were important only to never be mentioned again.
The first book in the series was dark, but this was disturbing.
Rather than creating a solid story that was a little dark and twisty, this book created a story that has no storyline and instead just tried to shock and disgust the reader.
The same things were mentioned over and over again, along with a lot of details that seemed like they were important only to never be mentioned again.
The first book in the series was dark, but this was disturbing.
May 21, 2025
ok i’m sorry this book was just not it. it was extremely dark and twisted which isn’t the reason for my 2 stars. i believe that not every book needs a sequel and this book just felt completely unnecessary especially with that ending? yeah definitely won’t be thinking about this book and kinda mad i wasted time reading it lol
June 5, 2025
2.0 stars - this was so hard to get through, not because of the content, but the writing was TERRIBLE ugh it had so much potential
May 31, 2025
It's a very dark book...
3⭐️ why?
Because it's almost the same as the first one...and Demi🙄🙄
my god, she's so dumb 🤦 she kept asking questions to things she already knows the answers to ..all in all its fifty shades of darker
3⭐️ why?
Because it's almost the same as the first one...and Demi🙄🙄
my god, she's so dumb 🤦 she kept asking questions to things she already knows the answers to ..all in all its fifty shades of darker
May 25, 2025
The Caged Girl was dark and twisty in typical Monica Arya fashion. I liked The Favorite Girl slightly more, but the plot kept me interested and I wanted to see how it all ended. Easy binge and a solid read overall
June 3, 2025
I have mixed feelings on this book. It's my 4th book by Monica Arya but I think my least favorite. Not to say it was bad, but it....wasn't great.
Let's start with the beginning. There are 3 author's warnings at the beginning, warning of triggers: sexual abuse, violence against women, women and child trafficking, the list goes on. Ms. Arya states that this book is DARK, and to exercise extreme caution when reading.
This book was nowhere near as dark as I expected. Some scenes were hard to read, and some things that happened did turn my stomach. But it wasn't anything beyond what I'd expect. Nothing was overly shocking.
Here's why I think that is: Ms. Arya tries so hard to drive home the shock value, and reeeeeally make sure her readers understand what's going on, that it feels like she drives home the point to an obnoxious level.
Case in point: Our FMC, Demi, finds herself at a couple's resort. There are 3 classes of women who work here; doves, who take care of the wives; nightingales, who take care of the husbands; and breeders. Without explicitly stating what the breeders do, I found the word fairly self-explanatory. This resort is "all-inclusive" and the wife Demi works with talks about how she can't wait to visit her baby. I feel like it was easy enough to guess what she meant, but Demi was confused and asked, "oh, your child is here? I didn't think kids could come." Uhhh....
And when she finally finds herself in a situation where the resort owner is talking about the breeders, he gets interrupted. Demi's thought is "he needed to finish what he was saying. I NEEDED to know what the breeders did." I'm sorry but what tf do you think the breeders do, Demi?
I feel like Ms. Arya wanted so badly to make sure we as readers understood the "shocking" thing she was trying to portray that she drove home the point to where it was just annoying. Either she has very little faith in her readers being able to infer from context, or Demi is a moron.
I will say as a plus, however, that the descriptions were fantastic and I could really see the setting of the resort in my head as I read. So bravo to her for her evocative imagery. And I definitely liked the end, which alluded to a third book in this series.
Let's start with the beginning. There are 3 author's warnings at the beginning, warning of triggers: sexual abuse, violence against women, women and child trafficking, the list goes on. Ms. Arya states that this book is DARK, and to exercise extreme caution when reading.
This book was nowhere near as dark as I expected. Some scenes were hard to read, and some things that happened did turn my stomach. But it wasn't anything beyond what I'd expect. Nothing was overly shocking.
Here's why I think that is: Ms. Arya tries so hard to drive home the shock value, and reeeeeally make sure her readers understand what's going on, that it feels like she drives home the point to an obnoxious level.
Case in point: Our FMC, Demi, finds herself at a couple's resort. There are 3 classes of women who work here; doves, who take care of the wives; nightingales, who take care of the husbands; and breeders. Without explicitly stating what the breeders do, I found the word fairly self-explanatory. This resort is "all-inclusive" and the wife Demi works with talks about how she can't wait to visit her baby. I feel like it was easy enough to guess what she meant, but Demi was confused and asked, "oh, your child is here? I didn't think kids could come." Uhhh....
