“Chain-Gang All-Stars” is a compelling dystopia that highlights the problems of incarceration. The novel follows Thurwar and Staxxx as they navigate the CAPE program, in which inmates fight to the death in the hopes of being freed from prison. The story expands beyond Thurwar and Staxxx to the perspectives of fans, CAPE employees, protesters, and other inmates. This is an incredibly heavy read both in to style and substance. I found myself only able to read for chunks at a time. The novel included footnotes about the U.S. prison system, serving as a well-crafted reminder of how close our prison system is to dystopia. Overall this is a really heavy read but a vital one.