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The Silver Cage #1
The Silver Cage
A bitter, mysterious author. A young and naive journalist. A tragic past, a dark secret, and an unforgettable tale of passion and love.
The Silver Cage is intended for mature readers; it contains graphic sensuality and strong themes including suicide, sexual identity, and self-harm.
---
Anonymous is a pseudonymous international bestseller. The Silver Cord, a companion novel to The Silver Cage, will be released in the first half of 2018.
The Silver Cage is intended for mature readers; it contains graphic sensuality and strong themes including suicide, sexual identity, and self-harm.
---
Anonymous is a pseudonymous international bestseller. The Silver Cord, a companion novel to The Silver Cage, will be released in the first half of 2018.
244 pages, Paperback
First published January 23, 2018
110 people are currently reading
3159 people want to read
About the author
Anonymous
791k books3,371 followersBooks can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:
* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author
Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.
See also: Anonymous
* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author
Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.
See also: Anonymous
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 509 reviews
March 11, 2018
Caleb Bright and Michael Beck. These are 2 names that I have thought about for over a year now. I still get sad thinking about their story. But then I think about the power and meaning behind it.
I don’t really want to say too much of what happens. I went in blind. It’s my favorite way to read a book. I love being caught off guard. The unknown. Nothing could of prepared me for what I read. And I want you to get the same impact I received.
What I will say is this. The Silver Cage is GUT-WRENCHING, heartbreaking, beautiful, poetic, unfair....REAL!! This is such a small fraction of what I felt. ANGER. I was SO ANGRY. COMPASSION. I cried. SO MUCH! I wanted to scream, “WHY IS LIFE SO CRUEL?!”, many, many times. I wanted to hug and smother Cal with all the love he should have received.
I’ll be honest, this is a tough read. There are triggers. Read the warning. You’ve been warned. It will rip you apart. You’ll hurt so much. But bottom line, it’s a story. An exceptionally well written story. This is an author that could write a god damn grocery list and I would end up saying THIS IS THE BEST WRITTEN GROCERY LIST EVER IN LIFE. This author simply knows how to write. That is what overtakes everything for me. A well written story. One that makes you stop and think or sit numb after finishing cause you can’t even form words or thoughts. You might even walk around in a daze for a few days. Just sayin...
So if you pick this book up, which you should, remember that it’s a story. It’s this author’s creation and imagination. And remember that it’s only fiction!!
I don’t really want to say too much of what happens. I went in blind. It’s my favorite way to read a book. I love being caught off guard. The unknown. Nothing could of prepared me for what I read. And I want you to get the same impact I received.
What I will say is this. The Silver Cage is GUT-WRENCHING, heartbreaking, beautiful, poetic, unfair....REAL!! This is such a small fraction of what I felt. ANGER. I was SO ANGRY. COMPASSION. I cried. SO MUCH! I wanted to scream, “WHY IS LIFE SO CRUEL?!”, many, many times. I wanted to hug and smother Cal with all the love he should have received.
I’ll be honest, this is a tough read. There are triggers. Read the warning. You’ve been warned. It will rip you apart. You’ll hurt so much. But bottom line, it’s a story. An exceptionally well written story. This is an author that could write a god damn grocery list and I would end up saying THIS IS THE BEST WRITTEN GROCERY LIST EVER IN LIFE. This author simply knows how to write. That is what overtakes everything for me. A well written story. One that makes you stop and think or sit numb after finishing cause you can’t even form words or thoughts. You might even walk around in a daze for a few days. Just sayin...
So if you pick this book up, which you should, remember that it’s a story. It’s this author’s creation and imagination. And remember that it’s only fiction!!
April 8, 2018
“I felt like someone was dragging razors over my insides. But I’d had years of practice saying the right things in the right voices.”
It's weird to think that books are so filled with words and messages and stories that have the potential to snatch the air right from your lungs.
But then there comes along one that is something else entirely, because words and messages and stories aren't enough to even begin to describe what's in that book. It's so much more.
| buddy read with the queen herself |
______________
The Quote About Something Having The Ability To Wreck You Is Appropriate Here
I usually go about my reviews with explaining what I loved about the book and what I didn't seem to like as much. I also explain a little bit about what the book entails and how it affected me.
I really can't and neither do I wan't to explain what this book is about, because if ever you were to listen to what my reviews advised:
Go into this blind, and it will open your eyes out to all the colors you never knew existed. Some will be ugly colors, some will be sad. All will be beautiful.
This book deals with some heavy topics. It will tear you apart in more ways than one because of how real it is, it will touch base in some way or another because all of us are living in a world where the social norms are determined by society.
When Lola reached out to me for a buddy read, the first thing I got told by my friend was that this book would ruin her and me. It really and irrevocably did.
I finished this book in less than a day, and I still feel the emotional whiplash from it. The Silver Cage has a very timid way that it approaches and comes to kill you. Wherein, you don't actually know that you're dead until you hit that last page and all you want to do is learn how to breathe again because the journey was the definition of breath-taking.
Partially from the realism and mostly from the emotion that is felt throughout the entire 60 heart-breakingly stunning chapters. I will go my whole life never forgetting these two and their story and I really hope that more people will get to love the love they have.
It's weird to think that books are so filled with words and messages and stories that have the potential to snatch the air right from your lungs.
But then there comes along one that is something else entirely, because words and messages and stories aren't enough to even begin to describe what's in that book. It's so much more.
| buddy read with the queen herself |
______________
The Quote About Something Having The Ability To Wreck You Is Appropriate Here
“I pictured Heaven as a field where I would wake one day, warm in the tall grass, and see a man seated at a distance. He would have his back to me and he would be looking out at the landscape. I would come awake slowly, into perfect happiness, and, when I was ready, I would stand up and go to him. I would spend the rest of forever in that summer country.”
I usually go about my reviews with explaining what I loved about the book and what I didn't seem to like as much. I also explain a little bit about what the book entails and how it affected me.
I really can't and neither do I wan't to explain what this book is about, because if ever you were to listen to what my reviews advised:
Go into this blind, and it will open your eyes out to all the colors you never knew existed. Some will be ugly colors, some will be sad. All will be beautiful.
“Love is a cage two people build around themselves. ”
This book deals with some heavy topics. It will tear you apart in more ways than one because of how real it is, it will touch base in some way or another because all of us are living in a world where the social norms are determined by society.
When Lola reached out to me for a buddy read, the first thing I got told by my friend was that this book would ruin her and me. It really and irrevocably did.
“I’m all twisted around inside.”
I finished this book in less than a day, and I still feel the emotional whiplash from it. The Silver Cage has a very timid way that it approaches and comes to kill you. Wherein, you don't actually know that you're dead until you hit that last page and all you want to do is learn how to breathe again because the journey was the definition of breath-taking.
Partially from the realism and mostly from the emotion that is felt throughout the entire 60 heart-breakingly stunning chapters. I will go my whole life never forgetting these two and their story and I really hope that more people will get to love the love they have.
“You don’t work out,” I recited, “you level up.”
January 31, 2018
The writing blew me away. The story kept me riveted. The themes broke my heart. This is the one that will stay with you forever.
The Silver Cage had a profound effect on me. I’ve thought about it so often since I first read it, and it’s just as powerful the second or third time around. The journey Michael and Cal embark on is one of hope, trust, love, and heartbreak. It’s hard to know what to do with a book that feels so real and leaves such an impact. I can only say that this is such an important story. One that needs to be told, especially now when LGBTQ+ issues should be at the forefront of our conversations.
PS. The author bio credits Anonymous as an “international bestseller.” You can take that to the bank, folks. This is the type of writing I hope to read each time I pick up a book, but have only found in a few.
The Silver Cage had a profound effect on me. I’ve thought about it so often since I first read it, and it’s just as powerful the second or third time around. The journey Michael and Cal embark on is one of hope, trust, love, and heartbreak. It’s hard to know what to do with a book that feels so real and leaves such an impact. I can only say that this is such an important story. One that needs to be told, especially now when LGBTQ+ issues should be at the forefront of our conversations.