And when she finally finds herself in a situation where the resort owner is talking about the breeders, he gets interrupted. Demi's thought is "he needed to finish what he was saying. I NEEDED to know what the breeders did." I'm sorry but what tf do you think the breeders do, Demi?
I feel like Ms. Arya wanted so badly to make sure we as readers understood the "shocking" thing she was trying to portray that she drove home the point to where it was just annoying. Either she has very little faith in her readers being able to infer from context, or Demi is a moron.
I will say as a plus, however, that the descriptions were fantastic and I could really see the setting of the resort in my head as I read. So bravo to her for her evocative imagery. And I definitely liked the end, which alluded to a third book in this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you read The Favorite Girl and thought that was dark, you have not seen anything until you’ve read this book. Talk about dark? I have read some pretty sick thrillers in my day, but I have to say, not many could even come close to some of the sick and twisted shit that goes on in this book!
I’ve said it so many times already, but where does she come up with this stuff? How does that mind of hers even have those sick kind of thoughts in there? Just so crazy to me!
But anyway, onto the book, it was so awesome! Like I said, It was much darker and more twisted than the first. IF you can even imagine it. 😳
But, in this book, Demi is back and is getting herself into some serious trouble at La Gabbia Resort with the Ivory family. And that’s literally all I want to say. I don’t ruin a thing for anyone. Just know it is a crazy ride so hold on tight. But, know that it is a great sequel to this series. You won’t be disappointed at all. The ending was awesome! It ended on a cliffhanger of a sort. I can’t even imagine what’s going to happens next. 😳
This was such an easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me!! You must get to this series if you haven’t yet.
** I have a couple of things I want to add about this book. First, I told my husband about some of the things that were happening in the book, as I was reading it and his response was, “That’s really sick! They allow people to write books like this?” Haha. Yes babe. Not only do they allow people to write books like that, but your wife LOVES to read books like this too. 🤣
Another thing I loved was how Monica mentions herself as an author in the book, “Monica something” Nice. I loved that so much. lol 😂
And lastly, I love that my name was in this book too, as a minor reference, but still. I loved it. So great to see because it’s so rare.
So there ya have it folks. This is one you don’t want to miss. It’s out today, so be sure to grab your copy. ♥️
I’ve said it so many times already, but where does she come up with this stuff? How does that mind of hers even have those sick kind of thoughts in there? Just so crazy to me!
But anyway, onto the book, it was so awesome! Like I said, It was much darker and more twisted than the first. IF you can even imagine it. 😳
But, in this book, Demi is back and is getting herself into some serious trouble at La Gabbia Resort with the Ivory family. And that’s literally all I want to say. I don’t ruin a thing for anyone. Just know it is a crazy ride so hold on tight. But, know that it is a great sequel to this series. You won’t be disappointed at all. The ending was awesome! It ended on a cliffhanger of a sort. I can’t even imagine what’s going to happens next. 😳
This was such an easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me!! You must get to this series if you haven’t yet.
** I have a couple of things I want to add about this book. First, I told my husband about some of the things that were happening in the book, as I was reading it and his response was, “That’s really sick! They allow people to write books like this?” Haha. Yes babe. Not only do they allow people to write books like that, but your wife LOVES to read books like this too. 🤣
Another thing I loved was how Monica mentions herself as an author in the book, “Monica something” Nice. I loved that so much. lol 😂
And lastly, I love that my name was in this book too, as a minor reference, but still. I loved it. So great to see because it’s so rare.
So there ya have it folks. This is one you don’t want to miss. It’s out today, so be sure to grab your copy. ♥️
June 1, 2025
This book was either never edited or was written by a teenager. It was really horrible. I'll give it one and a half stars simply because I finished it and I wanted to see how it would end.
I read The Favorite Girl and was looking forward to this book. This book was a mess. There were holes in the plot, unexplained mistakes, boring repetitions, and a lot of poor writing. At one point I wondered if she wrote this while high on some sort of psychedelic drug or something. It just didn't make a lot of sense. You'll be frustrated if you try to read this mess. Don't bother.
