Book Review: "Chain-Gang All-Stars" by by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

“I’m saying that the death penalty has always been an abomination, even before the CAPE program. Prison as it exists is an abomination. Right now, the fact is, people are doing the exact kinds of harm you’re describing. Prisons haven’t deterred the harm they’re meant to deter. They’re a failed experiment.”

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is a rising name in the realms of 'great modern authors'. The anthology Friday Black is a horror/thriller social critique in the style of Black Mirror and the movies of Jordan Peele. Themes such as brutal violence being widely accepted are explored and the injustices faced throughout populations and over times. Wicked dystopias in which horrifying existences walk through the ether are part and parcel to these wonderful writings and so, I have taken the next step in my journey of this author: Chain-Gang All-Stars.

Chain-Gang All-Stars is about the CAPE, or Criminal Action Penal Entertainment which is a rising but controversial sport in which prisoners battle for their freedom. Death matches between the contestants are packed with on-lookers and protestors with many of the matches reaching great amounts of profits in an already failing judicial system. Loretta Thurwar is a fan favourite who, alongside her friend Hurricane Staxxx, create the champions of the 'Chain-Gang All-Stars' competition.

If everything goes smoothly then Loretta might get her freedom in just a few matches, carrying a hammer as a symbol of her personal fight - she is as hard as she is loveable as a character. The underlying tones of the critique of mass incarceration in a growing America with ambition, injustice and greed going unchecked is something that rings loud and true in this momentous work of modern literature.

The very first chapter tells us of the rise of Loretta Thurwar. She is sent to battle another inmate and, after much fight - Loretta finally pulls a signature move where she beats her opponent to death and ultimately, smashes them with a hammer. A brutal and bloody scene to start this story with an almost in media res feel - Loretta Thurwar becomes the character that the reader is most attached to. We will follow her through all of her wins and all of her losses. It proves a fantastic hook to the work and sets the reader up to not put it down at any time as we fear we may miss something.

One thing I thought was really clever about this book is that though we have Loretta to follow and see through, we also see other characters who are referred to as 'Links' in different chains. Each of these characters has their own reasons for joining this highly controversial and often deadly program. The injustices start to poke through as we are introduced to the people behind the matches as well: lawmakers who have things riding on winners and losers, production teams selling a show and activists who stand on the sidelines and scream out for people to rethink this mess.

What this author has created is a world without limits or rules and yet, he has worked directly from the prison system in place in America at this current moment. Freedom is a fight for some and injustice is also a lifestyle for others. Loretta Thurwar represents that fine line between being imprisoned and being free that many walk daily even if they are not physically incarcerated. The overflowing incarceration issue is taken advantage of by many, fought through and reasoned though nobody can provide an accurate solution, they turn to the only thing they can think of no matter how unethically it may seem.

All in all, not only is this book a stark reminder that people in prison all have stories to tell and that the American prison system is far past broken, it is also a reminder of the lengths that some may go to in order to make a profit, sell others and treat the system in a way that only advantages them. It is a brutal and honest novel that I really do think that everyone should read this year. I very much hope that this author continues writing more books because so far, it is 2/2 at 5/5 - I love them.