Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
What if reality TV, private prisons, and gladiators became the same thing?
Reality shows have been around for a long, long time. In a world of for-profit prisons, we are not long off the reality of Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. It is a world where murders fight each other like gladiators for entertainment and their possible freedom. Thurwar and Staxxx are two stars in the pantheon of criminals that have had enough success to gain a following and reputations. We are introduced to Thurwar during her first fight then see her at the end of this “career” where she only has a few fights to gain her freedom. She and Staxxx are on the same gang and share more than strategies when the lights go out. They are formidable and they are smart. There are facts strewn throughout the book that show how close we are to this being a real-life situation. Uncomfortable and insightful.
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