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A review by lucybbookstuff
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
challenging
dark
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This one is tough because I do think it's an objectively good book. It goes really deep, clearly took a lot of research and imagination, and is far from being a straightforward narrative.
But I just wasn't in the mood for it at all, which made such a heavy and experimental book like this incredibly difficult to get through (and I needed to for book club). And there are several things about it that I don't think I'd like much even if I were in the mood.
- It is extremely heavy-handed. And there is definitely a place for that, but it's just not what I personally need or am looking for.
- It is extremely violent. Which isn't a dealbreaker for me, but is hard for me to connect with if I'm not LOVING the book.
- It just felt very meandering and thus, too long, without actually building out the characters enough for me to connect with or like that much (except for Singer - I really liked him and all his chapters). I really think I would have liked this a lot more if it had been either a novella OR, perhaps even better, a series of short stories. Vignettes of all these characters we met, coming together to create the same picture of this horrifying dystopia. I think that would have been a lot more effective for me and I would have been much more receptive.
All that said, I can recognize that it's a great book, and I certainly see why it's so popular and highly-rated. I do think it' important and should be widely read and discussed, I'm just going to be careful not to recommend it too broadly.
Definitely looking forward to a great book club discussion.
But I just wasn't in the mood for it at all, which made such a heavy and experimental book like this incredibly difficult to get through (and I needed to for book club). And there are several things about it that I don't think I'd like much even if I were in the mood.
- It is extremely heavy-handed. And there is definitely a place for that, but it's just not what I personally need or am looking for.
- It is extremely violent. Which isn't a dealbreaker for me, but is hard for me to connect with if I'm not LOVING the book.
- It just felt very meandering and thus, too long, without actually building out the characters enough for me to connect with or like that much (except for Singer - I really liked him and all his chapters). I really think I would have liked this a lot more if it had been either a novella OR, perhaps even better, a series of short stories. Vignettes of all these characters we met, coming together to create the same picture of this horrifying dystopia. I think that would have been a lot more effective for me and I would have been much more receptive.
All that said, I can recognize that it's a great book, and I certainly see why it's so popular and highly-rated. I do think it' important and should be widely read and discussed, I'm just going to be careful not to recommend it too broadly.
Definitely looking forward to a great book club discussion.