Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

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

13 reviews

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

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.

lycheejelly's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexism, Self harm, Racism, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Homophobia, Hate crime, Gun violence, Grief, Gore, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Medical content, and Medical trauma

texashippie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Classism, Domestic abuse, Racism, Lesbophobia, Gore, Homophobia, Police brutality, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Rape, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, and Violence

savvylit's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.25

"The nut to crack in any criminal-justice sport was to separate the criminal from the human. When humans saw other humans, they felt 'bad' for whoever had gotten sliced up that week. When humans saw a criminal die, well, that was different."

Chain-Gang All-Stars is an incredibly effective satire full of brilliant observations. Though the realm of pay-per-view bloodsports is a slightly exaggerated version of the current United States, many aspects of this novel are ripped right from reality. Adjei-Brenyah includes footnoted facts that prove aspects of the story aren't fiction: more Black people are incarcerated than any other group, solitary confinement is inhumane torture, teargas is chemical warfare, and many more horrifying truths. It's easy to imagine the world of Chain-Gang All-Stars as being in our own near future.

Within this excellently executed satire, there is also a cast of deeply empathetic and complex characters. Thurwar, Staxx, Craft, & Hendrix will each stay with me for quite some time. The countless absolutely brutal, heartbreaking moments throughout Chain-Gang All-Stars wouldn't have been nearly as effective if the characters hadn't felt so real. My only criticism: I think there were too many characters that were given a first-person perspective. The events of this novel would have been just as riveting and compelling without some of those perspectives.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Blood, Violence, Gore, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Death, Murder, Confinement, Police brutality, and Suicide

anthologee's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Self harm, Mental illness, Gun violence, Confinement, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Classism, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Religious bigotry, Racism, Hate crime, Rape, Police brutality, Murder, Misogyny, Gore, Genocide, Cursing, Blood, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Violence, Sexual assault, and Colonisation

emzhay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Police brutality, Trafficking, Murder, Gore, Racial slurs, Confinement, Violence, Mental illness, Death, and Racism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Grief, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

el1ie's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Child death, Death, Violence, Racism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Sexual violence, and Religious bigotry

growplantsreadbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

Brilliant. Scathing. Masterful storytelling that will hopefully create more abolishonists. 
I could write essays on every character introduced, but I was most int igued by Emily.  What her character shows about white womanhood left me nauseous. 
We are so close to this horrifying future and I left this book recommitted to abolition. 
Very tough read. Definitely in the top 5 I've read all year though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Death, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, and Racial slurs

krysley's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture, Death, Racism, Police brutality, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Misogyny