Why people recommend it
Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy is a compelling young adult fantasy novel that explores intricate themes of survival, personal growth, and adversity through a captivating fictional narrative. On Behind the Bastards, the book received high praise from podcast hosts across multiple episodes in 2024. Margaret Killjoy herself discussed the novel during an episode, sharing her pride in writing a YA story where inevitable hardships drive the narrative forward without relying on gratuitous darkness. The host enthusiastically endorsed the novel, noting that it stood out as their favorite piece of Killjoy's writing to date and humorously contrasting its genuine literary merit with the poor writing choices of figures discussed elsewhere in the podcast. In a later episode, the host reminded the audience to purchase the excellent book as part of promotional banter that also highlighted upcoming live events. These recurring mentions served to champion Killjoy's fiction writing within the podcast's community, offering listeners a heartfelt recommendation for a fantasy story rooted in emotional depth and engaging world-building. Through these endorsements, the podcast successfully directed its audience toward a critically appreciated work of contemporary young adult fiction authored by a frequent contributor to the show.
Who recommended it
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker — 3
“Yeah, purchase Margaret's new book, you know, 'The Sapling Cage,' it's excellent. If you're listening to this several weeks ahead, you can go see Robert and I talk in Portland.”
“Um, it's a particularly bad idea in her case because the book that she decided to write wasn't a really good work of fiction like your book, The Sapling Cage, Margaret.”
“I wrote a YA novel without any bad things—of course there are bad things; it's a novel and bad things have to happen in a story—called 'The Sapling Cage.' It's great, by the way. Robert actually read it; it is my favorite piece of your writing so far.”