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ms_kristie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
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? It's complicated
5.0
Deep reflection of prison industrial complex, entertainment and advocacy and what it might look like in the near future. Dystopian
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Lesbophobia, and Classism
deetabz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Confinement, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Torture, Grief, and Sexual harassment
crazybookworm31's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was an incredibly gripping story, I had trouble putting it down even once, I was so wrapped up in the characters and the plot, I never wanted to let it go.
The story is grueling and painful, but the short chapters and many perspectives offers a bit of reprieve that kept this from being outright depressing. The character Staxxx acts to raise the morale of the other characters within the text, but she did the same for me too, making me laugh when I wanted to cry.
The story is a scathing indictment of the American prison system, one well deserved, and the horror comes not just from the concepts of the story, but by how close it feels to being reality. The horror of knowing we could become this held me the entire way through.
The story is told in many perspectives, something I had to get used to at first, but once I had, it was a breath of fresh air, a bit of creative story telling that is hard to find in published fiction. I greatly enjoyed the author's voice and writing style, the differences between characters voice, the way I could tell who was narrating, not just by the chapter title, but by their own brand of narration. That shows a great bit of talent and skill from the author, which I absolutely applaud.
Is this book sad? Upsetting? Makes you want to be sick? Absolutely. Is it one of the best fiction books I've ever read? Abso-fucking-lutely.
The story is grueling and painful, but the short chapters and many perspectives offers a bit of reprieve that kept this from being outright depressing. The character Staxxx acts to raise the morale of the other characters within the text, but she did the same for me too, making me laugh when I wanted to cry.
The story is a scathing indictment of the American prison system, one well deserved, and the horror comes not just from the concepts of the story, but by how close it feels to being reality. The horror of knowing we could become this held me the entire way through.
The story is told in many perspectives, something I had to get used to at first, but once I had, it was a breath of fresh air, a bit of creative story telling that is hard to find in published fiction. I greatly enjoyed the author's voice and writing style, the differences between characters voice, the way I could tell who was narrating, not just by the chapter title, but by their own brand of narration. That shows a great bit of talent and skill from the author, which I absolutely applaud.
Is this book sad? Upsetting? Makes you want to be sick? Absolutely. Is it one of the best fiction books I've ever read? Abso-fucking-lutely.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Racism, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Self harm, Transphobia, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Classism
Non-linear story telling, unreliable narrator(s),emfass's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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
I'm reviewing this months after the fact and I still don't know how to talk about this book. I was gutted and stunned and so affected by this writing and these characters and the world that Adjei-Brenyah created, which feels like it could be just a few months away. Brilliantly presenting ideas of abolition and social justice through a narrative, fictional story. I was blown away.
It took me a while to drop in to the kaleidoscope format of storytelling, but I looooooved it. How does this world affect all these different people who have different relationships to the Chain Gang All-Stars machine.
The narrators did a phenomenal job: Shayna Small (main narrator), Aaron Goodson (Hendrix Young), Michael Crouch (Simon J. Craft), Lee Osorio (Gunny Puddles)
This is on my list of best books I've ever read.
It took me a while to drop in to the kaleidoscope format of storytelling, but I looooooved it. How does this world affect all these different people who have different relationships to the Chain Gang All-Stars machine.
The narrators did a phenomenal job: Shayna Small (main narrator), Aaron Goodson (Hendrix Young), Michael Crouch (Simon J. Craft), Lee Osorio (Gunny Puddles)
This is on my list of best books I've ever read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual assault, Grief, and Lesbophobia
lokes's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Minor: Dysphoria
cassysan's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Gave me goosebumps-
It’s not too far off our current American experience. And that’s the scariest part.
It’s not too far off our current American experience. And that’s the scariest part.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Lesbophobia
jefferz's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
One part dystopian speculative science fiction, one part social commentary on systemic racism and the flawed American prison system, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's Chain-Gang All-Stars is an ambitious narrative that attempts to cover a lot of ground in <400 pages. Despite the book's summary focusing on Loretta Thurwar and her survival with her partner and fellow chain member Hamara Staxxx, Chain-Gang All-Star reads more like a collection of short stories. Loretta and Hamara's narrative only make up about 1/3 of the book's content, the rest is devoted to over a dozen different characters and various perspectives covering the CAPE program. These perspectives include those of program participants, show producers, host and commentators, prison staff, abolitionist protestors, viewers, etc. The large scope of these various characters and the ambition behind Adjei-Brenyah's commentary is ambitious and is well-designed to spark open conversations about topics in the book. Despite the great intention and ambition behind its pages, unfortunately I found the actual novel/story portion of the book to be disjointed and difficult to get into.