PS. The author bio credits Anonymous as an “international bestseller.” You can take that to the bank, folks. This is the type of writing I hope to read each time I pick up a book, but have only found in a few.
January 24, 2021
Re-read Jan/2021
I feel baffled, angry and frustrated. But it's the helplessness that really gets to me. That desire to get inside a book, shake the MC and shout, FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING, UNCRAZY your head, you crazy fucker! 😭😭
And don't I love when the writing turns my emotions into a pretzel?
Original review:
I'm having a hard time letting this go.
I can't stop thinking about it.
You must be tired of listening to me to say that I live for stories like this.
I can’t help it though because they are the ones that stand out from the other tons of books I read.
They destroy me emotionally and yet I regret nothing.
The Silver Cage took me by surprise. It started ok, an enjoyable slow-burn that soon gets on fire. Still, there was something in between the lines that didn't let me relax and enjoy the hell of this hot ride. I couldn't help thinking: where the hell is this going?
The blurb didn't say much and so I had no idea of what was going to hit me. When I finally got the gist of it, was too late. The writing voice was coming from a storyteller whisperer and I was doomed.
How can a story of only 218 pages carry so much emotion, feelings and intensity and translate it all in pain?
This story stomped on my feelings, crushed my heart to finally slayed me, mercilessly.
Michael, sweet Michael… open, honest, happy and beautifully vulnerable. A free-spirited raised guy, he couldn’t be more different from Caleb.
Michael is a guy after my own heart. The kind of “do what makes you happy/all roads lead to Rome” school of faith.
“I envied him, and his carefree ignorance made me want him more, as if I could somehow draw his happiness into myself.”
Whereas Caleb, trapped inside his own disturbed head, blinded by guilt and shame for loving a man; chained in a silver cage represented by his faith was a haunted soul.
“If my faith broke apart somehow, so would I.”
The Silver Cage impressed me in a disturbingly way and I’m going to tell you, the fine line between religion and fanaticism which is sometimes crossed scares the shit out of me. Besides, the intolerance that walks side by side with it drives me completely mad.
“They aren’t monster. They are uncompromising in their beliefs.”
How religion gets to people to this point and goes that far as discriminating? making people feel ashamed of love? Is not your faith supposed to make you loved and happy?
“Have you ever considered the possibility that it’s not wrong? What if your family and your religion are wrong about this?”
Can't people see that the intolerance so strongly rooted in religion goes against the very basic principle preached by them? love.
I want to believe that if there is a God, he wouldn’t condemn love.
Now, take a good look at the author's note:
That heartbreaking fucking note made me take a good look at myself and realize how NOT nice I am as a person. I didn't learn about forgiveness yet! I am not in peace with this story yet. I am not in peace with all the haters. I'm not ready to forgive any of them. Hell, I don't know if I will ever be.
I feel baffled, angry and frustrated. But it's the helplessness that really gets to me. That desire to get inside a book, shake the MC and shout, FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING, UNCRAZY your head, you crazy fucker! 😭😭
And don't I love when the writing turns my emotions into a pretzel?
Original review:
I'm having a hard time letting this go.
I can't stop thinking about it.
You must be tired of listening to me to say that I live for stories like this.
I can’t help it though because they are the ones that stand out from the other tons of books I read.
They destroy me emotionally and yet I regret nothing.
The Silver Cage took me by surprise. It started ok, an enjoyable slow-burn that soon gets on fire. Still, there was something in between the lines that didn't let me relax and enjoy the hell of this hot ride. I couldn't help thinking: where the hell is this going?
The blurb didn't say much and so I had no idea of what was going to hit me. When I finally got the gist of it, was too late. The writing voice was coming from a storyteller whisperer and I was doomed.
How can a story of only 218 pages carry so much emotion, feelings and intensity and translate it all in pain?
This story stomped on my feelings, crushed my heart to finally slayed me, mercilessly.
Michael, sweet Michael… open, honest, happy and beautifully vulnerable. A free-spirited raised guy, he couldn’t be more different from Caleb.
Michael is a guy after my own heart. The kind of “do what makes you happy/all roads lead to Rome” school of faith.
“I envied him, and his carefree ignorance made me want him more, as if I could somehow draw his happiness into myself.”
Whereas Caleb, trapped inside his own disturbed head, blinded by guilt and shame for loving a man; chained in a silver cage represented by his faith was a haunted soul.
“If my faith broke apart somehow, so would I.”
The Silver Cage impressed me in a disturbingly way and I’m going to tell you, the fine line between religion and fanaticism which is sometimes crossed scares the shit out of me. Besides, the intolerance that walks side by side with it drives me completely mad.
“They aren’t monster. They are uncompromising in their beliefs.”
How religion gets to people to this point and goes that far as discriminating? making people feel ashamed of love? Is not your faith supposed to make you loved and happy?
“Have you ever considered the possibility that it’s not wrong? What if your family and your religion are wrong about this?”
Can't people see that the intolerance so strongly rooted in religion goes against the very basic principle preached by them? love.
I want to believe that if there is a God, he wouldn’t condemn love.
Now, take a good look at the author's note:
That heartbreaking fucking note made me take a good look at myself and realize how NOT nice I am as a person. I didn't learn about forgiveness yet! I am not in peace with this story yet. I am not in peace with all the haters. I'm not ready to forgive any of them. Hell, I don't know if I will ever be.
February 18, 2018
*Spoiler*
A heart-wrenching story.
Something tells me this story was extremely personal for this author. I wasn't aware of the plot prior to reading and so knowing very little, I plunged right into the midst of this character-driven narrative about Caleb and Michael. Quite frankly, after reading a few pages, I knew it would be an emotional gut-wrenching ride.
Caleb is a reclusive 31 yr old bestselling author who withdrew abruptly from the public and Michael, 26, is a part-time blogger/writer/entrepreneur who was commisioned to write a profile on Caleb.
The few moments of hilarity occurred during their initial meetings. Michael was too adorable and clueless as to why he was constantly flustered around Caleb.
So we meet Caleb who, in the last 2 years, has been in a constant state of melancholy mixed with profound regret. His wife left him and got full custody of their son. He's isolated, without friends. A situation that feels like sufficient penance, except, his self-loathing manifests in more harmful ways. In spite of that, he professes a deep Christian faith, a belief that is at once dissonant yet is the very core of this story.
The strength of this book is in the progression of their relationship, which makes it unfathomable how something so beautiful could have such catastrophic consequences.
I did not put this book down and once finished I promptly put on my running shoes. It was either that or proceed to break something.
Buy this book.
February 8, 2018
Jesus fucking Christ.
(Throws book against the wall.)
(Picks it up and throws it against the other wall.)
(Stomps on it.)
(Spits on it.)
(Kicks it.)
FUCK THIS FUCKING BOOK.
(Kicks it again.)
(Cries.)
(Throws book against the wall.)
(Picks it up and throws it against the other wall.)
(Stomps on it.)
(Spits on it.)
(Kicks it.)
FUCK THIS FUCKING BOOK.
(Kicks it again.)
(Cries.)
February 22, 2018
5++++++ Heartbreaking beautiful stars
Love is a Cage two people build around themselves
Oh This Book! This stupid, Magnificent, well written book! Broke my heart into pieces.
I finished this at work, i sat on my desk crying, one of my co-workers saw me and asked what was wrong, I told her the truth that i had just finished reading an amazing book that tore my heart out. She said “sorry” but looked at me like i was insane, Honestly i didn't care clearly she is not into books.
-The writing was perfect.
-The chemistry between Cal and Michael was there from the beginning and very believable.
- The sex hot! Hot! Hot!
-The story...... Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuccckkkkkkkkk! Fuckity! Fuck!
After reading this, I need to read sappy, OTP, unbelievable romance, HEA until I feel I will be ok with reading another book like this, because this stupid book! Broke my heart into pieces. I know it is fiction but the truth is someone has lived and is living Cal’s life. Someone out there has lived and is living Michael’s life and honestly, I don’t want to think about that anymore.
I wanted to go and find the author and go all Izzie Stevens on Her/Him/Them
Overall, i just read the most beautiful, heartbreaking story
Love is a Cage two people build around themselves
Oh This Book! This stupid, Magnificent, well written book! Broke my heart into pieces.
I finished this at work, i sat on my desk crying, one of my co-workers saw me and asked what was wrong, I told her the truth that i had just finished reading an amazing book that tore my heart out. She said “sorry” but looked at me like i was insane, Honestly i didn't care clearly she is not into books.
-The writing was perfect.
-The chemistry between Cal and Michael was there from the beginning and very believable.
- The sex hot! Hot! Hot!
-The story...... Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuccckkkkkkkkk! Fuckity! Fuck!
After reading this, I need to read sappy, OTP, unbelievable romance, HEA until I feel I will be ok with reading another book like this, because this stupid book! Broke my heart into pieces. I know it is fiction but the truth is someone has lived and is living Cal’s life. Someone out there has lived and is living Michael’s life and honestly, I don’t want to think about that anymore.
I wanted to go and find the author and go all Izzie Stevens on Her/Him/Them
Overall, i just read the most beautiful, heartbreaking story
February 10, 2018
Fuck this book! 😢😢😢
I locked myself in the bathroom and I'm crying so bad.. OMG this book ruined me!!! God help me... 😢😢😢
Ps. If you're okay to read MM books, I highly recommend it to you... ❤
I locked myself in the bathroom and I'm crying so bad.. OMG this book ruined me!!! God help me... 😢😢😢
Ps. If you're okay to read MM books, I highly recommend it to you... ❤
February 11, 2018
4.5
Outstanding writing,characters so well developed....this story will stay with me for a long,long time.
I'm not writing any kind of review because you really MUST go into this one blind.
I'm linking Jan's review and I mean no disrespect to other reviews but her review conveys the emotion perfectly,without any spoilers,that I felt after reading this.
Favourite quotes
Definitely one of my best reads this year.
More pics.
Cal lived in his silver cage, though his heart had outgrown it years ago.(...)
Outstanding writing,characters so well developed....this story will stay with me for a long,long time.
I'm not writing any kind of review because you really MUST go into this one blind.
I'm linking Jan's review and I mean no disrespect to other reviews but her review conveys the emotion perfectly,without any spoilers,that I felt after reading this.
Favourite quotes
She deserved to know that I loved what had only ever been a chore to her.
“I think about you constantly. I wake up thinking about you. I fall asleep thinking about you. I’m always wondering what’s on your mind. I wish I could constantly hear your impressions. I think about what sort of gifts you would like, or places we could travel together. Even after we’ve been in bed ... (...)
Every song I hear seems to be about you. My hand doesn’t want to draw anything else. If I pick up an instrument, it’s you I’m playing for. When I’m working out, I’m thinking about the way you look at my body, how much I like it. I think about you more than I think about God now. So what else would I write about?”
The problem with second-guessing yourself is that you usually do it too late.
Definitely one of my best reads this year.
More pics.
February 2, 2019
I came back to rate this one. It took me almost a year. I guess I'll go with 4 stars.
If I'd rate only the writing I'd give it 5 huge stars, but - I just can't rate it with 5 stars as a whole. I'm not OK with how the author chose to end Cal and Michael's story. I'm heartbroken, devastated and very angry!
I'm not a religious person and I try to refrain from talking to people who take their beliefs to the extreme. To each their own I say, and I move on, because I don't want to judge, I don't want to change their mind, I just try to respect their choices.
But here, HERE I got to love both main characters, so that's why it's hard, it's too hard to respect Cal's choice. It's too hard NOT to judge, it's too hard NOT to be angry with him!!!
The most painful aspect would be that this probably happens right this moment, somewhere in this world. And it makes me so angry and so powerless. I hate feeling powerless!!!
Anonynous mentioned in the Note to readers:
"Part of me wants to apologize for writing a novel that may have saddened you, but I cannot do that. I believe fictional characters have real lives - i.e. truth and consistency in their stories - and that one of the worst things an author can do is lie about a character's life."
"May have saddened" doesn't even come close to what I'm feeling right now. And I wouldn't have minded AT ALL if the author chose to change Cal's views. If he would have accepted his love, in the end. If he would have given a chance to Michael, to what they had. They deserved better!!! But this is the story the author wanted to share, it's his/hers view. I'm trying to accept this.
But I'm failing miserably.
I'm just sorry I've read it, because this book's ending destroyed me. I am a mess! Sobbing and feeling powerless. That's me. That's what I'm feeling right now. And I never cry while reading. Well it happened to me only once, while reading Axios: A Spartan Tale. I've read many books, many sad and soul wrenching stories. Some were dark, some were even pitch black. I've "met" on the way drug addicts and characters with sever depression and even mental illnesses. But I've never been so devastated. And angry! Oh, so very angry!
I almost never write my reviews right after finishing the books. I usually prefer to let the story and its ending sink. It's not something I want to do with this one. I want to write down my feelings and move on. Or try to, at least. It still hurts so bad!
Right now I feel a HUGE sadness and disappointment!! It's hard to refrain from overusing the exclamation point and writing with big letters how angry I really am.
Anonynous:"(...) I knew, as I wrote the first line of the book, exactly how it would end."
I'm sorry I didn't. I bought this one after reading only one review, and it was Lorraine's. I knew it shattered her heart too, but I was also curious. Too curious not to give it a try.
I'm sorry I can't let this review as vague as hers. I'll mark it as a spoiler, but I just can't let it go. Maybe someone will need to know before diving in. I wish I did. I wish I'd known.
So please read the WARNING: "it contains graphic sensuality and strong themes including suicide, sexual identity, and self-harm."
Personally I don't have a problem reading about self-harming. But it was too much for me to read about
If I'd rate only the writing I'd give it 5 huge stars, but - I just can't rate it with 5 stars as a whole. I'm not OK with how the author chose to end Cal and Michael's story. I'm heartbroken, devastated and very angry!
I'm not a religious person and I try to refrain from talking to people who take their beliefs to the extreme. To each their own I say, and I move on, because I don't want to judge, I don't want to change their mind, I just try to respect their choices.
But here, HERE I got to love both main characters, so that's why it's hard, it's too hard to respect Cal's choice. It's too hard NOT to judge, it's too hard NOT to be angry with him!!!
The most painful aspect would be that this probably happens right this moment, somewhere in this world. And it makes me so angry and so powerless. I hate feeling powerless!!!
Anonynous mentioned in the Note to readers:
"Part of me wants to apologize for writing a novel that may have saddened you, but I cannot do that. I believe fictional characters have real lives - i.e. truth and consistency in their stories - and that one of the worst things an author can do is lie about a character's life."
"May have saddened" doesn't even come close to what I'm feeling right now. And I wouldn't have minded AT ALL if the author chose to change Cal's views. If he would have accepted his love, in the end. If he would have given a chance to Michael, to what they had. They deserved better!!! But this is the story the author wanted to share, it's his/hers view. I'm trying to accept this.
But I'm failing miserably.
I'm just sorry I've read it, because this book's ending destroyed me. I am a mess! Sobbing and feeling powerless. That's me. That's what I'm feeling right now. And I never cry while reading. Well it happened to me only once, while reading Axios: A Spartan Tale. I've read many books, many sad and soul wrenching stories. Some were dark, some were even pitch black. I've "met" on the way drug addicts and characters with sever depression and even mental illnesses. But I've never been so devastated. And angry! Oh, so very angry!
I almost never write my reviews right after finishing the books. I usually prefer to let the story and its ending sink. It's not something I want to do with this one. I want to write down my feelings and move on. Or try to, at least. It still hurts so bad!
