A review by madanxiety
The Chain by Adrian McKinty

  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

Not my usual taste, but it's gripping. I liked how everything slowly came together, and how it wasn't too easy to figure out what was gonna happen next.

This may be the most disturbing book I've ever read. No, actually, I've read Night by Elie Wiesel and a few different narratives of formerly enslaved people. Maybe it's the most disturbing fiction book I've ever read. That doesn't say a whole lot since I know there are much more disturbing books--I'm of the mind that there are too many real-life horrors to stomach fictional ones too. For that reason, I was going to quit the book halfway through, which I don't think I've ever done, if
the little girl died from anaphylaxis
. But that didn't happen, so I trucked on. 

I'm skeptical about the implications of these kind of books in the same way that I'm skeptical of the true crime genre. I think these things sensationalize interpersonal violence and organized crime, weaving these horrific-yet-juicy narratives that ultimately (1) distract from the state-sanctioned violence that's infinitely more rampant in the US and the world at large, and (2) teach the common people to be fearful of each other,  squashing our ability to build trusting community support networks. 

I'd have given it 5 stars if it was a more explicit commentary
on corruption in law enforcement/FBI/etc. Instead, especially due to the focus on Ginger and Ollie's traumatic and disturbing childhoods, the book is more localized--"these specific people are crazy evil villains," not "these people reflect the normalized abuse of power and resources that takes place in America law enforcement and justice systems." I guess that's what's more interesting and compelling to me, not cults of "sociopaths" (a word used in the book to describe Ginger, but which is not a scientifically specific, diagnostic term).
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