I love dystopian fiction but I usually shy away from violence. This was brilliantly written though, and i found myself rooting for the protagonists. Brutal, shocking, and sadly believable, An adult Hunger Games that I read in one day without putting it down.

I did not enjoy this book and it took me almost a year to try and finish it but i just couldnt. Sorry.

This isn't just a book; it's a social critique with a wicked crossover dribble.

The novel throws us into a near-future America, where the prison system has been 'upgraded' to a gladiatorial reality show. Think "The Hunger Games," but with a 401(k) plan and commercial breaks. The protagonists, Loretta Thurwar and Hamara "Hurricane Staxxx" Stacker, are the LeBron and Jordan of the chain-gang league, fighting not just for points on the scoreboard, but for their very freedom.

Adjei-Brenyah's prose dribbles with satire and shoots sharp commentary on systemic racism, capitalism, and mass incarceration. It's as if George Orwell and Dave Chappelle co-wrote a novel while watching "Orange Is the New Black."

If you're wondering whether this book is worth the read, just remember: in a world of literary layups, "Chain-Gang All-Stars" goes for the alley-oop!

Clever, insightful but also violent, this book brings to life the endemic racism in America and shows how used to extreme violence people are that fighting for freedom as if in a Gladiatorial arena is quite believable. Terrifying but gripping.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There was much to admire and enjoy in this book, but I think it was a case of personal taste, because I didn't quite click with it. I will read more from this author though.

This story is based around a Gladiator/Squid Games type of knock-out competition where prisoners fight for their freedom. The way it was written made the whole world feel incredibly claustrophobic. You have a prison environment, lots of talk about chains and being one link in a chain which could lead to your release but, to get a taste of freedom you have to fight to the death. Also a lot of the narrative taking place outside seemed to be mass protests, large groups of people gathering so the atmosphere felt very small and suffocating.⁣
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I will be honest and say that I found this book hard to read, it’s such an unusual style that it took a bit of time to get into the story and I really had to concentrate to keep track. However, it was well worth persevering with. Once you gain an understanding of the dystopian setting, the relationships between the characters is very real and genuine. This this was something I really wasn’t expecting and it gives the reader a way in. A large portion of the story is based on these gladiator style fights, but there is also a lot of emotion and a lot of humour.⁣
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There are so many underlying messages in the story to do with the treatment of Black and LGBTQ+ people in the prison system, racism and human rights, police violence and even a commentary on the people who choose to watch reality TV as entertainment and how far this could go. There is probably so much more that I didn’t even get a handle on so I am going to read as much as I can about the author’s intentions within the story to hopefully highlight anything that I missed!

Battle Royale meets the penal system!

Don't be put off if the start and pacing leave you a little whiplashed to begin with, this Hunger Games-esque competition narrative is a scathing look at the US penal system (and honestly considering the politics in recent years not that unrealistic). Very readable, would read more by this author!

Loved everything about the premise and concept of this book and its critique of the commerce of the penal system. However, there came a point where it felt repetitive and the story ran out of steam.

It took me a long time to get to Chain-Gang All Stars, and it's going to be a tricky one to review as well. It's one of those books where the importance and quality are evident, but combine to make for a sometimes truly uncomfortable reading experience. Although I often felt downcast when reading, I nevertheless could not put it down. This was definitely a book where I had every format on the go, so that I could plunge myself back in at any moment and find out what happened next. I couldn't fully immerse myself in the world however - this is a frighteningly plausible dystopia, and didn't feel like reading for escapism in any sense. The footnotes with real-life prison statistics are utterly brutal. I found the exploration of ideas was strongest when utilising multiple POVs - I found the interlacing plots really interesting, and it was a shame that they perhaps didn't fully come together. I felt bereft at the ending, but I suppose this book couldn't have ended any other way.

I didn't really know what to expect from this book. I tried the audio version and I just couldn't get in to it. I will try again though as I think it could get better - DNF

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

An extraordinary idea, hampered slightly by pacing issues. I was only truly invested in the main 2 characters as they were the ones fleshed out the most. Very excited to see what this author does next.

The book was certainly not what I had expected.

Set in a society where crime result in life imprisonment, the only way of escaping this is to join CAPE a "fight" society where life comes with benefits the more Gladiatorial battles you win. There is a chance to be freed from CAPE but the rules are certainly not set in stone.

It isn't my fvourite book of the year I can't really see why it has so many award nominations as for the most part i found it a lumbering narrative. It had the added disattraction of footnotes in Fiction something that really interrupts the flow of reading.

I know it was trying to be moralist / ethical and it did have some interesting aspects. It was a commentary on whether the societal norms were in fact achieving a better society. At tiems it did make me think of A Clockwork Orange which tried new ways of controlling behaviour and also of Catch-22 with its idea that the characters are between a rock and a hard place.