For me, Chain-Gang All-Stars is at its best when it focused on Thurwar and Staxxx’s experiences which are compelling and interesting. The character psyche and gray morality of various participants (as well as viewers who are frankly obsessed with watching inmates kills each other with government permission for sport) to be the best part of the book. Both are well aware of their situations but their differences in outlook and personality makes their dynamic all the more interesting once its revealed someone on their team was murdered out of the blue. Thurwar takes the tough, internalized pain approach to minimize the damage to others while Staxxx has her emotions on full display, acting as a sort of empathic martyr to others around her. There are many footnotes included highlighting real-life facts and laws pertaining to the American justice system and moments clearly written for the abolitionist movement and these factual notes have the biggest impact when related to the affected characters involved.
Where the novel and reading experience gets a bit muddy is when its perspective and narrative shifts constantly amongst minor characters. Unlike other novels that feature a large ensemble cast woven seamlessly into the main narrative, Chain-Gang All-Stars feature many chapters of one-off characters who show-up, make a point to spark a conversation, and then are quickly forgotten for new characters (or a few like the scientist Patty has such a brief appearance later in the book, it feels more like a cameo easter egg than an intentional appearance). When the character and content are strong (as in the case of Sports caster Tracy Lasser's chapter involving activism, sexism and influence), the world within and around the CAPE program feels complex, nuanced, and immersive. More often than not however, many of these shifting chapters feel more like passing vignettes that lessen the emotional impact and voice of the book. In particular, a good number of chapters are devoted to another inmate named Hendrix Young. I believe his story is meant to show why prisoners turn to the CAPE program as a means of escape (or in his case salvation) and to empathize with his chain/team. However, his content sits in an awkward realm of not being enough for me to care about his journey and team, and being too much hindering/distracting from Thurwar’s story. Adjei-Brenyah acknowledged that the story of Chain-Gang All-Stars was expanded from a short story intended for his previous short story collection Friday Black. Many of Chain-Gang All-Stars perspectives feel like they would be better utilized in a short story collection similar to Friday Black rather than being interlaced and framed around the main narrative that subsequently feels underdeveloped from a plot-perspective.
The other drawback for me was the ending. Without giving away any spoilers, it felt abrupt and lacking some sort of resolution or insightful reflection. Nearly every chapter introduces important topics that go beyond the plot when taken at face value. Even when the book asks questions that it doesn’t have an answer to, it delivers some type of commentary that is either inspiring the reader to act or to highlight injustices commonly overlooked. The plot throws constant obstacles Thurwar’s way to prevent her from being freed and to put her chain in an impossible position. With such a strong lead up (and introspection) to the final match appearance, the actual ending sequence feels like it was cut short in a way that’s both open-ended and unsatisfying for her character. A certain character’s death feels like it was meant to be moving or emotional based on the number of pages that were devoted to their journey, but for me the actual scene fell quite flat. Again, this wouldn’t necessarily be a problem if there was some reflection or an important talking point introduced. The lack of strong message and an unresolved character narrative felt like both aspects were left hanging.
Ultimately this is one of those books that I wanted to like a lot more than I actually did. The ambition and message elevate the book to be so much more than the typical survival game trope that often relies on violence and shock value to be entertaining. There are also moments that are powerful coupled with real current and historical references for greater relevancy. Yet the execution of the actual plot and ending left a lot to be desired from a novel-reading perspective, reading more like an inspiring abolitionist movement piece. That’s a wonderful message and experience if that’s what you’re looking for. If the ending doesn’t have a strong conclusion, I want at least more plot so this wasn’t for me despite my appreciation and respect for the material.
