A review by april_reads
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah absolutely blew me away. The author masterfully weaves a gripping fictional story while spotlighting real, unsettling truths about our present-day criminal justice system and prisons.

Set in a dystopian future, the most popular form of entertainment is Chain Gang All Stars—a brutal, gladiator-style fight to the death between incarcerated individuals. In this world, the most violent offenders are given a choice: serve out their full sentence or fight for their freedom in this televised blood sport. If they can survive three years, they’re granted a full pardon. It’s a tempting alternative, especially in a prison system experimenting with devices like the “Influencer” and forced silence as methods of control and punishment.

This is not a story where anyone truly wins. There are no clean-cut heroes, and it doesn’t ask for blind sympathy. Instead, it invites readers to consider how the system treats even the most condemned individuals—and whether that system is beyond repair.

It's raw, brutal, and not for the faint of heart, but it will absolutely make you think. I 1000% recommend it.
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