I read The Favorite Girl and was looking forward to this book. This book was a mess. There were holes in the plot, unexplained mistakes, boring repetitions, and a lot of poor writing. At one point I wondered if she wrote this while high on some sort of psychedelic drug or something. It just didn't make a lot of sense. You'll be frustrated if you try to read this mess. Don't bother.
June 4, 2025
Somehow the sequel managed to be even worse than the first one. Very repetitive, everything was over explained as if the reader is far too dumb to comprehend anything or pick up on anything even remotely subtle. It felt like the author was just trying to go for shock value and failed. The "twists" were revealed repeatedly, which was an issue I had with the first one as well. We keep being told the same information as if it is a new discovery each time. So many plot holes. Finishing the book was a struggle.
July 26, 2025
meh
Extremely repetitive. Mind blowing concept, poor execution. It’s almost to the point of being too frustrating to read. Just meh
Extremely repetitive. Mind blowing concept, poor execution. It’s almost to the point of being too frustrating to read. Just meh
December 8, 2025
After enduring Demi’s never-ending refusals to listen to everyone’s warnings, to believe the worst of the worst people, and to stop thinking she can help everyone in book 1, I thought she would have hung her dummy hat up for book 2. But no, Demi’s back, dumber than ever, being a dumb, weak weirdo who vacillates between going on power trips against the people she is being held captive with, and being a dumb, weak weirdo who tries to manipulate the men who hold her captive even though they are constantly leaps and bounds ahead of her.
I was hoping against hope that The Caged Girl had more of a “I Spit on Your Grave” flavor. But Monica Arya continues on with extremely gratuitous violence against women. This is one of those moments where I felt like just because a book has several content/trigger warnings (I believe the beginning of the book had 3 pages of warnings) it doesn’t justify or necessitate the repetitiveness of extremely violent acts against women written in detail. Some of these acts were so similar to previous acts that it in no way needed to be depicted again. Every time Demi thinks she’s figured out a way to help, she’s SA’d, beat, cut, choked out, etc. If a moment took place on page where the men who hurt her were immolated or castrated, I’d be singing a different tune! But no, it’s just Demi being terrorized, other women being terrorized, kids being terrorized!!!! And rich white men continuing on with the madness. Having multiple warnings doesn’t make overly depicting it necessary imo, and I think this book would’ve benefited from sensitivity readers (do thriller authors use sensitivity readers?!).
I imagine the things that happen in this story are similar to what happened on Epstein Island, and what happens anywhere rich men are allowed to use an island as a playground. I wish they were handled more responsibly, in service to victims and survivors, and not in a way that leaves the reader feeling shocked, horrified, AND hopeless to top it off. I wish it had been more balanced with empowering moments for the women and children and their collective liberation from captivity and servitude.
I feel like there’s a way to write a controversial, timely thriller that tackles subjects only whispered about in a way that’s subversive and bold and emphasizes the horrific aspects. But I don’t know that Arya achieved that here. Demi is thoroughly unsympathetic to journey with, and a large part of me believes she genuinely enjoys being fetishized, commodified, and desired after a lifetime of not feeling those things. Why should I root for someone who thinks collaborating with her abuser is a girl boss moment? Girl, start st*bbing people and get out my face!
The writing wasn’t my favorite here; I feel like on top of the above mentioned being repetitive, the plot itself was as well. A plot that is painstakingly spread over way too many chapters for what it offers. Only for the ending to leave me feeling like I was right back at the beginning. If there’s a book 3, I genuinely don’t know if I can read it unless I have a guarantee that Demi starts putting some bodies away because I honestly think we should just leave her on the island if not.
