Reviews with content warning for Torture - Chain-Gang All-Stars

This is a book that will make you rethink everything you feel and know about the American justice system. This should be required reading. The way you go back and forth between perspectives and the way they come together in the final pages... its beautiful storytelling. It is also vicious and violent, much like the real life justice system. The way the author pulls in real people and real statistics is an homage to those who have been unfairly and unjustly treated.

SPOILERS in
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I am more than a little pissed that Thurwar killed Staxxx. I had expected them to go out together, mortally wounding each other. I understand the meaning of the full circle moment but it still annoyed me.

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sara_reads_and_wines's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

4.5

This was a hard read, but one that was written so well it was hard to out down.

In a not so distant dystopia future, there is technology in place that helps control the prison population. Ranging from forced silence, to a shock that can electrify your nervous system, the technology is truly terrifying.

But that isn't even the worst of it in this dystopia world. The prison system is now private and for profit. Inmates voluntarily (????) sign up to be part of these "Hard Action Sports". Divided into teams by their prison systems, the prisoners, now called 'links' fight to death in battles to gain ranks to their freedom.

We mainly follow two links Thurwar and Staxxx who are on the same chain (team) and both almost to the top rank to gain their freedow.
Told almost like a documentary, each chapter gives you different points of views from the different links, to fans watching the matches live or at home, to the board members of the hard action sports, to journalists and reporters, and to those protesting the injustice in and inhumane treatment of the links.

It hard to say you enjoy a book with such a troubling concept, but it was really well done. There are footnotes with real statistics and facts about the prison and justice systems that give you a double take. And stories for each person as they enter the prisons or loose their battles so you get a more human side of them outside of their crimes.

I will definitely be reading more by this author to see what other stories they tell.

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carlycompton22's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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 critical look at the dire situation of our prison system in the context of a grotesque near-future world that seems all too possible in today's entertainment and political environment. This book makes you examine your own preconceived notions about right and wrong, justice and freedom, and how our society views and treats those incarcerated for serious crimes.

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fxp's review

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

It wasn't fun reading this novel as there was a lot of torture and violence.

Yet I also couldn't put the book down because it's such a believable dystopia given the state of the USS "correction" system (a.k.a. penal-industrial complex).

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machenn's review against another edition

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dark tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.25

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alittlegreenbean's review

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dark emotional medium-paced

5.0

A MUST READ. the varying povs were great at showing how how the everyday person can become complicit in an unjust system and how easy it is to become indoctrinated. the real life statistics were a powerful addition, forcing the reader to see the parallels between this satirical society and our carceral system today.

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maggieperrien's review

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challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book is so complicated. But it is so well done. The anuthor has satirized a world where death-row prisoners battle to the death to eventually be freed as Links in a Chang-Gang. And in this world the carceral system is making even more money off of inmates as they have monetized the sport, the related reality TV shows and the Links (the contestants) have sponsorships.
This book shows the very worst that is possible from humans when we stop seeing the humanity in each other. But it does so is such a thought provoking way. The Links are all murders and/or rapists - they have done bad things but then have the opportunity to be immortalized as heros in the blood-sport matches. The book’s chapters change character POV from Links, prison owners, prisoners families, even fans - this makes the book interesting and allows the reader a varied perspective as they have to decide what is good and bad.
This is a hard read, there is violence and it’s a grim look at the human condition but also interspersed are footnotes of real carceral system facts which makes this book so important and so sad. Although it was a tough read I still highly recommend.

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