By Theresa Breslin (author)
"Pacy compelling story from an award winning author, gritty and intriguing | Fighting | Surviving | Treachery | Trust"
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A powerful contemporary novel set in the shady world of underground cage fighting, from a Carnegie Medal-winning author.
After running away to London to escape his mum’s bullying boyfriend, Kai finds himself homeless. He’s on the verge of packing up and leaving the big city when Spartacus turns up scouting for teenagers to join his “Cage Fighters for Freedom” tournament. While their underground tunnel location and identities must remain secret, each fight is broadcast, with proceeds going to a homeless charity and the fighters being given a sum of money to help them get back on their feet once the last match has been fought.
Most of the fighters “got along OK”, expect Kai and Leo, between whom there’s immediate friction, largely due to their rivalry over “beautiful, dark-eyed, mysterious Raven”. But this tension turns out to be the least of their problems.
When Kai and Raven leave the tunnels on a recce for Spartacus, they spot someone - Bird Girl - spying on the entrance to their secret subterranean world while searching for her missing sister. With an outsider in their midst and heightened risk of exposure to the authorities, tension mounts as the group gears up for the last stages of the tournament. While the teenagers’ cage fighting days are almost over, it looks like their world is about to cave in around them.
Gripping, nimbly written and packing a powerful emotional punch, readers’ hearts will surely pound through this novel’s explosive conclusion, and swell with compassion for the teenagers’ troubled backgrounds, and the resilience of their spirits.
Carnegie Medal winner Theresa Breslin explores the dangerous world of cage-fighting in this dark and powerful new novel. Escaping from a troubled home and struggling to survive on the streets, the abandoned tunnels of the London Underground are a perfect sanctuary for Kai. Along with other teenagers running from their pasts, he finds somewhere to belong in this strange community of outcasts.
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But Kai is now facing a very different kind of fight. Every night, led by the enigmatic Spartacus, the runaways must become cage fighters, each fight broadcast to the outside world via YouTube. With gambling profits from these videos racking up, Kai and his friends hope to be able to start a new life.
Yet treachery and danger are never far behind, and a new arrival threatens the order that Spartacus has worked so carefully to maintain. And then there is the looming finale, the last battle between Kai and his nemesis Leo: the Kill Fight...
Also by Theresa Breslin:
GHOST SOLDIER ‘Another must-read novel by one of Scotland’s finest writers’ Scotsman
SPY FOR THE QUEEN OF SCOTS ‘A gripping historical thriller from the brilliant Breslin’ The Bookseller
PRISONER OF THE INQUISITION ‘Unputdownable’ The Times
THE NOSTRADAMUS PROPHECY ‘Terrific novel . . . enormously enjoyable’ Guardian
THE MEDICI SEAL ‘A superb historical thriller . . . an enchanting novel about genius, and a gift to an enquiring mind’ The Times
REMEMBRANCE ‘Immensely readable, passionately written’ Guardian
SASKIA’S JOURNEY ' Mesmerising . . . truly memorable’ The Bookseller
Theresa Breslin O.B.E. is the popular, critically-acclaimed author of over 50 books for children and young adults and winner of many literary prizes including the prestigious Carnegie Medal. Her work has been adapted for television, stage, and radio, and is translated worldwide.
Theresa is an Honorary Fellow of the Association of Scottish Literary Studies, has received an Outstanding Achievement Award from Scottish Book Trust, and was appointed an OBE for Services to Literature. She lives near Glasgow, Scotland, is passionate about children's literature and literacy and a regular visitor at book festivals and schools. Theresa is the author of An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales, An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures and An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Castle Legends illustrated by fine artist Kate Leiper. Her numerous historical books for children include Mary Queen of Scots: Escape from the Castle and Illustrated Legends of Scotland's Kings and Queens , published by Floris Books.
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Carnegie Medal winner Theresa Breslin explores the dangerous world of cage-fighting in this dark and powerful new novel. Escaping from a troubled home and struggling to survive on the streets, the abandoned tunnels of the London Underground are a perfect sanctuary for Kai.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Caged and determined it is suitable for children aged 13-18 years old
Caged features in the following genres: Featured Books for Young Adults, Recommendations, Gritty Reads, Recommended Children's eBooks, Thrillers, Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Featured Books for 13+ readers
Paperback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.
Caged was written by Theresa Breslin and published by Corgi Childrens an imprint of Random House Children's Publishers UK
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.
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