Right now I feel a HUGE sadness and disappointment!! It's hard to refrain from overusing the exclamation point and writing with big letters how angry I really am.
Anonynous:"(...) I knew, as I wrote the first line of the book, exactly how it would end."
I'm sorry I didn't. I bought this one after reading only one review, and it was Lorraine's. I knew it shattered her heart too, but I was also curious. Too curious not to give it a try.
I'm sorry I can't let this review as vague as hers. I'll mark it as a spoiler, but I just can't let it go. Maybe someone will need to know before diving in. I wish I did. I wish I'd known.
So please read the WARNING: "it contains graphic sensuality and strong themes including suicide, sexual identity, and self-harm."
Personally I don't have a problem reading about self-harming. But it was too much for me to read about
February 11, 2018
Genre: M/M Fiction/Romance
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Dual
Rating:
Caleb (Cal) Bright was a successful author until one day he suddenly retreated and became a recluse. But people haven't forgotten him and when he agreed to be interviewed by a journalist, he didn't expect it to be harder than it should.
Michael Beck had an ambition of making a career in journalism. When he was assigned to write about Caleb, he knew it could be the break he needed. But little did he know how much his life was about to change.
I saw this book and I knew I had to read it. I didn't know much about it, but it spoke to me from bits and pieces I saw and after finishing it, I know it would stay with me for a long time.
Cal might seem like an asshole but there's vulnerability in him that appealed to me. Also I'm drawn to the reclusive, slightly off center behavior lol!
I loved Michael right from the beginning. I like his laid back personality and how he took his work seriously even when it didn't look so.
This book turned out to be deeper than I expected it to be. The things that the characters had to deal with made me sad but also so angry because it's real. And when anger turned to hurt, it cut deep and leaves a scar.
The Silver Cage is a story of recognizing one's true self. This raw look into sexuality might not be suitable for everyone but will leave a lasting impression for those who read it.
💠 ❌ 💠 . . . (F)BR With Twinsie CC & Loyda . . . 💠 ❌ 💠
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Dual
Rating:
Caleb (Cal) Bright was a successful author until one day he suddenly retreated and became a recluse. But people haven't forgotten him and when he agreed to be interviewed by a journalist, he didn't expect it to be harder than it should.
Michael Beck had an ambition of making a career in journalism. When he was assigned to write about Caleb, he knew it could be the break he needed. But little did he know how much his life was about to change.
I saw this book and I knew I had to read it. I didn't know much about it, but it spoke to me from bits and pieces I saw and after finishing it, I know it would stay with me for a long time.
I wasn’t the right person for gentleness and goodness. I hated myself too much to begin to know how to be good to someone else.
Cal might seem like an asshole but there's vulnerability in him that appealed to me. Also I'm drawn to the reclusive, slightly off center behavior lol!
Cal was older than I was, more successful, ridiculously educated, and part of a world of privilege I had only read about in books—and he seemed to be hurting, hiding something. Of course I was fixated on him. Show me the journalist who wouldn’t be.
I loved Michael right from the beginning. I like his laid back personality and how he took his work seriously even when it didn't look so.
I wanted him to stop. I wanted him to be free. I wanted to change the way he saw himself and the world.
This book turned out to be deeper than I expected it to be. The things that the characters had to deal with made me sad but also so angry because it's real. And when anger turned to hurt, it cut deep and leaves a scar.
The Silver Cage is a story of recognizing one's true self. This raw look into sexuality might not be suitable for everyone but will leave a lasting impression for those who read it.
💠 ❌ 💠 . . . (F)BR With Twinsie CC & Loyda . . . 💠 ❌ 💠
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
Want to read
February 5, 2018
I’M GOING WITH MY GUT ON THIS ONE!
Anonymous best-selling author, vague blurb. It covers serious topics in a gut-wrenching tale!
Stand-alone.
Purchase: | AMZ US | AMZ UK |
Blurb:
A bitter, mysterious author. A young and naive journalist. A tragic past, a dark secret, and an unforgettable tale of passion and love.
February 11, 2018
4.5 Stars!
Michael Beck is an aspiring freelance journalist and blogger who primarily earns a living by streaming as a gamer. At 25 years old, he’s slowly adapted to adulting but now he has an opportunity of a lifetime to transition his writing into a more serious pursuit. As Michael tries to ingratiate himself with his easy personality and commitment to an accurate portrayal, he begins to discover more than he could have imagined about his subject and himself.
Caleb “Cal” Bright is a reclusive best selling author sequestered by his own volition. Upon begrudgingly accepting to be interviewed for a profile, Cal is prepared to regurgitate answers to unimaginative questions so he can be left alone again. However, what starts on a rocky and standoffish foundation evolves into the unexpected causing old feelings to come full circle.
As Michael and Cal set a professional course, a mutual respect is present and as their time together passes, Cal slowly begins to reveal many layers of his personality and beliefs. Learning more about each other leads to decisions that cause complications but both embrace their choices despite the consequences.
Told in dual POV, these characters become alive from the first page. While Cal’s personality is steeped in refinement, education and wealth, he is also deeply conflicted with the conventions of his family’s religion and his own actions. Often coming across as aloof or abrasive, Cal is confronted with Michael’s uninhibited lightheartedness and it balances him in ways he hasn’t felt in years. I loved Cal and certainly empathized with his conflict. With Michael, he always felt like breeze of fresh air infusing energy and newness.
What ensues is a story that evokes strong emotion in relation to choices and expectations regarding family, love and one’s own beliefs in religious constructs. The impact is deeply felt whether it be the sensation of attraction, admiration, despair and loss. Knowing the plight of Cal and Michael, the author remains true these characters.
The Silver Cage offers a poignant narrative that will leave lasting impression. This book will appeal to those who want to delve into complex feelings no matter the painful consequences. I highly recommend!
*This was a (F)BR with Twinsie Hawkey and Loyda!*
Michael Beck is an aspiring freelance journalist and blogger who primarily earns a living by streaming as a gamer. At 25 years old, he’s slowly adapted to adulting but now he has an opportunity of a lifetime to transition his writing into a more serious pursuit. As Michael tries to ingratiate himself with his easy personality and commitment to an accurate portrayal, he begins to discover more than he could have imagined about his subject and himself.
“I was giving myself permission to reopen the door to Michael Beck, because I didn’t have anything else in left in my life.”
Caleb “Cal” Bright is a reclusive best selling author sequestered by his own volition. Upon begrudgingly accepting to be interviewed for a profile, Cal is prepared to regurgitate answers to unimaginative questions so he can be left alone again. However, what starts on a rocky and standoffish foundation evolves into the unexpected causing old feelings to come full circle.
“I do believe I deserve it,” I admitted. “That doesn’t make it any easier.”
As Michael and Cal set a professional course, a mutual respect is present and as their time together passes, Cal slowly begins to reveal many layers of his personality and beliefs. Learning more about each other leads to decisions that cause complications but both embrace their choices despite the consequences.
“I got down on my knees very deliberately. I wanted him to know that I wanted this, and that I wasn’t acting on a whim.”
Told in dual POV, these characters become alive from the first page. While Cal’s personality is steeped in refinement, education and wealth, he is also deeply conflicted with the conventions of his family’s religion and his own actions. Often coming across as aloof or abrasive, Cal is confronted with Michael’s uninhibited lightheartedness and it balances him in ways he hasn’t felt in years. I loved Cal and certainly empathized with his conflict. With Michael, he always felt like breeze of fresh air infusing energy and newness.
What ensues is a story that evokes strong emotion in relation to choices and expectations regarding family, love and one’s own beliefs in religious constructs. The impact is deeply felt whether it be the sensation of attraction, admiration, despair and loss. Knowing the plight of Cal and Michael, the author remains true these characters.
The Silver Cage offers a poignant narrative that will leave lasting impression. This book will appeal to those who want to delve into complex feelings no matter the painful consequences. I highly recommend!
