4 stars
Publisher: Precipice Books
Date of publication: October 16th, 2017
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Number of pages: 297
POV: 3rd person
Where you can find An American Cage: Amazon
Book synopsis (from Goodreads):
Three inmates break out of a maximum-security prison in Texas, one of them Danny Marsh, a suburban kid in his twenties who landed in jail because of a crime he never intended to commit.
An American Cage follows Danny and his two escape partners over a twenty-four-hour period as they struggle to cross Texas to freedom in Mexico. On this dangerous journey, Danny has to evade the rabid Texas authorities, and even worse, the schemes of one of his closest allies, who isn’t who he seems.
The second novel by Amazon #1 bestselling author and multi-award winner Ted Galdi, this psychological thriller is packed with suspense, twists, and grit, all while having heart. The story follows its young male protagonist on a journey of self-discovery and redemption as he weaves through a rocky landscape of family issues, guilt, betrayal, and questions about the nature of good and evil.
Along the way, he encounters an eclectic supporting cast, including a renowned psychology professor, a car thief, a young female hitchhiker, the leader of a biker gang, and a small-town Texas police officer with big ambitions.
Featuring vivid descriptions of East Texas’s Piney Woods, Austin, and El Paso, a cinematic unfolding of action, and an examination of existential philosophical concepts, An American Cage would be a pleasing read for fans of literary thrillers as well as commercial thrillers.
The book has echoes of Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men, in addition to the crime fiction of upmarket writers like Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos.
Trigger Warning: None
My Review:
Thrillers, psychological thrillers, are fast becoming a favorite of mine to read. There is something about reading a book and being kept on the edge of your seat. So when I came across An American Cage on NetGalley, I felt a pull towards it. I don’t know if it was the cover or the blurb, something about it said: “Read me“. So I did and I liked it. The only issue that I had is something that the author had no control over. The book didn’t load right on my Kindle. I could not tell when chapters ended and even when the book switched to different characters. It made for a very frustrating read on my end. I took longer reading An American Cage because I had to reread chapters.
An American Cage starts with the prison break of 3 inmates: Danny, Monty, and Phil. The book follows the trio as they break out of prison. Of course, as it will happen, things do not go their way. Danny is asked to fund their trip to Mexico and has to ask his parents for the money. On his journey to his parent’s house, Danny is confronted with truths about Phil that he didn’t see coming. He also is forced to come to terms with the crime he committed. The only thing is, will he be able to do the right thing when given the chance? Also, will he be able to forgive himself for the crime that he committed?
Danny drove me nuts in the beginning of the book. I did enjoy reading how his character basically grew up during that prison escape. I say that Danny drove me nuts because he idolized Phil. Believing the outrageous lies that Phil told. As the story went on, Danny grew on me. I saw him as a spoiled child who did something that he couldn’t comprehend. He was so terrified in prison that he was willing to believe and do anything to be accepted. Which is why he fell to Phil’s manipulations. I loved seeing his gradual awakening to Phil’s real personality and agenda. I liked seeing his acceptance that he did something bad but he wasn’t a bad person. I also liked that he also saw that he was able to forgive himself for what happened. Also, that he was able to see what his father did was out of love and not spite was a huge thing also.
An American Cage is a true psychological thriller. This book kept me on edge the entire book. Characters were not who they seemed, for good and bad. When I book can make me jump from chapter to chapter, that is a good thing.
The end of the book did feel a bit rushed too me. All the storylines were wrapped up and ended in a way that satisfied me as a reader. The only storyline that didn’t please me was Monty’s. I felt that more should have been made of what happened to him after everything went down. Other than that, the ending was good.
I enjoyed reading An American Cage. It did a good job pulling me in and keeping me pulled into the book. I liked seeing the characters’ growth (and in one case, the character regressed). The plotline was good. The characters were also very fleshed out.
Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes
Will I reread: Yes
Age range: Adult
Why: Language and violence
I would like to thank Ted Galdi and Precipice Books for allowing me to read and review An American Cage.
All opinions stated in this review of An American Cage are mine
I received no compensation for this review
**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**
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