Dark Room Etiquette

Roe (A List of Cages) offers an intense, mind-bending thriller about a privileged teenager struggling to cope with his kidnapping and its aftermath. Sixteen-year-old Texan Sayers Wayte is rich, arrogant, and always knows what to say to get himself out of trouble. He lives a life of luxury until, lost on a rural road, he is kidnapped by Caleb, a man who claims that Sayers is actually his long-lost son, Daniel. Locked in a house and shackled to a bed, Sayers endures emotional manipulation while navigating Caleb’s erratic personality. To survive, he plays along, assuming the role of Daniel, but Sayers’s perception of his real self begins to warp amid the masquerade. When Caleb leaves town for a few days, Sayers is left with an unsuspecting chaperone, and the two uncover startling truths. Roe expertly cultivates suspense and intrigue across three distinct acts, which detail Sayers’s personality before, during, and after his kidnapping. The propulsive climax gives way to a reflective resolution that provides a clear-eyed picture of one teen’s experience with PTSD. Most characters cue as white; an author’s note details Roe’s inspiration. Ages 14–up. (Oct.)

Update: The text of this review has been adjusted for clarity.