Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

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

33 reviews

kmcnay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.75

It’s hard to even rate this book. It elicited the exact emotions it needed when it needed. It was incredibly well written and both sunk you into this horrible future while simultaneously and continuously rooted it in the reality of the present. I appreciate so much about this book and how devastatingly cleverly it was crafted. I have more to say about CGA but I’ll leave it at this. Devastating read. Worthwhile read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Classism

ncm5228's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-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? Yes

4.75

This book was something I couldn’t look away from. It was powerful, and vital, and heartbreaking, and beautiful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Domestic abuse, Rape, and Medical trauma

Self harm is not a common topic in this book, but if it is triggering to you please be careful while reading “The Art of Influence” in Part 2

zombiezami's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Hate crime, Homophobia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Racial slurs and Religious bigotry

aleyajo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring tense fast-paced

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

5.0

So enthralling! Excellent critique of the prison industrial complex. You cannot truly love if you have ownership over another. Masterful blend of the real with the almost-real, akin to the Handmaid’s Tale.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

carlycompton22's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

A critical look at the dire situation of our prison system in the context of a grotesque near-future world that seems all too possible in today's entertainment and political environment. This book makes you examine your own preconceived notions about right and wrong, justice and freedom, and how our society views and treats those incarcerated for serious crimes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

dannb's review against another edition

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

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

5.0

Wow!  What a debut... so many layers ... and not for the faint of heart

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, and Murder

azureumbreon's review against another edition

challenging dark informative tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Cancer, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment

booksemmahasread's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Minor: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Slavery, and Injury/Injury detail

bites_of_books's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Speculative fiction has always been a favorite genre of mine. Here we see what could happen when the private carceral system meets with sports entertainment. The US carceral system is incredibly unjust in reality, and those injustices are magnified in this novel. We follow multiple characters, from the famous Loretta Thurwar and Hamara "Hurricane Staxxx" Stacker, who fight to the death as part of the Criminal Action Penal Entertainment program, to those who are rabid fans of this new sport, and also to groups of protestors who are trying to remind everyone that they are cheering for humans to kill each other for sport. 

There are so many levels at which this novel works so well for me. The writing was really well balanced, both describing the horrors that the prisoners have to go through as well as diving into the psyche of each character. I'll be thinking about Simon J Craft for a long time. 

This novel also gives the reader snippets of the reality that people in the carceral system have to go through. From the abuse of guards and torture by isolation to signing documents that seal their fate without having proper defense. Adjei-Brenyah is one author that I'll be following closely and I definitely want to read his short story collection as well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

pamelamoreno's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Murder