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A review by medicineandmetaphors
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Oh. My. God.
What an influential story that I will carry with me for the rest of my days.
Nana wrote a scathing commentary about the United States' prison system. Through his fictionalized lens, we got to experience harrowing AND TRUE statistics alongside tragedy and triumph his characters faced. Each character is multifaceted, three dimensional, and fascinating to read about. This is a book necessary for our time, and I'm so grateful that I've read it. Thank you for your hard work, Nana. I will never look at the carceral system the same again, and I will be an advocate for the voiceless because of this work.
PS: I started this on audiobook, then switched to an ebook from my library. I believe text is the preferred method of reading Chain-Gang. The stylistic choices Nana made to paint a documentary-feeling environment with the shouting from the stands distracted from my audiobook experience. But it really MADE the text experience!
What an influential story that I will carry with me for the rest of my days.
Nana wrote a scathing commentary about the United States' prison system. Through his fictionalized lens, we got to experience harrowing AND TRUE statistics alongside tragedy and triumph his characters faced. Each character is multifaceted, three dimensional, and fascinating to read about. This is a book necessary for our time, and I'm so grateful that I've read it. Thank you for your hard work, Nana. I will never look at the carceral system the same again, and I will be an advocate for the voiceless because of this work.
PS: I started this on audiobook, then switched to an ebook from my library. I believe text is the preferred method of reading Chain-Gang. The stylistic choices Nana made to paint a documentary-feeling environment with the shouting from the stands distracted from my audiobook experience. But it really MADE the text experience!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence