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bluemonkey14's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
The book is sprinkled with asides - some of these provide additional content, others context. I like the idea of this although it does make some of the social commentary points feel a little "on the nose" for my taste. That said, I knew a bit about some of the issues before going in, so what seemed obvious to me may not have been to others. In all I'd say the decision to err on the side of pushing the point home was probably the right way to go.
I really like the way the story is told through different viewpoints - at times it feels a bit like a collection of short stories which all come together in the climax. The story is dense and immersive, there's a lot to take in, but I think that reflects the nature of modern hyper-capitalist life. There's always something to distract you, always a new shiny thing just over there, always something to stop you looking at the blood on the ground.
The ending is abrupt and jarring, like so many endings both in the book and in real life. I do think there's a lot still to cover in this universe (
The violence is graphic and constant. It may not be to everyone's taste but again, it reflects the issues being portrayed. If the reflection in the mirror makes us uncomfortable, the only option is to change what's on this side of the glass.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Slavery, Suicide, and Police brutality
Minor: Homophobia and Transphobia
leannanecdote's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
lokes's review against another edition
- 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
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
jcreads85's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, and Police brutality
Minor: Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
hazycozmicjive's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Torture, Violence, and Police brutality
ribbenkast's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
On top of this, the book is just so well written. The characters are lifelike and complicated, the plot fits tightly together, the prose is strong. Everything is just done right.
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
cepbreed's review against another edition
- 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
"One thing I can promise you is there will always be pain."
"A knife is only ever so far from your neck."
I have never dreaded a last chapter more than this one.
Masterful. Powerful. Jaw-slackening.
My mouth is dry and I'm at a loss for words.
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Rape
crybabybea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is a Black Mirror style dystopia. It feels weird to call it a dystopia, because it feels so real. It's not too far off from reality, which is why it feels like a Black Mirror episode.
Something that made this book stand out for me was its multiple POVs. At first, it felt overwhelming to be constanly juggled around different people that didn't seem to matter to the story. But I came to understand that that was the point; everyone is connected to the system in small or large ways. There is no separating yourself from the system whether you want to or not. At the same time, we are all connected together as people. It made the entire story feel like a snowballing of seemingly unrelated butterfly effects. The death of a character's father leads her to accidentally invent the torture device used against prisoners and protestors. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time means one person gets convicted for a crime while another goes free. It shows how the little choices can make somebody's fate, and how the prison system capitalizes on those little moments to punish, dehumanize, and control. It makes the reader ask, are we defined by the choices we make, or do the choices we make really have nothing to do with us at all?
All the POVs come together in one way or another at the end; characters we read the perspective of one time at the beginning of the book become someone we meet in passing in another character's perspective. I loved the effect it created and how it showed each tiny piece of the system and the story as a whole. Some people will find it discombobulated and confusing, but it really worked for me.
And the characters we focus the most on are beautifully done. They are people who have done some of the quote unquote "worst" things a human could do. They are murderers, rapists, arsonists, criminals. But they are also people, and the author does a really great job making you fall in love with them despite what may be your gut reaction to them. They have passions, fears, regrets, dreams. Some of them forgive themselves and others want to punish themselves just as badly as the world wants to punish them. Some of them fully lean into the hand they have been dealt, and others succumb to their own hopelessness. The characters definitely shine here and also open up a lot of introspection and reflection. I would say there are four main characters, but the minor characters play a huge part in the story and I was every bit as moved by their individual stories as the main storyline.
The plot itself is rather basic, and I think if the characters were less compelling it would have quickly become boring. The main conflicts themselves wouldn't have been enough to carry the whole story, but because we become so close to the characters and the POVs are split up the way they are, the intrigue stays high and, at least for me, it was impossible to put this down. The last 25% of this book does not pull any punches. It hits hard and it hits fast.
Every choice the author made feels extremely intentional. The choice to use different narration styles for different character's POVs. The choice to include footnotes that break the fourth wall by pointing to real-world statistics on imprisonment and systemic racism. The choice to end the story how he did. Everything was done extremely well and I'm confident I'll be thinking about this book for a long, long time.
Brutal and devastating.
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
jefferz's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
- 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
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