Reviews tagging 'Violence'

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

530 reviews

indieleah's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

A must read, an excellent take down of the prison complex and humans obsession with watching bad things happen to one another. Every now and then the language felt a bit pretentious, but that’s just personal preference I think. Excellent, and also, a tough read (VERY SAD). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape

moscat's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Outstandingly good. Like the best speculative fiction it shows us a reality we already live in. It's heart-breaking and brutally compelling.

It feels so visual and cinematic but I also can't imagine a way you could film this that wasn't wholly antithetical to what the book is saying.

It lays bare so many toxic aspects of our society, but in particular how we dehumanise criminals, perceive them as the crime not the person, and use that to justify horrific things.

Remember, folks, just because the law permits something doesn't mean it is in any way ethical or moral. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Sexual assault

albernikolauras's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.25

A powerful story following criminals who have to survive 2 years of essentially being gladiators to be freed - something only one or two have completed. The book follows several perspectives, with the main one being Loretta Thurwar on the road to the last battles in her career. There are footnotes scattered throughout citing true statistics about the industrial prison complex and the way prisons use incarcerated people (who are largely people of color) for profit. This book just carries the profitizing further as the criminals in the CAPE program are used for entertainment and reality show material between matches.

There is nothing subtle about this book and no holds barred. The characters are constantly fighting for their life and their humanity. This ending rattled me for a bit, but was perfect for what the book intended.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Violence

Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia

Minor: Rape

smithalexis035's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book really got me thinking about the possible future of our incarceration system. This book is graphic, it can be easy to get lost too as there’s a lot of characters and it jumps around a bit. This book is out of my normal comfort zone for genre but I really enjoyed it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and Classism

solskxn's review against another edition

Unfortunately, I had to abandon this book halfway through, but it's not for the reasons you might think. 
Due to the graphic self-harm depicted when a new character named Patricia enters the story, I've had to part ways with it.

However, for those who may have a stronger stomach and less personal, visceral reactions to this particular trigger, please note that I would have rated this book highly. The subject matter itself is obviously harrowing, and there's no reprieve in this novel thus far. But the subject is provoking in its vulnerable nature, pitting minorities against one another in a gruesome way. It uncovers the core of humanity's evil and failings.

The narrative is interesting, written from various characters' perspectives, and it's poetic, brutal, vulnerable, real, and gross. Even though I couldn't continue, I believe this book has great merit and is worth your time if you're brave enough. Meanwhile, I'll be off reading a nice little children's story to settle my stomach and my inner child."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

sarahburchh's review against another edition

adventurous 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

incredible concept for a dystopian book based on the current system we live in. took me a minute to get into it but then i was IN. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Torture, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Rape

kimapede's review against another edition

dark informative 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? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicide, and Torture

Minor: Rape

hxcpanda's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

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

2.75

More of a thought experiment or a thesis than a true novel. As a novel it feels half baked. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, and Murder

Moderate: Self harm and Suicide

isabelsophiex's review against another edition

dark emotional

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Minor: Rape and Murder

ellen_is_reading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

This book is stunning.

Through the lense of a high-action murder game show this book delivers a sharp criticism of the American penal system. By using such an extreme framing point, we are shown all of the ways that the penal system has failed, continues to fail, and could fail in the future. 

Incredibly human characters which force you to question your own complicity and limits of what kinds of punishment can be tolerated. 

Rooted in real statistics and structures of the modern justice system,  this story highlights racial disparities, harsh punishment practices, and all the ways that prisoners are seen as less-than and allowed to be harmed for it. 

I will be thinking about this book and it's message for a very long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

Minor: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Sexual content