Scan barcode
A review by amalas_bookstop
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
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? Yes
3.5
Solid 3.5⭐️ rounded up.
Quick summary about this dystopian world. Imagine a reality where prisoners are given a pathway to total freedom. Catch is they have to fight to the death on a program called Criminal Action Penal Entertainment program, CAPE for short. I will warn this is a pretty violent book. From the first chapter to the last you are in battle whether in the ring or as a protestor.
There were some total wins, that I loved.
1. This book will open up tons of thought and conversation when it comes to capital punishment and our current criminal justice system.
2. I really enjoyed the footnotes in this book. The author used them to explains laws, codes, facts about the prison facilities, and extra anecdotes about a murderd prisoner. It was really well done.
3. The book really reads like you were watching the games on tv. I could really see this book becoming a movie someday. It was a very entertaining read.
Some things that were missing in my opinion.
I wanted more back story or dialogue on the main characters in this book. While this book is very violent and heart wrenching at times, I had a hard time connecting all the way through. I think it was because the author focused more on the world and the message, that he did not give me enough about the characters. Some of the chapters were really short and hard for me to keep up sometimes. I read somewhere that the author started with short stories and that is evident in the book. Some of these chapters definitely read like a short story.
I would still totally recommend this book especially if you are someone who enjoys a dystopian read. I did have a good time reading this and the author did a really good job getting his message across.
Quick summary about this dystopian world. Imagine a reality where prisoners are given a pathway to total freedom. Catch is they have to fight to the death on a program called Criminal Action Penal Entertainment program, CAPE for short. I will warn this is a pretty violent book. From the first chapter to the last you are in battle whether in the ring or as a protestor.
There were some total wins, that I loved.
1. This book will open up tons of thought and conversation when it comes to capital punishment and our current criminal justice system.
2. I really enjoyed the footnotes in this book. The author used them to explains laws, codes, facts about the prison facilities, and extra anecdotes about a murderd prisoner. It was really well done.
3. The book really reads like you were watching the games on tv. I could really see this book becoming a movie someday. It was a very entertaining read.
Some things that were missing in my opinion.
I wanted more back story or dialogue on the main characters in this book. While this book is very violent and heart wrenching at times, I had a hard time connecting all the way through. I think it was because the author focused more on the world and the message, that he did not give me enough about the characters. Some of the chapters were really short and hard for me to keep up sometimes. I read somewhere that the author started with short stories and that is evident in the book. Some of these chapters definitely read like a short story.
I would still totally recommend this book especially if you are someone who enjoys a dystopian read. I did have a good time reading this and the author did a really good job getting his message across.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Classism, Cursing, Death, Police brutality, Body horror, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Racism, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Gore, and Murder