2.5 ⭐️s
I was hoping against hope that The Caged Girl had more of a “I Spit on Your Grave” flavor. But Monica Arya continues on with extremely gratuitous violence against women. This is one of those moments where I felt like just because a book has several content/trigger warnings (I believe the beginning of the book had 3 pages of warnings) it doesn’t justify or necessitate the repetitiveness of extremely violent acts against women written in detail. Some of these acts were so similar to previous acts that it in no way needed to be depicted again. Every time Demi thinks she’s figured out a way to help, she’s SA’d, beat, cut, choked out, etc. If a moment took place on page where the men who hurt her were immolated or castrated, I’d be singing a different tune! But no, it’s just Demi being terrorized, other women being terrorized, kids being terrorized!!!! And rich white men continuing on with the madness. Having multiple warnings doesn’t make overly depicting it necessary imo, and I think this book would’ve benefited from sensitivity readers (do thriller authors use sensitivity readers?!).
I imagine the things that happen in this story are similar to what happened on Epstein Island, and what happens anywhere rich men are allowed to use an island as a playground. I wish they were handled more responsibly, in service to victims and survivors, and not in a way that leaves the reader feeling shocked, horrified, AND hopeless to top it off. I wish it had been more balanced with empowering moments for the women and children and their collective liberation from captivity and servitude.
I feel like there’s a way to write a controversial, timely thriller that tackles subjects only whispered about in a way that’s subversive and bold and emphasizes the horrific aspects. But I don’t know that Arya achieved that here. Demi is thoroughly unsympathetic to journey with, and a large part of me believes she genuinely enjoys being fetishized, commodified, and desired after a lifetime of not feeling those things. Why should I root for someone who thinks collaborating with her abuser is a girl boss moment? Girl, start st*bbing people and get out my face!
The writing wasn’t my favorite here; I feel like on top of the above mentioned being repetitive, the plot itself was as well. A plot that is painstakingly spread over way too many chapters for what it offers. Only for the ending to leave me feeling like I was right back at the beginning. If there’s a book 3, I genuinely don’t know if I can read it unless I have a guarantee that Demi starts putting some bodies away because I honestly think we should just leave her on the island if not.
2.5 ⭐️s
June 8, 2025
THE CAGED GIRL BY MONICA ARYA.
5 ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨s
This is another warped and disturbing book that I devoured.
There's many WTF moments in this one for sure.
I highly recommend this 2nd book
5 ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨s
This is another warped and disturbing book that I devoured.
There's many WTF moments in this one for sure.
I highly recommend this 2nd book
April 21, 2025
“La Gabbia is where your dreams and fantasies can come true. It’s the sliver of the world where the word ‘no’ does not exist.”
“Nightingales, it is time for you to report to your cages and remember to make daddy happy.”
Ummm. Hold please, while I pick my jaw up off the FLOOR. Picture The White Lotus x The Handmaids Tale with a dash of Hostel. This is an absolute must read. Catch up on The Favorite Girl first though if you haven’t read it yet. HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
“Nightingales, it is time for you to report to your cages and remember to make daddy happy.”
Ummm. Hold please, while I pick my jaw up off the FLOOR. Picture The White Lotus x The Handmaids Tale with a dash of Hostel. This is an absolute must read. Catch up on The Favorite Girl first though if you haven’t read it yet. HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
May 22, 2025
La Gabbia - a luxurious resort hiding a dark secret. She will find out what it is and end it.
Oof if there’s any author’s work that I wouldn’t want to be a character in their books - the cake goes to - Monica Arya.
Dark, devious, and totally unputdownable. The Caged Girl by Monica Arya is a dark and twisted story with the perfect heroine, Demi. Her story picks up where book one left off. But you do not need to read The Favorite Girl to enjoy The Caged Girl. But I do recommend it.
With three pages of warnings, you can’t even begin to imagine what’s in store for you. And I absolutely freaking loved every torturous second of it.
Memorable
Collection of lips- ahhhhhh
Marilyn’s body going missing
Of course #noroomforjack
Demi has her work cut out for her, again. But every time she thinks she’s getting somewhere, making any progress, the rug is pulled out from under her. The desperation is tangible, real and alive, in this one!
Reading this book felt like watching every dark horror movie - with a side of popcorn? 🍿 IYKYK
If you enjoy super dark and twisted stories with a strong FMC then this is a book you need to read.
Who can you trust when darkness surrounds them all?!
Oof if there’s any author’s work that I wouldn’t want to be a character in their books - the cake goes to - Monica Arya.