For me, Chain-Gang All-Stars is at its best when it focused on Thurwar and Staxxx’s experiences which are compelling and interesting. The character psyche and gray morality of various participants (as well as viewers who are frankly obsessed with watching inmates kills each other with government permission for sport) to be the best part of the book. Both are well aware of their situations but their differences in outlook and personality makes their dynamic all the more interesting once its revealed someone on their team was murdered out of the blue. Thurwar takes the tough, internalized pain approach to minimize the damage to others while Staxxx has her emotions on full display, acting as a sort of empathic martyr to others around her. There are many footnotes included highlighting real-life facts and laws pertaining to the American justice system and moments clearly written for the abolitionist movement and these factual notes have the biggest impact when related to the affected characters involved.
Where the novel and reading experience gets a bit muddy is when its perspective and narrative shifts constantly amongst minor characters. Unlike other novels that feature a large ensemble cast woven seamlessly into the main narrative, Chain-Gang All-Stars feature many chapters of one-off characters who show-up, make a point to spark a conversation, and then are quickly forgotten for new characters (or a few like the scientist Patty has such a brief appearance later in the book, it feels more like a cameo easter egg than an intentional appearance). When the character and content are strong (as in the case of Sports caster Tracy Lasser's chapter involving activism, sexism and influence), the world within and around the CAPE program feels complex, nuanced, and immersive. More often than not however, many of these shifting chapters feel more like passing vignettes that lessen the emotional impact and voice of the book. In particular, a good number of chapters are devoted to another inmate named Hendrix Young. I believe his story is meant to show why prisoners turn to the CAPE program as a means of escape (or in his case salvation) and to empathize with his chain/team. However, his content sits in an awkward realm of not being enough for me to care about his journey and team, and being too much hindering/distracting from Thurwar’s story. Adjei-Brenyah acknowledged that the story of Chain-Gang All-Stars was expanded from a short story intended for his previous short story collection Friday Black. Many of Chain-Gang All-Stars perspectives feel like they would be better utilized in a short story collection similar to Friday Black rather than being interlaced and framed around the main narrative that subsequently feels underdeveloped from a plot-perspective.
The other drawback for me was the ending. Without giving away any spoilers, it felt abrupt and lacking some sort of resolution or insightful reflection. Nearly every chapter introduces important topics that go beyond the plot when taken at face value. Even when the book asks questions that it doesn’t have an answer to, it delivers some type of commentary that is either inspiring the reader to act or to highlight injustices commonly overlooked. The plot throws constant obstacles Thurwar’s way to prevent her from being freed and to put her chain in an impossible position. With such a strong lead up (and introspection) to the final match appearance, the actual ending sequence feels like it was cut short in a way that’s both open-ended and unsatisfying for her character. A certain character’s death feels like it was meant to be moving or emotional based on the number of pages that were devoted to their journey, but for me the actual scene fell quite flat. Again, this wouldn’t necessarily be a problem if there was some reflection or an important talking point introduced. The lack of strong message and an unresolved character narrative felt like both aspects were left hanging.
Ultimately this is one of those books that I wanted to like a lot more than I actually did. The ambition and message elevate the book to be so much more than the typical survival game trope that often relies on violence and shock value to be entertaining. There are also moments that are powerful coupled with real current and historical references for greater relevancy. Yet the execution of the actual plot and ending left a lot to be desired from a novel-reading perspective, reading more like an inspiring abolitionist movement piece. That’s a wonderful message and experience if that’s what you’re looking for. If the ending doesn’t have a strong conclusion, I want at least more plot so this wasn’t for me despite my appreciation and respect for the material.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Police brutality
Moderate: Racial slurs, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Xenophobia
Minor: Confinement, Sexism, and Lesbophobia
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicide, Medical content, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Religious bigotry
enbylievable's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
informative
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? It's complicated
5.0
literally struck SPEECHLESS by the ending. absolutely superb
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Lesbophobia
3mmers's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ever since I finished Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, I have dedicated myself body and soul to my new calling: shilling this book to anyone who will listen. You should read this book. If you only read one book this year, let it be this one. If it doesn’t top my best list it’ll be a goddamned miracle. Required reading. Book of the year. The whole hog.
I’m saying this now because no complaint (and I have been able to find things to complain about) would make this less than a perfect 5/5 stars. The fact that I don’t see this everywhere on bookblr is an actual crime (and if I really wanted to make enemies I would share what type of crime I think it is).
