A review by graywild
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Dystopian story in near future that blends modern day gladiators and Stephen King's The Running Man.  The basic story is criminals convicted of murder are given the option to fulfill their sentences in traditional prisons or to sign up for CAPE in which if they survive for 3 years they get freedom.  The author mixes in current fact about how the US criminal system is biased for minorities. The story was a bit disjointed for me.  Recommend but not aggressively.