*This was a (F)BR with Twinsie Hawkey and Loyda!*
March 7, 2020
WHAT THE FUCK. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.
NOBODY TOUCH ME. NOBODY TALK TO ME. MY TEARS COULD FILL A WHOLE LAKE RIGHT NOW.
ANONYMOUS, YOU SON OF A BITCH!
NOBODY TOUCH ME. NOBODY TALK TO ME. MY TEARS COULD FILL A WHOLE LAKE RIGHT NOW.
ANONYMOUS, YOU SON OF A BITCH!
February 10, 2018
4.5Stars
Damn this book 😭😭😭😭😭🔪🔪🔪🔪😠😠😠😠😠😭😭😭😭😭 #everythinghurts
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
🖤🔪F(BR) with War and CC🔪🖤
I'll be the one with black on the right!
Damn this book 😭😭😭😭😭🔪🔪🔪🔪😠😠😠😠😠😭😭😭😭😭 #everythinghurts
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
🖤🔪F(BR) with War and CC🔪🖤
I'll be the one with black on the right!
September 26, 2019
Just finished my post-Cord re-read and I’m increasing to a full 5 stars. Not because it was perfect, but because it was SO effective, SO impactful, and SO evocative that it’s just not right for me to give anything less.
All my other thoughts are going behind the tag, because I’m too emotionally drained to try to figure out how to say stuff without spoilers… But be warned, there are *major* spoilers in there.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Original review: 4.5 stars. Excellent! I went into this one blind, on a recommendation from a friend who knew I could take it. I know that a lot of readers will not want to tackle this one, because of so many reasons — but since I hate spoilers and try to avoid them in my reviews, I’m not going to list those reasons.
The writing/development of these two characters, Cal and Michael, was off the charts. I felt them immediately, strengths and vulnerabilities, assets and flaws. I didn’t get to know them as I read, somehow I already knew them as soon as they appeared on the page. The fuck... how does an author even DO that??
As dark as this book is, it stayed balanced. It wasn’t an unwavering assault on my emotions — it had light moments and interwoven humor, which is absolutely critical in a dark book.
Side note: I am an atheist, and I always approach religious content in books with one eyebrow raised. In case you feel the same, don’t let it keep you from this one.
I did have one main quibble that kept it from being perfect. I felt like Cal’s parents being entirely off-page was incongruent with his character. That relationship needed to be present — it was too crucial to Cal’s story. This is the only thing that kept it from being a 5 star for me. I’m pretty sure reading about them would have made my brain boil, but it was important.
But this didn’t take away from my intense appreciation of the book and I still highly recommend it. I’m off to have a stiff drink now. It’s 5:00 somewhere.
All my other thoughts are going behind the tag, because I’m too emotionally drained to try to figure out how to say stuff without spoilers… But be warned, there are *major* spoilers in there.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Original review: 4.5 stars. Excellent! I went into this one blind, on a recommendation from a friend who knew I could take it. I know that a lot of readers will not want to tackle this one, because of so many reasons — but since I hate spoilers and try to avoid them in my reviews, I’m not going to list those reasons.
The writing/development of these two characters, Cal and Michael, was off the charts. I felt them immediately, strengths and vulnerabilities, assets and flaws. I didn’t get to know them as I read, somehow I already knew them as soon as they appeared on the page. The fuck... how does an author even DO that??
As dark as this book is, it stayed balanced. It wasn’t an unwavering assault on my emotions — it had light moments and interwoven humor, which is absolutely critical in a dark book.
Side note: I am an atheist, and I always approach religious content in books with one eyebrow raised. In case you feel the same, don’t let it keep you from this one.
I did have one main quibble that kept it from being perfect. I felt like Cal’s parents being entirely off-page was incongruent with his character. That relationship needed to be present — it was too crucial to Cal’s story. This is the only thing that kept it from being a 5 star for me. I’m pretty sure reading about them would have made my brain boil, but it was important.
But this didn’t take away from my intense appreciation of the book and I still highly recommend it. I’m off to have a stiff drink now. It’s 5:00 somewhere.
November 27, 2023
Love gritty stories like A Little Life, Young Mungo, or Thrown Off the Ice? Then please read this brilliantly written book about love, loss, and hiding your true self.
Do you know those moments when a book fully consumes you? Haunts you, even days, weeks, months after you read it? Destroys you because it’s gut-wrenching? The Silver Cage is such a book.
Love is a cage two people build around themselves. Cal and Jamie had locked themselves in that cage and it had cost them everything. Now I was trapped with Cal, unable and unwilling to escape.
Before I finished the first page, my throat closed like I was suffocating. Swallowing became difficult. I immediately knew I had found a new gem, and I wanted to read on and on and on. Cal’s pain was palpable on almost every page, even when I read Michael’s chapters, and his hurt seared into my heart. I shuddered whenever he went to the bathroom and felt a brick dropping in my stomach when he told himself that he was a sinner. And that same stomach churned when I found out what had happened to Jamie. Still, I read on and on and on. Then I finished the book, and while reading the last page, a fire of anger that had been simmering in my chest exploded. I wanted to scream out loud, scream at all those people who believe in God but shun beloved ones for who they truly are, and tears fell down my cheeks uncontrollably.
Even though I want to give this story a million stars, I know it’s not for everyone. This story is raw, dark, uncomfortable, graphic. Please, please, read the trigger warnings!!! I believe the author wrote a very personal story, and I hope they are happy now and can be who they want to be, whoever they are. I’m definitely going to read the prequel, and I hope, one day, there will be a third book.
Do you know those moments when a book fully consumes you? Haunts you, even days, weeks, months after you read it? Destroys you because it’s gut-wrenching? The Silver Cage is such a book.
Love is a cage two people build around themselves. Cal and Jamie had locked themselves in that cage and it had cost them everything. Now I was trapped with Cal, unable and unwilling to escape.
Before I finished the first page, my throat closed like I was suffocating. Swallowing became difficult. I immediately knew I had found a new gem, and I wanted to read on and on and on. Cal’s pain was palpable on almost every page, even when I read Michael’s chapters, and his hurt seared into my heart. I shuddered whenever he went to the bathroom and felt a brick dropping in my stomach when he told himself that he was a sinner. And that same stomach churned when I found out what had happened to Jamie. Still, I read on and on and on. Then I finished the book, and while reading the last page, a fire of anger that had been simmering in my chest exploded. I wanted to scream out loud, scream at all those people who believe in God but shun beloved ones for who they truly are, and tears fell down my cheeks uncontrollably.
Even though I want to give this story a million stars, I know it’s not for everyone. This story is raw, dark, uncomfortable, graphic. Please, please, read the trigger warnings!!! I believe the author wrote a very personal story, and I hope they are happy now and can be who they want to be, whoever they are. I’m definitely going to read the prequel, and I hope, one day, there will be a third book.
February 20, 2018
I've tried to wrap my mind around my thoughts to be able to write a review for this, gut wrenching, emotionally heartbreaking story, but I just can't, at least not right now when I'm feeling so raw. I hope to come back and write a proper review because as much heartache as I felt reading this one I know I will read again and again. As for now gifs are the only way I can express my feelings.....
March 7, 2018
This book is good. It is a story of love and hate, both entwined and mixed with a very thin thread. It’s sad too, because life is hard and shitty and once you end a book like this you just want for people to be happy and not afraid of their feelings. You just want to fight against unfairness and all kinds of injustice. Bigotry, intolerance, ignorance. It’s a difficult battle this one but, at least, I’m hopeful that I’m teaching my kids some good values. If they are the future and we can do shit about it, let’s do it, right?
The only reason I’m not giving this book 5 stars is the ending. It felt rushed and not in harmony with what I knew (or thought I knew) about Caleb (one of the MCs). It destroyed my perception of this captivating character and I was so mad in the last page...*growling*
The prose is beautiful. Simple but gorgeous. Or maybe not, maybe it’s not simple at all. It’s just... it is so easy to read, everything felt so natural and realistic but striking at the same time...remarkable. Fast paced, built by appealing and splendid conversations and two complex characters giving them life.