Dark, devious, and totally unputdownable. The Caged Girl by Monica Arya is a dark and twisted story with the perfect heroine, Demi. Her story picks up where book one left off. But you do not need to read The Favorite Girl to enjoy The Caged Girl. But I do recommend it.
With three pages of warnings, you can’t even begin to imagine what’s in store for you. And I absolutely freaking loved every torturous second of it.
Memorable
Collection of lips- ahhhhhh
Marilyn’s body going missing
Of course #noroomforjack
Demi has her work cut out for her, again. But every time she thinks she’s getting somewhere, making any progress, the rug is pulled out from under her. The desperation is tangible, real and alive, in this one!
Reading this book felt like watching every dark horror movie - with a side of popcorn? 🍿 IYKYK
If you enjoy super dark and twisted stories with a strong FMC then this is a book you need to read.
Who can you trust when darkness surrounds them all?!
June 2, 2025
Worst book I’ve ever read. It was absolutely ridiculous and I can’t understand the rave reviews. Honestly embarrassing how poorly this book was written. Can’t believe I persevered
May 31, 2025
★☆☆☆☆ A Mess in Print. “The Caged Girl” Should’ve Stayed Locked in the Draft Folder
Reading The Caged Girl felt less like a novel and more like stumbling through a chaotic first draft that accidentally got published. If there was an editor involved in this catastrophe, they either quit halfway through or were being held hostage by the thesaurus app on their phone. The typos alone could form their own subplot, and the grammatical errors? Let’s just say they were more consistent than the actual storyline.
Bottom line: The Caged Girl reads like someone poured a bucket of words onto a page and hoped for the best. If you’re into disjointed plots, proofreading nightmares, and the literary equivalent of a fever dream, then by all means, dive in. Otherwise, do yourself a favor and read literally anything else.
June 24, 2025
Wowww what a follow up to the favorite girl! I loved the switch up and creativity of this crazy fantasy island.
This book was much darker than the first so definitely pay attention to the content warnings. I found the story to be a bit repetitive yet also had my jaw on the floor.
Fast paced, kept me on the edge of my seat and overall an excellent thriller duology!
This book was much darker than the first so definitely pay attention to the content warnings. I found the story to be a bit repetitive yet also had my jaw on the floor.
Fast paced, kept me on the edge of my seat and overall an excellent thriller duology!
June 1, 2025
i have never read a book so fast in my life. after finishing the favourite girl, i couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen next so i got it on my KU. and wow. if you thought the first book was dark, this one is darker. like, seriously intense. I personally loved the first book a little more, this was still a wild, and kept me turning the pages. it’s full of trauma, survival, psychological manipulation, and control so definitely check the trigger warnings before going in but if you can handle dark romance with heavy themes, it’s worth the read.
June 9, 2025
wow!!!! Just like the first book, they did NOT disappoint!!!
June 17, 2025
I don’t even know how people come up with such f**ked up shit 😅 I don’t even know what rating to give this
June 7, 2025
Not a fan of this one. I enjoyed the favorite girl and felt like I could over look the plot holes in that book but I just couldn’t in this one. It was too much dark with no plot or thriller behind it. Demi acts like she doesn’t know what’s going on the whole story but that doesn’t make it thriller, it just makes her look dumb. The ending wasn’t good. Disappointed for sure.
June 1, 2025
So bad…I got 67% through it and couldn’t finish.
June 23, 2025
Such a let down especially since I enjoyed the first book so much. This book was so repetitive and the writing was honestly trash. My students write better than this. Honestly felt super rushed. Like did her editor really read this and go “yep this is ready for print” wtf??? And the dialogue between characters??? My dog could write better dialogue, and she doesn’t have thumbs.
Also, Demi is literally an idiot. Like how many times does this girl need to be told to shut up or someone’s going to get hurt? And then she has the audacity to act surprised like IT HASN’T HAPPENED 5472 TIMES ALREADY. I’m all for a woman who’s defiant, but really? Quit getting other women killed!!!!!!
