What a book! I was immediately drawn in by the premise: two women become allies against the violence of one man, uniting in a mission to seize the justice that they, and their friends, deserved. This book focuses around a serial killer dubbed "The Defendant" who offers eerily similar features to Ted Bundy.

Firstly, I absolutely loved the narrative structure of this book. It's got quick pace, brilliant perspectives that allow you to empathise immediately with the women and their terror, and I adored the quick intersections of the modern narrative. Throughout, Pamela's interventions from the modern age provided small glimmers of hope that keep you reading to find out more.

I loved the framing of the book that emphasises that the men should not be given the power and notoriety/fame that comes with famous serial killers. By constantly drawing us back to the women and their thoughts and emotions, Knoll perfectly aligns this narrative to this reclamation and I loved the direction this took.

In terms of the characters, I found all of them to be brilliant in their own way - I loved how flawed each woman was, as it made them feel so much more real and intricate. That said, the confidence and intelligence of each women, particularly Pamela who I took a liking to the most, stood out in this book and certainly made it the thought-provoking and excellent book it was. I highly recommend this to everyone, and cannot wait to see what Knoll releases next.

Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for early access to this book.

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

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challenging dark 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? Yes

3.75

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the_bookishkat's reviews 466 reviews

the_bookishkat's reviews
466 reviews