As a Debut novel itis a work of some depth but does not tempt me into more from this author

Stunning book. This Sci Fi allegory of the US prison system is hard hitting and brilliant. I loved the MCs and the crazy world of the death matches and the pop/celebrity culture surrounding them. I especially loved how the POV chapters included people beyond the MCs, showing us how the system affected everyone at all levels of society. A must read.

Wonderfully realised and all too believable, this dystopian thriller had me hooked. Great writing, vivid characters and an absorbing plot. What’s not to love.

In this brutal reimagining of America and the prison industrial complex, we follow two "hard action sport" stars as they compete for freedom in a series of gladiator-style brawls.

The many different perspectives featured in this book made it slightly difficult to invest in the characters but by the end I was totally invested in finding out their ultimate fate.

Overall I thought this struck a nice balanced between being entertaining but also informative and grounded in reality. This was partly achieved through the inclusion of footnotes that contextualise the injustices of this fictional world with those of the real world, which I thought was very clever.

A really great and unique debut!

In "Chain-Gang All-Stars," Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah masterfully crafts a harrowing and introspective exploration of America's prison system, racial injustice, and the perils of capitalist entertainment. The novel immerses readers in a world where prisoners, facing either execution or long-term imprisonment, are given the option to participate in a televised death match called Criminal Action Penal Entertainment (CAPE).

Adjei-Brenyah crafts a speculative vision of a society that has embraced the commodification of human life, turning incarcerated individuals into modern-day gladiators. The brutal fights for survival serve as a metaphor for the systematic oppression and violence experienced by marginalized communities. Through the stories of the main characters, Loretta Thurwar and Hamara "Hurricane Staxxx" Stacker, Adjei-Brenyah explores the transcendent struggle for humanity that extends beyond physical boundaries.

One of the most intriguing aspects of "Chain-Gang All-Stars" is the inclusion of Emily, a well-meaning white woman who becomes engrossed in the CAPE show. Through Emily's character, Adjei-Brenyah highlights the complexities of privilege and complicity. Emily's journey serves as a reminder of how easily individuals can become desensitized to violence when it is packaged as corporate entertainment. Adjei-Brenyah's portrayal of Emily's awakening raises questions about the exploitation of the incarcerated for profit, the complacency of violence, and the societal responsibility to dismantle such institutions.

The novel is a complex and compelling exploration of the human condition. While reading, I found myself grappling with the brutality depicted in the book, often needing to pause and reflect on the profound impact of the narrative. Adjei-Brenyah's unflinching portrayal of the systemic brutality experienced by the characters evokes a range of emotions, from anger and sorrow to hope and a determination to work towards change.
"Chain-Gang All-Stars" leaves readers with a multitude of ethical questions. Adjei-Brenyah prompts us to consider the value of life and the consequences of our silence and inaction in the face of violence. The novel challenges us to examine our personal and societal responsibilities in preventing harm and advancing justice. It forces us to confront the barriers to self-love and love for others at an institutional and societal level. How much violence are we willing to accept? Can unconditional self-love be equated with unconditional love for others? These thought-provoking questions linger long after turning the last page.

At its core, "Chain-Gang All-Stars" is a profound commentary on humanity, justice, and the price of silence in the face of systemic brutality. Adjei-Brenyah's unique storytelling approach, combined with his insightful exploration of contemporary issues, makes this novel a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the complexities of racism, incarceration, and the normalization of violence.

An incredible and powerful novel about the state of the justice system.

This story follows the paths of a number of prisoners who have entered into a competition to fight for their freedom. By defeating (killing) their opponents, they get one step closer to freedom - but will any of them ever actually be free? Interspersed within the story are real-life nuggets of the history of the US justice system which point towards the fiction being closer to reality than we might want to admit.

A confronting but beautiful piece of writing, which pulls you in from the start and drags you through the lives of the characters as they fight for their lives.

Having loved Adjei-Brenyah's short story collection Black Friday, I was very excited for this book, and it did not disappoint.

It is a book with a lot of ideas and topics it wants to cover, including incarceration and the prison industrial complex, media portrayals of villains, race, and relationships against the odds. But I think it pulls them off, telling a whirlwind story of people battling it out to both stay alive, but also commute their prison sentences, and the result is a book that is both biting critique and an enjoyable thriller.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A dystopian thriller, very graphic and quite an eye opener. Looks at the prison system in America and makes you think of things very differently. This book is very different and well worth the read

Chain-Gang All-Stars is an original, exciting read that packs a punch. The reader is thrown in to the action from the first page and gripped from that moment on.
If you loved the Hunger Games, you will very much enjoy this.