Chain-Gang All-Stars is a lot of things. It was first described to me as ‘The Shawshank Redemption meets Fight Club' and it is so much more than that. There is a lot more Gladiator here than Fight Club, but also more NFL, professional wrestling, and, hell, ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ or Red Table Talks.
Chain-Gang All-Stars is also maybe the best political fiction novel of the 21st century. This book is a nuanced argument for prison abolition informed by The New Jim Crow. This book is a character drama. This book is a sapphic romance novel. This book will change your life. The hype is real.
Chain-Gang All-Stars brings us to a near future sci-fi dystopia where America’s new favourite past time is gladiatorial death matches euphemized as ‘hard action sports’. Inmates convicted of the ‘worst’ crimes, especially murder or rape, are given the ‘choice’ to participate in the Chain-Gang All-Stars league and win their freedom by surviving three years of competition. Our protagonist is Loretta Thurwar, the league’s most popular and most dominant combatant, as she takes the title of High Colossal (the longest surviving combatant and therefore the closest to freedom) from her friend and team mate Sunset Harkness, after his mysterious death. Reeling from the loss of Sunset, Loretta is staring down her own freedom and the nagging fear that she’s only gotten closer to it by killing people. What is Blood Mama Loretta Thurwar when she isn’t in the All-Stars? The other major complication is Loretta’s girlfriend Hamara ‘Thee Hurricane STAXX’ Stacker, ebuillent and exuberant where Loretta is reserved, and the league’s hottest rising star.Loretta has received a tip that for her final fight she will be matched up with none other than STAXX. There is no choice between freedom and death.
God what a premise.
Chain-Gang All-Stars nails its social commentary so accurately that it feels like it could take place tomorrow. A prison fight league is a shocking, but nothing in the book feels far fetched. We already treat prison inmates as disposable reservoirs of cheap labour. We already treat Black athletes (and other celebrities) as largely disposable entertainment. This book combines the attitude of white football fans screaming that Colin Kaepernick is paid to play football not to have thoughts and opinions, with a prison industrial complex that pulls millions of primarily Black people into modern day slavery, labour that we are more than happy to enjoy the products of. Adjei-Brenyah’s literary calling card is his use of ultraviolence to force the reader to confront the violence present but invisibilized in our own society, and this novel is a masterclass in the technique. It forces us to confront unflattering realities through exaggeration and does it with so much style we, the readers, are enraptured.
Towards the middle of the bookwe meet the masterminds of the All-Stars and they’re bad in all the usual ways: a bunch of suits in a boardroom optimizing an entertainment property that they have no real connection to. What struck me about this scene is that they have one of the best lines of the whole novel. “The knife is only so far from your neck.” This slogan so efficiently informs how and why the league’s architects created it, and why people are invested in watching it. And you wouldn’t even have to scroll for more than a minute to find this exact same shit on TikTok. Chain-Gang All-Stars understands just how carceral we are and viciously reflects that back outwards in the destruction of Black bodies for entertainment.
I found myself often thinking about how great it would be as a TV show. It would whip ass. A part of me hopes that Netflix is cutting Adjei-Brenyah and fat cheque as we speak (and casting Danai Gurira as Loretta), but that’s the instinct that thought a Squid Game reality show would be a good idea and not entirely contrary to the point of the original story. One motif throughout CGAS ishow even pacifist viewers are drawn into the Hard Action league due to our inescapable romance with violence, and this sensation is paralleled on a meta-narrative level as the reader is entranced by the action scenes. It underscores, for me, our complicity in at best tolerating the systematic violence of our white supremacist society.
For me the heart of this book is something I never expected. Chain-Gang All-Stars is one of my top three favourite romances ever. I’ve always had a hard time articulating why I like things, and romances most of all, so bear with me.