Maybe you think you’re gonna read a geeky sweet and heterosexual guy meeting a religious, smart and mysterious writer. But that’s not it. That’s true but just a first and light approximation of what it awaits for you in the deep and dark interior. That deep and dark you are perceiving all the way from the beginning but that you can’t touch or name. It’s there, and you are afraid because you know that it’s coming and that it’s gonna explode but how or when you have no idea. You just want to survive the impact. The thing is, will you?
I did. I survived and I didn’t cry, but I have to recognize that it was unsettling even if predictable. I’m not using the word predictable in a bad way tho. But it’s true that the whole story drives the plot to a very specific ending. The curious thing is that the ending itself was not exactly what I was expecting and I felt a bit cheated.
Do I recommend The Silver Cage? Undoubtedly, but it’s a read on your own risk kind of book. Not easy, not cheerful but very well written and emotional.
Izen, I truly enjoyed this BR. Status Quo, Stella Artois, “encaje de bolillos” *smiling while writing*. I laughed a lot even when it wasn’t the funniest book ever. But it was pretty good and you made it better. Gracias!
Reviews for Book Lovers
The only reason I’m not giving this book 5 stars is the ending. It felt rushed and not in harmony with what I knew (or thought I knew) about Caleb (one of the MCs). It destroyed my perception of this captivating character and I was so mad in the last page...*growling*
The prose is beautiful. Simple but gorgeous. Or maybe not, maybe it’s not simple at all. It’s just... it is so easy to read, everything felt so natural and realistic but striking at the same time...remarkable. Fast paced, built by appealing and splendid conversations and two complex characters giving them life.
Maybe you think you’re gonna read a geeky sweet and heterosexual guy meeting a religious, smart and mysterious writer. But that’s not it. That’s true but just a first and light approximation of what it awaits for you in the deep and dark interior. That deep and dark you are perceiving all the way from the beginning but that you can’t touch or name. It’s there, and you are afraid because you know that it’s coming and that it’s gonna explode but how or when you have no idea. You just want to survive the impact. The thing is, will you?
I did. I survived and I didn’t cry, but I have to recognize that it was unsettling even if predictable. I’m not using the word predictable in a bad way tho. But it’s true that the whole story drives the plot to a very specific ending. The curious thing is that the ending itself was not exactly what I was expecting and I felt a bit cheated.
Do I recommend The Silver Cage? Undoubtedly, but it’s a read on your own risk kind of book. Not easy, not cheerful but very well written and emotional.
Izen, I truly enjoyed this BR. Status Quo, Stella Artois, “encaje de bolillos” *smiling while writing*. I laughed a lot even when it wasn’t the funniest book ever. But it was pretty good and you made it better. Gracias!
Reviews for Book Lovers
February 11, 2018
★ 4.5 stars!!! ★
Eu raramente leio livros M/M, na verdade acho que só li um até hoje, na época gostei, no entanto, hoje pensando bem e analisando sinto que ficou faltando algo mais profundo e emocional, tanto é que teve uma sequência...
Enfim, o meu ponto é que eu evito ler esse tipo de tema não por não gostar e sim justamente porque a maioria dos autores não têm sensibilidade suficiente pra explorar a complexidade de um relacionamento homo, ou a realidade, as verdadeiras inseguranças, a luta. Nem tudo se resume a cenas hot’s e etc. Pelo menos até esse livro, eu ainda não tinha me deparado com algo que realmente suprisse os elementos que eu sentia a necessidade de ler.
“The Silver Cage” trouxe uma nova luz pra mim em relação a livros que abordam esse assunto. Teve mais profundidade, complexidade... foi mais real e apaixonante!
Fui cativada por ambos os personagens, a forma como seus caminhos cruzaram e como a partir dai a relação foi se construindo e solidificando.
Cal e Michael ficarão comigo por um bom tempo... ver o conflito e a luta entre o que você deseja contra aquilo que você “aprendeu a crer” desde a infância foi de partir o coração...
E isso acaba te fazendo refletir e analisar todas as suas crenças. O que realmente é certo e errado? Até que ponto você permite que o pensamento de terceiros influencie em suas escolhas, no seu modo de agir... na sua vida?
Quando uma história ou determinado personagem de certa forma te toca profundamente, é impossível não sentir empatia. Não passar e vivenciar aquele momento/dor/sentimento.
Achei a escrita maravilhosa e a narrativa bem fluída! Quanto mais eu lia, mais eu queria que não tivesse fim!
Marcante, intrigante, de tirar o fôlego e com um significado especial e único pra mim... meu coração ainda dói, ainda estou pensando, analisando e sentindo tudo o que li...
Esse livro definitivamente entrou pro meu ranking de melhores e favoritos de 2018! ❤️
Amei! 💖💖
“I wasn’t the right person for gentleness and goodness. I hated myself too much to begin to know how to be good to someone else.”
Eu raramente leio livros M/M, na verdade acho que só li um até hoje, na época gostei, no entanto, hoje pensando bem e analisando sinto que ficou faltando algo mais profundo e emocional, tanto é que teve uma sequência...
Enfim, o meu ponto é que eu evito ler esse tipo de tema não por não gostar e sim justamente porque a maioria dos autores não têm sensibilidade suficiente pra explorar a complexidade de um relacionamento homo, ou a realidade, as verdadeiras inseguranças, a luta. Nem tudo se resume a cenas hot’s e etc. Pelo menos até esse livro, eu ainda não tinha me deparado com algo que realmente suprisse os elementos que eu sentia a necessidade de ler.
“Cal lived in his silver cage, though his heart had outgrown it years ago.”
“The Silver Cage” trouxe uma nova luz pra mim em relação a livros que abordam esse assunto. Teve mais profundidade, complexidade... foi mais real e apaixonante!
Fui cativada por ambos os personagens, a forma como seus caminhos cruzaram e como a partir dai a relação foi se construindo e solidificando.
“I wanted him to be free. I wanted to change the way he saw himself and the world.”
Cal e Michael ficarão comigo por um bom tempo... ver o conflito e a luta entre o que você deseja contra aquilo que você “aprendeu a crer” desde a infância foi de partir o coração...
E isso acaba te fazendo refletir e analisar todas as suas crenças. O que realmente é certo e errado? Até que ponto você permite que o pensamento de terceiros influencie em suas escolhas, no seu modo de agir... na sua vida?
“If my faith broke apart somehow, so would I.”
Quando uma história ou determinado personagem de certa forma te toca profundamente, é impossível não sentir empatia. Não passar e vivenciar aquele momento/dor/sentimento.
“Despair is as deadly as cancer. It eats at the spirit, which generates our will to live.”
Achei a escrita maravilhosa e a narrativa bem fluída! Quanto mais eu lia, mais eu queria que não tivesse fim!
Marcante, intrigante, de tirar o fôlego e com um significado especial e único pra mim... meu coração ainda dói, ainda estou pensando, analisando e sentindo tudo o que li...
Esse livro definitivamente entrou pro meu ranking de melhores e favoritos de 2018! ❤️
Amei! 💖💖
April 1, 2021
Book: The Silver Cage
Author: Anonymous
Type: Standalone
Genre: MM Romance
POV: First Person - Dual
Rating: ARE YOU SEEING THIS SHIT?!@%^
Name/Age: Michael Beck : 25 ┃ Caleb Bright : 31
Setting: Red Feather Lakes, Colorado
Published: January 23, 2018
I'M NEVER EVER NEVER READING THIS BOOK EVER AGAIN.
THIS SHIT IS SAD AND DEPRESSING.
*cries while drowning in misery*
GO READ IT.
MISERY NEEDS COMPANY.
Full RTC. Maybe.
November 11, 2019
UGH, this book!!!