Love that Monica Arya wants to draw attention to the real life dangers of sex trafficking (which honestly why aren’t people paying more attention to this anyways?). But her whole claim of “I want to create a strong female lead born out of an absolutely awful situation who confronts dark and deranged men” was done poorly. She created literally the stupidest female character ever. Demi basically became the very thing she was fighting against. Was the message supposed to be that women have to become the darkest parts of men in order to win????? As a woman, I’m insulted. The only reason I gave it two stars instead of one is simply because Demi’s victims are men who have done absolutely heinous crimes to women.
Also, Demi is literally an idiot. Like how many times does this girl need to be told to shut up or someone’s going to get hurt? And then she has the audacity to act surprised like IT HASN’T HAPPENED 5472 TIMES ALREADY. I’m all for a woman who’s defiant, but really? Quit getting other women killed!!!!!!
Love that Monica Arya wants to draw attention to the real life dangers of sex trafficking (which honestly why aren’t people paying more attention to this anyways?). But her whole claim of “I want to create a strong female lead born out of an absolutely awful situation who confronts dark and deranged men” was done poorly. She created literally the stupidest female character ever. Demi basically became the very thing she was fighting against. Was the message supposed to be that women have to become the darkest parts of men in order to win????? As a woman, I’m insulted. The only reason I gave it two stars instead of one is simply because Demi’s victims are men who have done absolutely heinous crimes to women.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2025
Thank you Monica for the chance to beta read The Caged Girl!
This is her darkest book yet - CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS!
Perfect sequel to The Favorite Girl. You get throw deep into the Ivory Family network and the horrors within. I do hope there is a third book!
This is her darkest book yet - CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS!
Perfect sequel to The Favorite Girl. You get throw deep into the Ivory Family network and the horrors within. I do hope there is a third book!
June 10, 2025
4.25 ⭐️
What a deliciously dark and gritty sequel to the disturbing and uniquely engrossing The Favorite Girl, the first book of the series. This was equally compelling as it was immersive and morbidly twisted. I loved The Caged Girl as much as its predecessor. Monica Arya wasted no time pulling me into this dark, twisted world and it didn’t let up until the very last page.
The Caged Girl was set in a fictional exclusive and private resort, La Gabbia, on Ivory Island. Underneath the facade of luxury and relaxation was an underworld of darkness, gruesome games, and horror. Demi, the once favorite girl, had thought she escaped her worst nightmare only to find herself trapped in the black and white walls of her former psychopath boss, who was even more deranged than his brother, Alister Ivory. As the women who worked at the resort weren’t there by choice, rather they were forced to be a part of the twisted entertainment while the men were pushed to enjoy their deepest fantasies (and not in a good way-they were absolutely horrifying). Demi soon came to realize that this was her last chance to end the Ivory family before she went from the favorite girl to the caged girl.
Monica Arya has become one of my favorite authors. Although she has written many other novels I have yet to read, the two I have read artfully capture her distinct voice in the psychological thriller genre. Her writing style is sophisticated and has depth among darkness that is intriguingly evident. For those that have read The Favorite Girl and was absorbed in it and equally disturbed by it, The Caged Girl is an even darker and more disturbing story.
For those who are not familiar with Arya’s novels, you may wonder why The Favorite Girl and The Cage Girl were so disturbing…well, it was primarily deranged because it dove into themes of trauma, psychological manipulation, control, and survival. Even more it delved into the dark side of relationships, how being “the favorite” was a dangerous and exploitative experience. It was also about people who were trapped in abusive situations and how difficult it was for them to escape. Not only that, manipulation and control was examined thoroughly throughout this story. Often there was forced physical behaviors that was hard to read/listen to, but nonetheless, quite realistic behaviors of psychopaths. More specifically, these individuals who are manipulated and controlled through psychological means often times may lose their self identity and freedom. Other themes incorporated were also extremely dark in nature-hidden agendas and dark secrets loomed amongst the antagonists. Their personas revealed the darker side of human nature in a seemingly perfect environment. And again, there were some horrific scenes that were challenging to read/listen to due to the graphic context and morbid imagery. However, since I haven’t read any novels with Ayra’s solitary trope nor have I read any with a similar trope in the psychological thriller genre, this was an all absorbing and uniquely transfixing narrative.