The characters are overall great. Loretta is a strong leader and a powerful fighter, known for her dominance both on the battle ground and within her team. This comes with a hidden profound weakness. She is exhausted by the performance demanded by her reputation and after three years a knee injury is catching up with her. Internally she is self-reflective and uncertain. Can she be the leader the chain needs? How can she protect Hamara from her knowledge of the future? Does she deserve the power and love she has gained from the All-Stars? Hamara is open and talkative — Loretta maintains her humanity on the battleground by refusing to engage, but Hamara buys into the performance of the league, asserting her humanity through long emotional speeches — but her internal self is just as mysterious as the taciturn Thurwar’s. (Note how Adjei-Brenyah seamlessly weaves well-rounded character with political commentary).
The romance arc shows us a new side of the characters, something that is ambiguously accessible to fans of the All-Stars. Almost all of their lives are surveilled by fans, the relationship is something visible to their audience, but fundamentally personal and inaccessible to them.Simultaneously, the romance arc shows the way the characters grapple with lovability (whether they can be loved). Loretta was imprisoned for intimate partner violence, abusing and eventually killing her girlfriend, and wonders if she is a changed enough person to be in a relationship with Hamara. That question of what a death contest means for the ostensible rehabilitation of felons rests in the background of the entire book (the commentary is obvious; our prison system is extremely punitive for much more time even than an individual’s sentence, which is in tension with its ostensibly rehabilliatory goals. The romance arc exposes a new side of the characters. In their interactions with other lynks Loretta and Hamara are at once characters for the consumption of the All-Stars audience, and more human, interacting with the only others who share a basis of experience with them. Together, Loretta and Hamara can encounter each other on a personal level. I loved the way their relationship defies the genre expectations of their audience; Hamara is polyamorous and has a relationship with another member of the chain, but while the audience expects this to create tension, Loretta and Randy Mac (Hamara’s second lover) tolerate each other. They’re even allies within the dynamic of the chain . I love that the romance arc is used to explore the characters’ humanity and their doubts, rather than feeling super obligatory. Plus, the way in which the romance arc is used to reclaim a sense of humanity is incredibly moving, especially during the book’s climax.
I also want to get into my few criticisms of the book. I mentioned that the scifi worldbuilding of Chain-Gang All-Stars is really great in the way it underlines how this sci-fi future has grown directly out of our dystopian present. The ways in which the All-Stars resemble our current American football, boxing, and wrestling leagues is unsubtle and overbearing and that works super well for the overall messaging. What worked less well for me was the informational footnotes. Chain-Gang All-Stars has two kinds of footnotes; narrative ones that appear when a character is killed (I really like these, they very effectively humanize minor characters and underlines the tension between the individuality of each person and the dehumanization of being the entertainment), and informational footnotes that explicitly connect the fictional details to their real world inspiration.
I quickly soured on the informational footnotes. I don’t feel like I need a reminder that a near-future dystopia is commenting on present conditions; that’s already the premise. I empathize with the intention to make sure the audience understands that some things that we might hope were made up are actually the unfortunate reality for millions of inmates, but my experience was it took an extremely obvious subtext and made it too explicit. It felt a bit too preachy, like, we done know. For example,Hamara’s backstory is that she was imprisoned for the self-defence killing of a man who was trying to sexually assault her when she was a teenager. This is based on the real life conviction of Cyntoia Brown, who was sixteen when she killed a man who had sex trafficked her in an attempt to escape, for which she was given a life sentence. It’s a very relevant thing to reference in a book like this, but I already knew who Cyntoia Brown was . I got the reference well before this footnote. I already knew people die from being tazed. I picked this book up because I had already read The New Jim Crow.
Ultimately this is a nitpick because Chain-Gang All-Stars already does its subtext so well. I think if it had been further towards The Hunger Games end of the dystopia spectrum I wouldn’t have been so bothered, but the messaging was so effective that explicit connections felt too obvious. It’s too much of a good thing.
CGAS’ ability to balance addressing a lot of different social issues is genuinely impressive. I complain a lot about message books taking on too much, but CGAS is able to be both broad and deep.
My other reservation was also about the messaging. The tension between the fear the audience has of the combatants and of inmates generally, and the humanity of those inmates. The All Stars League takes people convicted of violence and murder and forces them into the endless pursuit of it.The violence of the system is the explicit goal of the game masters. ‘The knife is only so far from your neck’; the self-justifying fear. Loretta agonizes over whether she is a changed person when her journey to High Freed involves nothing but the same behaviour that put her in jail in the first place. She feels intense guilt, but how can she call the All Stars repentance? There’s Bad Water, another lynk on Loretta’s chain who was innocent of the murder he was convicted of when he joined the All Stars, but was a murderer afterwards. All Stars creates the violence it fears and justifies that violence with its fear. Adjei-Brenyah interrogates this fear through a sub-plot following the actions of a group of activists protesting the All Star League. Their young figurehead is Marissa, the daughter of the legendary Sunset Harkness.
Though he dies before the novel starts, Harkness haunts the narrative. His legendary career and chain mate with Loretta are a huge part of the League’s kayfabe storyline. More intimately, Harkness’ leadership emphasizing understanding and cooperation are a life-changing influence on the chain. Loretta (and Harkness himself) credit him with reclaiming the humanity of the chain. Despite a genuine (Obama-esque) talent for moving speeches, what Harkness never shares with either the chain or the All Stars audience us the same insecurity as Loretta, that despite his upcoming freedom he will continue to be a danger to his family outside.
It’s a fear that Marissa shares. Despite her activism that the All Stars are a cruel and shameful abuse of inmates, she cannot totally overcome the fear that drivers the league. She is secretly grateful that she will never have to directly encounter Harkness, even though, on principle, it is a reunion she supports. This is a hugely compelling tension. The fear is the most obvious philosophical question facing prison abolition and defund the police. It’s the first question anyone asks. ‘If we abolish prison, what will we do with the truly unredeemable?’ ‘If we defund the police, who will answer 911 calls?’ Now, we can and should deconstruct how much of these questions woul d be realistically relevant in a post-carceral world. Prison abolition as a platform involves overhauling the social supports that leave people and communities at the mercy of the carceral system. We already have many potential alternatives to police for responding to emergency situations, and alternatives to prison that are much more effective at addressing anti-social behaviour. But at the same time that fear is an extremely palpable emotion that none of these alternatives truly addresses. It shows in the way discourse develops into nitpicking more extreme situations. ‘What abut serial killers or pedophiles or rapists or psychopaths?’ In other words, ‘I am still afraid, and the prison system is security theatre that makes me feel safe.’ Adjei-Brenyah brings this up directly; a reporter confronts Marissa and the activists asking what they would say to the fact her mother was murdered. Disappointingly, this was one of the few philosophical discussions that isn’t directly resolved. Chain-Gang All-Stars doesn’t have an answer. I get that. This is a hard question and I don’t think anyone does. What bothered me about it was that the problem is just kind of dropped. I really wish the novel had done more to bring it to a resolution, even an ambiguous one. As it is, it really sticks out as the only message that didn’t get as much exploration as it needed.
Both of these problems bothered me while I was reading, but in retrospect I can’t be quite so hard on them. They’re both good ideas that stand out mostly because the rest of the book is so well rounded in its messaging. Even with these limitations I’d give it have out of five anyway. You should read this. You must read this. This book will change your life.
I’m saying this now because no complaint (and I have been able to find things to complain about) would make this less than a perfect 5/5 stars. The fact that I don’t see this everywhere on bookblr is an actual crime (and if I really wanted to make enemies I would share what type of crime I think it is).
Chain-Gang All-Stars is a lot of things. It was first described to me as ‘The Shawshank Redemption meets Fight Club' and it is so much more than that. There is a lot more Gladiator here than Fight Club, but also more NFL, professional wrestling, and, hell, ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ or Red Table Talks.
Chain-Gang All-Stars is also maybe the best political fiction novel of the 21st century. This book is a nuanced argument for prison abolition informed by The New Jim Crow. This book is a character drama. This book is a sapphic romance novel. This book will change your life. The hype is real.
Chain-Gang All-Stars brings us to a near future sci-fi dystopia where America’s new favourite past time is gladiatorial death matches euphemized as ‘hard action sports’. Inmates convicted of the ‘worst’ crimes, especially murder or rape, are given the ‘choice’ to participate in the Chain-Gang All-Stars league and win their freedom by surviving three years of competition. Our protagonist is Loretta Thurwar, the league’s most popular and most dominant combatant, as she takes the title of High Colossal (the longest surviving combatant and therefore the closest to freedom) from her friend and team mate Sunset Harkness, after his mysterious death. Reeling from the loss of Sunset, Loretta is staring down her own freedom and the nagging fear that she’s only gotten closer to it by killing people. What is Blood Mama Loretta Thurwar when she isn’t in the All-Stars? The other major complication is Loretta’s girlfriend Hamara ‘Thee Hurricane STAXX’ Stacker, ebuillent and exuberant where Loretta is reserved, and the league’s hottest rising star.