I will try to come back and write a coherent review, right now, I just can't.
I will try to come back and write a coherent review, right now, I just can't.
February 15, 2020
oh...
*sad*
*mad*
**sadder**
**madder**
***saddest***
***maddest***
I'm caught...stuck in a swirling vortex of despair.
I didn't read the blurb...I didn't glance at reviews...and now I want to simultaneously hurl it away with a silent roar and clutch it to my chest and dare anyone to try and take it away.
Because...well, just because.
To be honest, I'm not feeling rational at the moment.
I'm overwhelmed.
Deeply affected and obsessing over the smallest details.
About a third of the way through, I knew...I just knew, but I didn't want to believe it.
I'm staring at a blurry screen through my stream of tears and I'm just so...devastated.
And it's an eerie coincidence that 'When I Get Where I'm going" is playing on Pandora while I weep my way through this ramble of feels.
Do you know it?
It always brings tears to my eyes.....
"Yeah, when I get where I'm going
There'll only be happy tears
I will shed the sins and struggles
I have carried all these years
And I'll leave my heart wide open
I will love and have no fear
Yeah, when I get where I'm going
Don't cry for me down here."
That's almost perfect....almost.
Cal. Michael. I won’t forget you…ever.
Is this a romance? No, it’s not. But it’s a story with surprising strength and impact.
Is there love? Yes.
Heartbreak? Absolutely.
How can you follow your heart when it's split in two?
Which piece do you follow?
Which do you abandon?
I don't know...I don't have the answer to that.
I just wish...this, wasn't it.
*sniff*...not sure I'll recover from this crack anytime soon.
Triggers? Yeah...they are aplenty.
If your mental health is fragile, if you feel alone, if you need...someone, please reach out.
Your story doesn't have to end because this chapter feels hopeless.
*sad*
*mad*
**sadder**
**madder**
***saddest***
***maddest***
I'm caught...stuck in a swirling vortex of despair.
I didn't read the blurb...I didn't glance at reviews...and now I want to simultaneously hurl it away with a silent roar and clutch it to my chest and dare anyone to try and take it away.
Because...well, just because.
To be honest, I'm not feeling rational at the moment.
I'm overwhelmed.
Deeply affected and obsessing over the smallest details.
About a third of the way through, I knew...I just knew, but I didn't want to believe it.
I'm staring at a blurry screen through my stream of tears and I'm just so...devastated.
And it's an eerie coincidence that 'When I Get Where I'm going" is playing on Pandora while I weep my way through this ramble of feels.
Do you know it?
It always brings tears to my eyes.....
"Yeah, when I get where I'm going
There'll only be happy tears
I will shed the sins and struggles
I have carried all these years
And I'll leave my heart wide open
I will love and have no fear
Yeah, when I get where I'm going
Don't cry for me down here."
That's almost perfect....almost.
Cal. Michael. I won’t forget you…ever.
Is this a romance? No, it’s not. But it’s a story with surprising strength and impact.
Is there love? Yes.
Heartbreak? Absolutely.
How can you follow your heart when it's split in two?
Which piece do you follow?
Which do you abandon?
I don't know...I don't have the answer to that.
I just wish...this, wasn't it.
*sniff*...not sure I'll recover from this crack anytime soon.
Triggers? Yeah...they are aplenty.
If your mental health is fragile, if you feel alone, if you need...someone, please reach out.
Your story doesn't have to end because this chapter feels hopeless.
February 16, 2018
Wow.... I have no words.
October 14, 2018
I've come across The Silver Cage entirely by chance and knowing nothing about it - and that's how I read it: tuning out reviews and the online buzz surrounding it. I am now left with the impression of having stumbled upon a deeply personal novel - a feeling obviously strengthened by the writer's decision to remain anonymous - that is profoundly honest, troubling and very moving.
Reclusive and unwelcoming, the prodigy novelist Caleb Bright has retired to a wild corner of Colorado after dropping out suddenly of his literary career. The intrusion into his life of Michael Beck, a young journalist in charge of writing Cal's profile for the New Yorker , shakes his world and revives hidden desires and needs.
On this apparently straightforward boy-meets-boy plot, the author builds up a heart-wrenching story that is two-fold. It's at the same time the story of Michael and Cal's relationship, of its tentative beginnings and difficulties, and the story of two diverging and irreconciliable views of the world - one rational and secular, the other controlled by faith and belief.
Cal is a devoted Christian - haunted by the shame and guilt he identifies in his nature and desires - whilst Michael is an atheist, capable of looking at things in an adaptable manner, unburdened by commandments, beliefs and immutable truths (but also somewhat scared of his own ideas, reluctant to speak out when faced by Cal's most extreme notions). Throughout the novel, there is a constant clash between these two visions of the world that is reinforced by the dual narrative perspective adopted by the writer.
There is also another collision in the novel, the internal one between Cal's human "weaknesses" (his love and desire for Michael, his pride towards his books, his fear of being forgotten by the literary world) and his steadfast devotion to his faith, constantly upheld and never challenged or tested for its limits.
Despite Michael's centrality - and wonderful characterisation - The Silver Cage is ultimately Cal's novel. It's the story of his awareness, struggle, and attempted resistance. His faith is not a simple set of beliefs but, as he tries to explain to Michael “[...] it’s more like my bones [...] It’s what I’m constructed around" and it could only be negotiated with at the price of his total unraveling.
Although it ultimately caused me an awful lot of pain, I truly appreciated how the author refused to mellow down Cal's dogmatic attitude and decided instead to bring it to its extreme consequences.
The void and solitude of the book's last brief chapter left me speechless - that sense of an unavoidable ending that accompanied me throughout the novel in the form of a nudging background whisper finally took on shape and concreteness.
The Silver Cage is not an easy book to read - it's dry and quietly relentless in its narrative progression but I think it's also an important book, full of crucial questions on love, faith and free will. Despite all its difficult aspects, I'd highly recommend it.
**********
14th October 2018. I've finished my re-reading and was left bereft and heartbroken whilst hoping against hope that knowing the story in advance would help me face it in a different way. It didn't. Caleb's letter to Michael is a masterpiece of love and crushing inevitability:
Reclusive and unwelcoming, the prodigy novelist Caleb Bright has retired to a wild corner of Colorado after dropping out suddenly of his literary career. The intrusion into his life of Michael Beck, a young journalist in charge of writing Cal's profile for the New Yorker , shakes his world and revives hidden desires and needs.
On this apparently straightforward boy-meets-boy plot, the author builds up a heart-wrenching story that is two-fold. It's at the same time the story of Michael and Cal's relationship, of its tentative beginnings and difficulties, and the story of two diverging and irreconciliable views of the world - one rational and secular, the other controlled by faith and belief.
Cal is a devoted Christian - haunted by the shame and guilt he identifies in his nature and desires - whilst Michael is an atheist, capable of looking at things in an adaptable manner, unburdened by commandments, beliefs and immutable truths (but also somewhat scared of his own ideas, reluctant to speak out when faced by Cal's most extreme notions). Throughout the novel, there is a constant clash between these two visions of the world that is reinforced by the dual narrative perspective adopted by the writer.
There is also another collision in the novel, the internal one between Cal's human "weaknesses" (his love and desire for Michael, his pride towards his books, his fear of being forgotten by the literary world) and his steadfast devotion to his faith, constantly upheld and never challenged or tested for its limits.
Despite Michael's centrality - and wonderful characterisation - The Silver Cage is ultimately Cal's novel. It's the story of his awareness, struggle, and attempted resistance. His faith is not a simple set of beliefs but, as he tries to explain to Michael “[...] it’s more like my bones [...] It’s what I’m constructed around" and it could only be negotiated with at the price of his total unraveling.
Although it ultimately caused me an awful lot of pain, I truly appreciated how the author refused to mellow down Cal's dogmatic attitude and decided instead to bring it to its extreme consequences.
