Reviews tagging 'Child death'

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

19 reviews

jennaviolet's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Stalking, Car accident, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship

wooblatoober's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative reflective 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

4.75

Incredibly informative and real, strengthened my hatred for America’s prison system. Also a commentary on racism and capitalism in general, both of which Adjei-Brenyah shows run rampant in his fictional American prison system and in America’s real one that’s not so far off. I gave it a 4.75 instead of 5 because Adjei-Brenyah’s writing does more telling instead of showing at times, and there are sometimes long monologues in the character’s heads that could be shaved down or even cut. I had read this right after taking a creative writing class, so that stuff might have stood out to me more than it would normally. Otherwise, incredible book. I highly recommend it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

kevsunblush's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

yourbookishbff's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-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

4.5

Chain-Gang All-Stars is a compelling, character-driven dystopian with a Hunger-Games-style premise that explores the very real present-day horrors of the prison-industrial complex in the United States. The story is told through a fragmented series of fictional POVs and is occasionally interspersed with real statistics and historical context. The idea of the games - killing contests derived for commercial entertainment staged between inmates from prisons across the country - calls on the language and history of slavery in the United States and blends it with the present commodification of a capitalist prison system. It might seem dystopian to imagine large corporations sponsoring prisoners' scythes, hammers, and other murder weapons, but it's hardly very futuristic when we consider the existing - and very profitable - industry surrounding imprisonment, security, monitoring and policing.

This is a stand-out read, and particularly enjoyable on audio, given the diverse cast of narrators. I only wish it had been a bit tighter in execution, because there were parts where I struggled to stay fully invested in the throughline of the story. That said, this is remarkable, and I highly recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Police brutality, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Transphobia, Blood, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

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

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

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

ashylibrarian's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book is tough. A unique, dystopian look at the flaws of criminal justice system. This book is gross and heartbreaking and frustrating and beautiful and powerful beyond words. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racism, Rape, and Suicide

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

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

sarah984's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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 seen men I knew were a danger to the world and they too deserve better than this." 

I don't even know what to say about this one. Brutal and honest, great character writing. A little bit of speculative fiction to shine a light on the horrors existing right now. In some places it feels a little "abolition 101" but overall the prose sings. Phenomenal.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Cancer, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, and Religious bigotry

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

Thanks to Pantheon Books for the free advance copy of this book.

 - How does one even begin to review a book like CHAIN-GANG ALL-STARS? I knew Adjei-Brenyah's debut novel would be something to behold, and even then all my expectations were blown away.
- This is a sci-fi novel, but it's also an abolitionist text. The way something awful will happen to a character and then there's a footnote with the U.S. law that makes the action legal...whew.
- Adjei-Brenyah makes the reader stay in uncomfortable places, both of physical brutality and of mental work. The lines we like to draw between "good" and "bad" people are smashed here, with the aim to bring the whole system down. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail