Scan barcode
A review by ramreadsagain
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book has blown me away and I’ll never forget it.
As the best dystopia always is, it’s a very real-feeling vision of where the current prison industrial complex is heading, as criminals (“Links”) are pitted against each other to the death gladiator-style with the promise of freedom if they survive for three years.
The narrative is dynamic and compelling, as we switch between POVs of several Links, protestors, viewers, and businessmen. The writing style is incredible, with every sentence carrying weight. The chapters are also interspersed with facts from modern-day America about the death penalty, incarceration rates, police violence, and more.
This book is timely and educational, and I think would be great for those who want to take baby steps into the world of prison abolition without diving in to a non-fiction text.
As the best dystopia always is, it’s a very real-feeling vision of where the current prison industrial complex is heading, as criminals (“Links”) are pitted against each other to the death gladiator-style with the promise of freedom if they survive for three years.
The narrative is dynamic and compelling, as we switch between POVs of several Links, protestors, viewers, and businessmen. The writing style is incredible, with every sentence carrying weight. The chapters are also interspersed with facts from modern-day America about the death penalty, incarceration rates, police violence, and more.
This book is timely and educational, and I think would be great for those who want to take baby steps into the world of prison abolition without diving in to a non-fiction text.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, and Police brutality
Moderate: Confinement, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Suicide, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Racial slurs and Lesbophobia