The void and solitude of the book's last brief chapter left me speechless - that sense of an unavoidable ending that accompanied me throughout the novel in the form of a nudging background whisper finally took on shape and concreteness.
The Silver Cage is not an easy book to read - it's dry and quietly relentless in its narrative progression but I think it's also an important book, full of crucial questions on love, faith and free will. Despite all its difficult aspects, I'd highly recommend it.
**********
14th October 2018. I've finished my re-reading and was left bereft and heartbroken whilst hoping against hope that knowing the story in advance would help me face it in a different way. It didn't. Caleb's letter to Michael is a masterpiece of love and crushing inevitability:
August 5, 2020
~ 5 Stars ~
I’m heartbroken.
I’m giving this all the stars, but I wish I could go back in time and never read it.
I’m heartbroken.
I’m giving this all the stars, but I wish I could go back in time and never read it.
February 16, 2018
This book left me speechless and that doesn't happen very often.
I was lucky to read this one while I was in London because I met Jan for dinner and I ranted and gave her a million hypothesis about what was going to happen while she looked at me with a poker face
Without giving much away (I recommend you all to go blind as I did) this was one of the best GFY books I've read in a long time. It was powerful, raw, intense, beautifully written and heartbreaking
I must confess that I didn't but it made me feel and that's all I ask for when I read a book
It kind of reminded me of Varian Krylov's writing style, I wish I knew who the author was because they deserve all the praise!
November 2, 2020
2020.11.02
My health and my emotional situation have deteriorated so much that even putting words into sentences has become a nightmare. No matter how hard I try, I always find myself unable to write even a review.
....................................................................................................................................
It's been almost seven months since I read this book, and I still find myself every night thinking about it, wishing I could write a review.
My health and my emotional situation have deteriorated so much that even putting words into sentences has become a nightmare. No matter how hard I try, I always find myself unable to write even a review.
....................................................................................................................................
It's been almost seven months since I read this book, and I still find myself every night thinking about it, wishing I could write a review.
January 16, 2019
Sublime!
Exquisite writing and complex characters set this book far apart from most in the romance and MM genre.
Dealing with issues of faith, identity, love, and lust, this anonymous author created a story that is layered, sexy, and heartbreaking.
There are much better reviews than this—read those, then read the book.
Also, don’t expect an HEA; expect an honest ending.
Exquisite writing and complex characters set this book far apart from most in the romance and MM genre.
Dealing with issues of faith, identity, love, and lust, this anonymous author created a story that is layered, sexy, and heartbreaking.
There are much better reviews than this—read those, then read the book.
Also, don’t expect an HEA; expect an honest ending.
February 21, 2018
Sucker-punch.
5 shocked stars minimum
Blank page syndrome here…
Where do I begin?
How do I write something that would be meaningful after having been punched in the face?
Let’s begin with part of the author’s acknowledgements as they are key to understanding the suffering, the unjustness and the rage you can find between these pages:
This book was the one to send me over the edge and see “LGBTQ” literature for what it is: love stories. Pure and simple. No gay no lesbian no…I don’t want to label them M/M or F/F or… anymore because it’s just love.
Gone my preconceived ideas about the genre.
They have been reduced to ashes by Red Feather Lakes lightning.
Caleb is the famous recluse and mysterious author.
He is handsome, charismatic and very imposing to young and naïve gamer/blogger/journalist Michael.
I won’t say much about the plot. Michael is hired to write Caleb’s portrait. Caleb has not published anything for years now. He is mysterious. Closed off. Sometimes aggressive with Michael.
What terrible secret is he hiding?
That’s it for the plot.
This story is about being trapped by your beliefs and upbringing.
It’s about wearing a mask your own life. Feeling like wearing clothes you outgrew decades ago.
It’s about the fear of being rejected would people really get to know you.
About guilt. So much guilt it nearly drives you insane.
About redemption that you crave but believe you don’t deserve
… and would probably never come.
I could describe the characters and tell you that Caleb was like a dark predator. A wild animal prowling, circling innocent preys. But behind the façade is someone who lost everything. A brilliant mind forced into silence. A human being slowly dying inside.
Michael was his polar opposite. Usually smart and relatively confidet he is impressed by Caleb. Uncertain. Like a newborn fawn. Fascinated. Under his influence. Yet he’ll get his bearing. He has his own path to travel.
It’s a powerful and tragic story. Filled with incredible amounts of suffering. Yet it’s written in such fashion that it feels just real. Not overdone. Not exaggerated.
I felt like looking in a rearview mirror. All the events are described precisely but you have a distance, a numbness between you and the past.
Sometimes you have to wait a long time. Sometimes you’ll need to go in therapy and follow some inner journey. Then you will be able to tell the truth, all the truth without being overwhelmed. You just tell.
I’d like to end this somewhat cryptic review by telling you that Suanne liqueur wanted to smash her kindle against a wall. My friend Jennifer had not recovered 24 hours after having read the last word. Then we had theories about who wrote the book. She thought it was Michael. I feel it is Cal.
Knowing all these reactions I braced for it but I still ended knocked out. WTH???
So read this at your own risk.
Have you read this one? Or any book that turned your world upside-down?
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
“What was inside of me could not be destroyed.”
5 shocked stars minimum
Blank page syndrome here…
Where do I begin?
How do I write something that would be meaningful after having been punched in the face?
Let’s begin with part of the author’s acknowledgements as they are key to understanding the suffering, the unjustness and the rage you can find between these pages:
“I also, very non-ironically, need to thank the people who made me feel as dark and isolated as Cal often feels in The Silver Cage. I could not have written this book without your influence. You taught me how devastating hate can be, and you taught me almost everything I know about forgiveness.”
This book was the one to send me over the edge and see “LGBTQ” literature for what it is: love stories. Pure and simple. No gay no lesbian no…I don’t want to label them M/M or F/F or… anymore because it’s just love.
Gone my preconceived ideas about the genre.
They have been reduced to ashes by Red Feather Lakes lightning.
Caleb is the famous recluse and mysterious author.
He is handsome, charismatic and very imposing to young and naïve gamer/blogger/journalist Michael.
I won’t say much about the plot. Michael is hired to write Caleb’s portrait. Caleb has not published anything for years now. He is mysterious. Closed off. Sometimes aggressive with Michael.
What terrible secret is he hiding?
That’s it for the plot.
This story is about being trapped by your beliefs and upbringing.
It’s about wearing a mask your own life. Feeling like wearing clothes you outgrew decades ago.
It’s about the fear of being rejected would people really get to know you.
About guilt. So much guilt it nearly drives you insane.
About redemption that you crave but believe you don’t deserve
… and would probably never come.
I could describe the characters and tell you that Caleb was like a dark predator. A wild animal prowling, circling innocent preys. But behind the façade is someone who lost everything. A brilliant mind forced into silence. A human being slowly dying inside.
“Cal lived in his silver cage, though his heart had outgrown it years ago.”
Michael was his polar opposite. Usually smart and relatively confidet he is impressed by Caleb. Uncertain. Like a newborn fawn. Fascinated. Under his influence. Yet he’ll get his bearing. He has his own path to travel.
It’s a powerful and tragic story. Filled with incredible amounts of suffering. Yet it’s written in such fashion that it feels just real. Not overdone. Not exaggerated.
I felt like looking in a rearview mirror. All the events are described precisely but you have a distance, a numbness between you and the past.
Sometimes you have to wait a long time. Sometimes you’ll need to go in therapy and follow some inner journey. Then you will be able to tell the truth, all the truth without being overwhelmed. You just tell.
I’d like to end this somewhat cryptic review by telling you that Suanne liqueur wanted to smash her kindle against a wall. My friend Jennifer had not recovered 24 hours after having read the last word. Then we had theories about who wrote the book. She thought it was Michael. I feel it is Cal.
Knowing all these reactions I braced for it but I still ended knocked out. WTH???
So read this at your own risk.
Have you read this one? Or any book that turned your world upside-down?
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
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