Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

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

16 reviews

sarahbeydoun's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Grief, Cursing, Sexual content, Murder, Gore, Body horror, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Misogyny, and Medical content

bravelass85's review against another edition

dark 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

4.0

A disturbing, compelling speculative take on a future America where private prisons are so terrible people choose to fight as gladiators in a reality show environment. Brutal. Some sections will stay with me longer than I’d like them to. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Violence, Suicide, and Emotional abuse

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

ramreadsagain's review

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, and Police brutality

Moderate: Suicide, Racism, Rape, Confinement, Slavery, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Racial slurs and Lesbophobia

chris_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad fast-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, and Racism

Moderate: Blood, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Death, Grief, and Misogyny

Minor: Domestic abuse, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicidal thoughts

sarahyjackson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

5.0

A vivid, visceral narrative that has just enough dystopian elements to make it speculative, and way more actuality to make the realism inescapable. 

If I were still a high school teacher, I’d assign this book. It manages to be both a condemnation of the American  prison industrial complex and a poem about violence, repair, suffering, & ethics. 

As comprehensive a story about abolition as I have read in a while. I’ll be thinking of Loretta & Hamara for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Blood, Torture, Body horror, Racism, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Death, and Body shaming

Moderate: Antisemitism and Rape

Minor: Adult/minor relationship