SYNOPSIS:

A bitter, mysterious author. A young and naive journalist. A tragic past, a dark secret, and an unforgettable tale of passion and love.

WARNING: The Silver Cage is intended for mature readers; it contains graphic sensuality and strong themes including suicide, sexual identity, and self-harm.

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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.

MY REVIEW:

”Love is a cage two people build around themselves.”

Passionate, sexy, thought-provoking, heartbreaking…this book was an emotional roller coaster. Absolutely one of my favorite books so far this year.

Caleb is a reclusive Colorado author, and Michael is sent to interview the mysterious Cal for a new article for a high-profile literary publication.

At first glance, they could not be more different. Cal is from a conservative, wealthy family, handsome, and a devout Christian. Michael is more of a bohemian, has a live-in girlfriend and has a second life as an online gamer.

”I dressed in dark jeans and a black sweater to suit my mood. Some mornings, when I got my coffee and dove into writing, I almost felt good. The act of writing produced a forgetfulness that carried me along, out of my life, into a current of imagination. That day, though, I had to wait for the journalist, I had to think about my dream, and Beth’s call and comments trapped me in misery. I couldn’t help but consider my career, and a terrible sense of futility surged through me, rage scraping at its edges.”

Cal is introspective and highly repressed. He is gay but disputes that label. He is not out to his family and suffers terribly from guilt. Yet his faith is what sustains him and what he trusts in with all his heart.

”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.”

Michael and Caleb fall into the most delicious romantic relationship, and while Michael struggles to understand Caleb’s deep religious beliefs, Cal see things in absolute terms.

”I didn’t go to church on Sunday. It wouldn’t have been appropriate. I knew what I was going to do with Michael, and whenever I know I’m going to sin, I do it anyway and I pretend God doesn’t exist.”

My heart broke for Cal even as I was thrilled by his gorgeous romance with Michael. Why couldn’t Cal accept himself and their love? His book made me think about how important it is to be accepting of one’s true self and how utterly damaging prejudice and false judgment can be.

”He was a foreign creature to me, both in his easy emotionality and simple acceptance of our intimacy. For me, it was torture—to want his male body, to feel desire stirring in mine—like a slow, painful, undefeatable cancer.”

I am not articulate enough to express my emotions about this book. The story had a profound effect on me. An astute reader will realize who this author is (one of my cherished favorites, by the way) and I fervently hope that this story is 100% fiction. Because if it’s non-fiction I don’t think I could recover from this story.

”Cal lived in his silver cage, though his heart had outgrown it years ago.”

I can’t recommend this book highly enough! It captivated me from start to finish. I can’t stop thinking about Cal and Michael. ‘The Silver Cage’ is a must-read!

”Without a little sin in my life, I would have died a long time ago.”