Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

84 reviews

sunkernplus's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow. This author has to be one of the best authors of science fiction since Octavia Butler, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Isaac Asimov, but his style is all his own. An intense, evocative, experimental work, this novel hits you. It TEARS at you and decapitates you like Hamara Stacker's LoveGuile seen on the cover. And the commentary on how the police system and the "justice" system, through "docudramas" and reality TV influences (heh) your opinions on the incarcerated and makes you judge WHO deserves violence and often makes you an active participant in dehumanization is one of the most interesting themes I've seen in a book ever. Like, as someone who used to be addicted to true crime shows, it definitely shows you how a true crime fan can become desensitized to violence and start rooting on violence to be used against the "right" people.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, Self harm, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual violence and Rape

Minor: Rape

One of the prisoners, Hamara "Hurricane Staxxx" Stacker is revealed at some point in the book to have ended up in jail defending herself from a teacher attempting to rape her. Rape is also frequently mentioned, as there are prisoners in here, including Sunset Harkless, who have raped people. There is intense police brutality (probably the best I could describe it as as there's no trigger for "prison violence") involving security guards and other prison officials torturing inmates; special note is given to "The Influencer" in particular. Violence is frequent, and there is a fairly explicit description of how a minor character gained a self harm habit after her father slowly declined physically from cancer.

cantfindmybookmark's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Police brutality, Racism, Slavery, Racial slurs, Confinement, Suicide, and Torture

Moderate: Ableism

salemander's review against another edition

5.0

this book was heartbreaking and an unfortunately realistic portrayal of the us prison system. prison abolition now. 
“SUCK. MY. DICK. AMERICA.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Death, Gore, Grief, Racism, Racial slurs, Violence, Sexism, Slavery, Police brutality, Rape, Torture, and Sexual violence

paigebypage__'s review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I've been torn open and left hollow. This book is harrowing in ways that will never leave me, and I think that's for the best. Easily one of the best books published this year. Absolutely groundbreaking, and the first time I have ever described a book as a Must Read. It is unmissable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gore, Hate crime, Confinement, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Classism, Death, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, Suicide, and Blood

angievansprang's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is a feat. You will have so much reckoning with your own thoughts on what the true essence of humanity is and whether any of us are truly deserving of high cruelty. The anecdotes sprinkled throughout in footnotes that detail true statistics on our current prison industrial complex remind you that this book is not a work of pure fiction. Incredibly written and enthralling. Should be required reading for all.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Police brutality, Racism, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, and Classism

Minor: Racial slurs, Pedophilia, Death of parent, and Rape

malongorose's review against another edition

dark informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Extremely disturbing on so many levels. Thoughtfully written. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Blood, Mental illness, Death, Confinement, Self harm, Physical abuse, Murder, Slavery, Violence, and Forced institutionalization

tinyplanet's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Torture, Murder, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Self harm, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Blood

Minor: Antisemitism, Infidelity, Cancer, Car accident, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Classism, Cursing, Homophobia, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Transphobia, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Alcohol, Death of parent, Deportation, Lesbophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape

samburkhouse's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Torture, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Police brutality, Suicide, Blood, Body horror, and Violence

Moderate: Slavery, Child death, Self harm, Grief, Mental illness, and Racism

Minor: Transphobia, Sexual content, Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Rape

dominiq_ec's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I mean, this is just one of the best books I've read in a while. Considering another dystopian / apolalyptic favorite of mine, Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin, its so rooted in human rights issues in the United States, and is just dystopian enough to convince you that we may not see this come to fruition. But what if we do? How will you think? 

I thought that Thurwar and Staxxx both died at the end, but I was wrong and now my heart is broken.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Suicide, Cancer, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Body horror, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Sexual content, Cursing, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, Blood, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Torture, and Self harm

Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Hate crime, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Car accident

I mean, this book does force you to take a relatively deep look at the United States penal system, which does include reading about the crimes some of these characters committed, as well as how they are (mis)treated by those that are responsible for their care. At the same time, these incarcerated folks are fighting to the death for entertainment's sake, so there's a lot of gory, violent descriptions. There is mentions of rape, but no graphic details. There is torture, and loss of life. It's a troubling book, so read with caution.

skitch41's review against another edition

challenging dark informative inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Confinement

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Lesbophobia and Racial slurs