God what a premise.
Chain-Gang All-Stars nails its social commentary so accurately that it feels like it could take place tomorrow. A prison fight league is a shocking, but nothing in the book feels far fetched. We already treat prison inmates as disposable reservoirs of cheap labour. We already treat Black athletes (and other celebrities) as largely disposable entertainment. This book combines the attitude of white football fans screaming that Colin Kaepernick is paid to play football not to have thoughts and opinions, with a prison industrial complex that pulls millions of primarily Black people into modern day slavery, labour that we are more than happy to enjoy the products of. Adjei-Brenyah’s literary calling card is his use of ultraviolence to force the reader to confront the violence present but invisibilized in our own society, and this novel is a masterclass in the technique. It forces us to confront unflattering realities through exaggeration and does it with so much style we, the readers, are enraptured.
Towards the middle of the book
I found myself often thinking about how great it would be as a TV show. It would whip ass. A part of me hopes that Netflix is cutting Adjei-Brenyah and fat cheque as we speak (and casting Danai Gurira as Loretta), but that’s the instinct that thought a Squid Game reality show would be a good idea and not entirely contrary to the point of the original story. One motif throughout CGAS is
For me the heart of this book is something I never expected. Chain-Gang All-Stars is one of my top three favourite romances ever. I’ve always had a hard time articulating why I like things, and romances most of all, so bear with me.
The romance arc shows us a new side of the characters, something that is ambiguously accessible to fans of the All-Stars. Almost all of their lives are surveilled by fans, the relationship is something visible to their audience, but fundamentally personal and inaccessible to them.
I also want to get into my few criticisms of the book. I mentioned that the scifi worldbuilding of Chain-Gang All-Stars is really great in the way it underlines how this sci-fi future has grown directly out of our dystopian present. The ways in which the All-Stars resemble our current American football, boxing, and wrestling leagues is unsubtle and overbearing and that works super well for the overall messaging. What worked less well for me was the informational footnotes. Chain-Gang All-Stars has two kinds of footnotes; narrative ones that appear when a character is killed (I really like these, they very effectively humanize minor characters and underlines the tension between the individuality of each person and the dehumanization of being the entertainment), and informational footnotes that explicitly connect the fictional details to their real world inspiration.
I quickly soured on the informational footnotes. I don’t feel like I need a reminder that a near-future dystopia is commenting on present conditions; that’s already the premise. I empathize with the intention to make sure the audience understands that some things that we might hope were made up are actually the unfortunate reality for millions of inmates, but my experience was it took an extremely obvious subtext and made it too explicit. It felt a bit too preachy, like, we done know. For example,
Ultimately this is a nitpick because Chain-Gang All-Stars already does its subtext so well. I think if it had been further towards The Hunger Games end of the dystopia spectrum I wouldn’t have been so bothered, but the messaging was so effective that explicit connections felt too obvious. It’s too much of a good thing.
CGAS’ ability to balance addressing a lot of different social issues is genuinely impressive. I complain a lot about message books taking on too much, but CGAS is able to be both broad and deep.
My other reservation was also about the messaging. The tension between the fear the audience has of the combatants and of inmates generally, and the humanity of those inmates. The All Stars League takes people convicted of violence and murder and forces them into the endless pursuit of it.
It’s a fear that Marissa shares. Despite her activism that the All Stars are a cruel and shameful abuse of inmates, she cannot totally overcome the fear that drivers the league. She is secretly grateful that she will never have to directly encounter Harkness, even though, on principle, it is a reunion she supports.
Both of these problems bothered me while I was reading, but in retrospect I can’t be quite so hard on them. They’re both good ideas that stand out mostly because the rest of the book is so well rounded in its messaging. Even with these limitations I’d give it have out of five anyway. You should read this. You must read this. This book will change your life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Domestic abuse