Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

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

8 reviews

corsetedfeminist's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book ruined me. 

I don't even know how to write a review of this book. Y'all just need to all go read it so we can sit around together with shattered hearts. 

This story takes place in a far too recognizable future 

America in which imprisoned people have been forced into televised gladiatorial combat to the death. 

It is so realistic that the author studs the text with agonizing footnotes showing the facts he based his book on- the statute on torture. Real accounts of murdered Black people. The statute on the use of tear gas. The statistics on transgender people in prison. 

All of the characters in this book are in depth to an endearing but painful level, but the characters who I came to love the most are definitely Thurwar and Staxxx- both black queer women. Thurwar, the strong but broken leader and Staxxx, who hides a soft heart beneath the tattooed X's marking every kill on her skin. Their romance is heartrending soft and healthy despite the circumstances and their tenderness with each other despite the harshness the world has shown to them broke my heart every chapter. 

I also want to mention a somewhat minor POV character, Emily, who we watch over the course of the book as her boyfriend's love of watching the matches breaks her down from a general distaste to a careless disregard for life coupled while simultaneously being upset when Links die-but not so much as to let it keep her from enjoying watching future matches or getting distracted with her boyfriend. 

In short- this should be a required read for everyone. It is a truly brilliant take down of the prison system, racism, and the police while humanizing the Black and Brown people that those systems teach us to fear.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

bookflix's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism

leannanecdote's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

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

rcbarnes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

Heartbreakingly uncanny.  Sublimly humanizing.  Disturbingly plausible.  Beautiful throughout.

Should probably be required reading before voting in US elections.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

glammster's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

annamay1021's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation

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: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

octarinedream's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Cursing, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Lesbophobia, and Colonisation

Minor: Rape and Self harm