Chain Gang All Stars: A Novel

by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Chain Gang All Stars: A Novel cover
Good Books rating 4.08
Technical:
  • ID: 229
  • Added: 2025-09-06
  • Updated: 2025-09-06
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
Lesbrary · 2025-09-06
thoughtful 4.25

The novel humanizes incarcerated individuals with complex pasts, showing them as capable of change and deserving of rights despite their crimes. It confronts difficult themes like violence, mental health struggles, and the dehumanizing prison system with sensitivity and depth.

This review praises the novel for its nuanced portrayal of prisoners, presenting them as multifaceted humans rather than mere criminals. It acknowledges the harsh realities of their pasts, including murder and wrongful convictions, but emphasizes their capacity for growth and humanity. The story's emotional weight is underscored by difficult scenes of suffering and trauma both inside and outside the arena, such as the use of the painful 'Influencer' device and personal family tragedies. The reviewer admires how the book challenges readers to consider the humanity behind incarceration and the possibility of redemption.

Quick quotes

    The author humanizes these people without shying away from complexity.

    Chain-Gang All-Stars shows them all as human beings who have rights, who are capable of change.

    As she approaches the real possibility of freedom and escape, Thurwar struggles to accept herself as worthy of that.

Tarvolon · 2024-02-19
powerful 4.00

The novel is a brutal and vivid critique of the U.S. prison system through a dystopian gladiatorial narrative. Its mosaic storytelling style effectively highlights diverse perspectives, from prisoners to protestors to corporate figures, enriching the story's depth and emotional impact.

This review focuses on the novel's unflinching depiction of brutal combat and the broader prison-industrial complex, emphasizing its strength in portraying multiple viewpoints beyond just the gladiators. The narrative structure, somewhat mosaic-like, brings life to secondary characters and external perspectives such as protestors and reality TV fans, adding complexity to the dystopian setting. The reviewer praises the author's ability to create compelling vignettes that deepen the reader's understanding of the system's cruelty and the varied human experiences within it. This multifaceted approach is considered one of the book's greatest strengths, making the story a powerful social critique as well as an engaging thriller.

Quick quotes

    The novel leads with an absolutely brutal combat scene... this is for readers with strong stomachs.

    Its ability to bring its side characters to life is one of the novel’s greatest strengths.

    The vibrancy of the secondary perspectives and side stories proves a true strength of the book.

I Would Rather Be Reading Blog · 2024-01-16
gripping 4.00

The novel presents a dystopian world where prisoners fight in gladiatorial games for freedom, focusing on two Black women who are fan favorites and lovers. It highlights the brutal entertainment industry and the struggle to preserve humanity against a corporate system determined to maintain control.

This review highlights the novel's vivid depiction of a future where the Criminal Action Penal Entertainment (CAPE) program forces prisoners into deadly gladiator-style battles televised for mass entertainment. The focus on Loretta Thurwar and 'Hurricane' Staxxx, both teammates and lovers, humanizes the characters amidst the violence and corporate exploitation. The review appreciates the book's tension between the brutal spectacle and the characters' fight to maintain dignity and humanity, emphasizing how the system's obstacles have devastating personal consequences. It portrays the story as a sharp critique of a dystopian justice system wrapped in a thrilling narrative.

Quick quotes

    Chain-Gang All-Stars envisions a world where criminals with lengthy prison sentences are offered an opportunity to significantly reduce their punishment to three years, but at a cost.

    These matches have become the new favorite sport of the nation, and the favorite gladiators are celebrities and idols to millions.

    CAPE’s corporate owners will stop at nothing to protect their status quo and the obstacles they lay in Thurwar’s path have devastating consequences.

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