Regardless of the dark and deranged content Arya presented in The Caged Girl, this was wildly entertaining and the culmination was satisfying. I loved how the protagonist was given an opportunity to start over and the dialogue suggested that in order to truly change one must confront their past and present rather than simply escaping.
All in all, Monica Arya achieved another dark, twisted and intoxicating page turner!
First Note: This can be read as a stand alone. Monica Arya provided the backstory from her first book, The Favorite Girl. However, to get the true immersive reading experience and Demi’s story, I recommend reading this series in order.
Second Note: Of those that like other books that I like, I believe only 1% of you will like this series. It is completely out of the realm of what I/we typically read and therefore I do not see many of my fellow readers enjoying this dark and sinister series.
What a deliciously dark and gritty sequel to the disturbing and uniquely engrossing The Favorite Girl, the first book of the series. This was equally compelling as it was immersive and morbidly twisted. I loved The Caged Girl as much as its predecessor. Monica Arya wasted no time pulling me into this dark, twisted world and it didn’t let up until the very last page.
The Caged Girl was set in a fictional exclusive and private resort, La Gabbia, on Ivory Island. Underneath the facade of luxury and relaxation was an underworld of darkness, gruesome games, and horror. Demi, the once favorite girl, had thought she escaped her worst nightmare only to find herself trapped in the black and white walls of her former psychopath boss, who was even more deranged than his brother, Alister Ivory. As the women who worked at the resort weren’t there by choice, rather they were forced to be a part of the twisted entertainment while the men were pushed to enjoy their deepest fantasies (and not in a good way-they were absolutely horrifying). Demi soon came to realize that this was her last chance to end the Ivory family before she went from the favorite girl to the caged girl.
Monica Arya has become one of my favorite authors. Although she has written many other novels I have yet to read, the two I have read artfully capture her distinct voice in the psychological thriller genre. Her writing style is sophisticated and has depth among darkness that is intriguingly evident. For those that have read The Favorite Girl and was absorbed in it and equally disturbed by it, The Caged Girl is an even darker and more disturbing story.
For those who are not familiar with Arya’s novels, you may wonder why The Favorite Girl and The Cage Girl were so disturbing…well, it was primarily deranged because it dove into themes of trauma, psychological manipulation, control, and survival. Even more it delved into the dark side of relationships, how being “the favorite” was a dangerous and exploitative experience. It was also about people who were trapped in abusive situations and how difficult it was for them to escape. Not only that, manipulation and control was examined thoroughly throughout this story. Often there was forced physical behaviors that was hard to read/listen to, but nonetheless, quite realistic behaviors of psychopaths. More specifically, these individuals who are manipulated and controlled through psychological means often times may lose their self identity and freedom. Other themes incorporated were also extremely dark in nature-hidden agendas and dark secrets loomed amongst the antagonists. Their personas revealed the darker side of human nature in a seemingly perfect environment. And again, there were some horrific scenes that were challenging to read/listen to due to the graphic context and morbid imagery. However, since I haven’t read any novels with Ayra’s solitary trope nor have I read any with a similar trope in the psychological thriller genre, this was an all absorbing and uniquely transfixing narrative.
Regardless of the dark and deranged content Arya presented in The Caged Girl, this was wildly entertaining and the culmination was satisfying. I loved how the protagonist was given an opportunity to start over and the dialogue suggested that in order to truly change one must confront their past and present rather than simply escaping.
All in all, Monica Arya achieved another dark, twisted and intoxicating page turner!
First Note: This can be read as a stand alone. Monica Arya provided the backstory from her first book, The Favorite Girl. However, to get the true immersive reading experience and Demi’s story, I recommend reading this series in order.
Second Note: Of those that like other books that I like, I believe only 1% of you will like this series. It is completely out of the realm of what I/we typically read and therefore I do not see many of my fellow readers enjoying this dark and sinister series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2025
unhinged in the darkest best way
My Review of The Caged Girl by Monica Arya – 4.75 Stars
Whew. The Caged Girl messed with my head in all the best (and worst) ways—and I mean that as a compliment.
After reading The Favorite Girl, I didn’t think Monica Arya could take it any darker… but The Caged Girl proves me wrong in every chapter. This book is more demented, more twisted, more evil, and somehow, even more emotionally gutting than the first. I couldn’t stop reading it—and I didn’t want to.
We’re thrown back into Demi Rao’s nightmare, and if you thought she had it bad before, just wait. The manipulation in this book is on a whole other level. The lies. The control. The “what is real and what is performance” kind of madness that leaves you questioning every single person’s motives. And while I have to be honest—Demi annoyed me sometimes, like really annoyed me—I still couldn’t help but want her to survive it all.
There were so many moments where I literally said out loud, “Girl, why are you doing that?” or “No, please don’t go in there!” She was so frustrating and too trusting, especially when everything screamed danger, and I just needed her to fight harder, to think smarter. But I get it—she was deeply traumatized and trying to survive. One line that hit hard was when she said:
“I learned to smile with a bleeding mouth. To pretend I wasn’t being devoured from the inside out.”
That line? Haunting. Chilling. Real.
This book doesn’t tiptoe around the darkness. It dives in and drags you under. There are scenes that felt like a punch to the chest. Psychological abuse, forced obedience, disturbing ‘games’—Monica Arya does not shy away from showing how power and control can cage a person in more ways than one. And yet, even with all that, there’s a thread of hope woven through Demi’s fight for herself.
One thing I loved was how Arya took her storytelling even further in this sequel. There’s more complexity, more suspense, and more mind games. Just when I thought I had it figured out, boom—twist. And don’t even get me started on the final chapters. My jaw was on the floor.
The Caged Girl is unhinged, uncomfortable, and unforgettable. A psychological thriller that makes your skin crawl and your heart ache. Even though Demi had me rolling my eyes more than once, I was rooting for her the whole time.
4.75 stars from me. It would’ve been a perfect 5 if I didn’t want to shake Demi a few times—but hey, if a character can make me feel that much, that’s a sign of powerful writing.
Monica Arya, you are evil. And I love it.
My Review of The Caged Girl by Monica Arya – 4.75 Stars
Whew. The Caged Girl messed with my head in all the best (and worst) ways—and I mean that as a compliment.
After reading The Favorite Girl, I didn’t think Monica Arya could take it any darker… but The Caged Girl proves me wrong in every chapter. This book is more demented, more twisted, more evil, and somehow, even more emotionally gutting than the first. I couldn’t stop reading it—and I didn’t want to.
We’re thrown back into Demi Rao’s nightmare, and if you thought she had it bad before, just wait. The manipulation in this book is on a whole other level. The lies. The control. The “what is real and what is performance” kind of madness that leaves you questioning every single person’s motives. And while I have to be honest—Demi annoyed me sometimes, like really annoyed me—I still couldn’t help but want her to survive it all.
There were so many moments where I literally said out loud, “Girl, why are you doing that?” or “No, please don’t go in there!” She was so frustrating and too trusting, especially when everything screamed danger, and I just needed her to fight harder, to think smarter. But I get it—she was deeply traumatized and trying to survive. One line that hit hard was when she said:
“I learned to smile with a bleeding mouth. To pretend I wasn’t being devoured from the inside out.”
That line? Haunting. Chilling. Real.
This book doesn’t tiptoe around the darkness. It dives in and drags you under. There are scenes that felt like a punch to the chest. Psychological abuse, forced obedience, disturbing ‘games’—Monica Arya does not shy away from showing how power and control can cage a person in more ways than one. And yet, even with all that, there’s a thread of hope woven through Demi’s fight for herself.
One thing I loved was how Arya took her storytelling even further in this sequel. There’s more complexity, more suspense, and more mind games. Just when I thought I had it figured out, boom—twist. And don’t even get me started on the final chapters. My jaw was on the floor.
The Caged Girl is unhinged, uncomfortable, and unforgettable. A psychological thriller that makes your skin crawl and your heart ache. Even though Demi had me rolling my eyes more than once, I was rooting for her the whole time.
4.75 stars from me. It would’ve been a perfect 5 if I didn’t want to shake Demi a few times—but hey, if a character can make me feel that much, that’s a sign of powerful writing.
Monica Arya, you are evil. And I love it.
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