This book is quite out there but I was hooked right from the start. Alien abduction isn't an original concept but the ideas in this book are far fetched enough to be innovative and entertaining. From the writer of The Madman's Daughter trilogy (which I still haven't read), The Cage is Megan Shepherd's first book of a new trilogy about alien abductions, love, deceit and survival.
The introduction to the characters and their new habitat is perfect because we're as confused as they are about their situation. Abducted from Earth, five strangers are place in a fake environment, expected to follow the rules set by their captor, who calls himself Caretaker. Caretaker, who's name is actually Cassian, is definitely not human, but has a human shape and some human features. For some odd reason, Cora is mildly attracted to her captor, even though she would never admit it to her fellow prisoners. At first, the five humans learn to live together in their fake and experimental setting but Cora never gets comfortable enough to ignore the black windows which are placed everywhere for surveillance and evaluation.
The whole concept of holding humans in a (rather large) cage, like we would animals in a zoo, is quite frightening. Personally, I've never been able to watch Big Brother because I find it almost barbaric. I don't care if the Caretaker says it's to save and protect the human race. Cassian is part of the Kindred, a race they believe are more "intelligent" than humans because of their psychic and telepathic abilities. The Kindred's goal with the experiment is obviously not just to protect Cora and her new friends. They must have a secondary agenda and Cora is determined to escape, no matter what it may be.
The book has multiple point of views so we really get to see this world through every captive's eyes. Cora, however, is the main point of view and main character and she's in fact the most rebellious prisoner. She defies the rules set for "their own good" and tries to reason with the other prisoners who eventually seem to surrender. At first, she thinks Lucky, a boy she forms a bond with, might be willing to help her, but his lies and hidden knowledge about her Earth life makes things a little awkward. Even more so, her Stockholm Syndrome attraction to Cassian makes things even more awkward between Cora and Lucky.
The weird relationship between Cora and Cassian is interesting to follow. At first, I didn't really know what to make of it. Cassian seems genuinely interested in Cora's safety, but it's obvious he has deeper motives. The Stockholm Syndrome thing is a little cliché, but entertaining none the less. Oddly enough, I didn't know whether to care about Cassian who seems actually really nice, or be disgusted by the whole affair.
My one concern with the rules of their captivity is that the prisoners are expected to copulate in order to keep the human race alive. Honestly, a little bit too much for a YA novel, in my opinion. Some characters cave into the pressure, more out of attraction than duty, but still, I hated seeing them forced together for some larger purpose. Teens are pressured enough in this day and age that they don't need to be forced to have sex in order to survive. A real scientific experiment would have let things take a more natural course.
The Cage is dark and twisted enough to be really interesting. I love a good sci-fi, especially when it's heavily influence by science. In this case, this human social experiment is a little extreme but I love it none the less. The characters are tested mentally, physically and intellectually. Their reactions in this experiment are actually quite realistic and I would hate to see if tested for real, would human really be that deceitful when it comes to surviving. Megan Shepherd may have experimented with a new genre and in my opinion, she succeeded in taping into the sci-fi genre. I can't wait for the sequel!
The introduction to the characters and their new habitat is perfect because we're as confused as they are about their situation. Abducted from Earth, five strangers are place in a fake environment, expected to follow the rules set by their captor, who calls himself Caretaker. Caretaker, who's name is actually Cassian, is definitely not human, but has a human shape and some human features. For some odd reason, Cora is mildly attracted to her captor, even though she would never admit it to her fellow prisoners. At first, the five humans learn to live together in their fake and experimental setting but Cora never gets comfortable enough to ignore the black windows which are placed everywhere for surveillance and evaluation.
The whole concept of holding humans in a (rather large) cage, like we would animals in a zoo, is quite frightening. Personally, I've never been able to watch Big Brother because I find it almost barbaric. I don't care if the Caretaker says it's to save and protect the human race. Cassian is part of the Kindred, a race they believe are more "intelligent" than humans because of their psychic and telepathic abilities. The Kindred's goal with the experiment is obviously not just to protect Cora and her new friends. They must have a secondary agenda and Cora is determined to escape, no matter what it may be.
The book has multiple point of views so we really get to see this world through every captive's eyes. Cora, however, is the main point of view and main character and she's in fact the most rebellious prisoner. She defies the rules set for "their own good" and tries to reason with the other prisoners who eventually seem to surrender. At first, she thinks Lucky, a boy she forms a bond with, might be willing to help her, but his lies and hidden knowledge about her Earth life makes things a little awkward. Even more so, her Stockholm Syndrome attraction to Cassian makes things even more awkward between Cora and Lucky.
The weird relationship between Cora and Cassian is interesting to follow. At first, I didn't really know what to make of it. Cassian seems genuinely interested in Cora's safety, but it's obvious he has deeper motives. The Stockholm Syndrome thing is a little cliché, but entertaining none the less. Oddly enough, I didn't know whether to care about Cassian who seems actually really nice, or be disgusted by the whole affair.
My one concern with the rules of their captivity is that the prisoners are expected to copulate in order to keep the human race alive. Honestly, a little bit too much for a YA novel, in my opinion. Some characters cave into the pressure, more out of attraction than duty, but still, I hated seeing them forced together for some larger purpose. Teens are pressured enough in this day and age that they don't need to be forced to have sex in order to survive. A real scientific experiment would have let things take a more natural course.
The Cage is dark and twisted enough to be really interesting. I love a good sci-fi, especially when it's heavily influence by science. In this case, this human social experiment is a little extreme but I love it none the less. The characters are tested mentally, physically and intellectually. Their reactions in this experiment are actually quite realistic and I would hate to see if tested for real, would human really be that deceitful when it comes to surviving. Megan Shepherd may have experimented with a new genre and in my opinion, she succeeded in taping into the sci-fi genre. I can't wait for the sequel!
