Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

226 reviews

lil_owl_reads's review

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is a brilliant idea placed into a book that bit off more than it could chew, and a great story told in a writing style that almost made me give it up. I would say if you’ve ever considered the prison industrial complex or being an abolitionist this book will not be a shock, but if these thoughts have never crossed your mind, this is a great fiction to start with. I wish the story was shorter and more concise, because some of the tangents are a little unnecessary, and the use of footnotes and abbreviations is pretty heavy handed (think 2010s sci-fi). Other than that, this is a really moving novel with just enough truth in it to be terrifying.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Torture, Violence, and Self harm

gurpreetlally's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Gore, Death, Violence, Torture, and Murder

zombiezami's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Confinement, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Torture, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Blood, Death, Gore, and Sexism

Moderate: Self harm, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Cursing, Medical content, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Rape

Minor: Racial slurs and Religious bigotry

rnfortier's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Am intense read but one that so so important.
This book is grounded in the realities of our criminal justice system, so much so that it presents a future that seems not that far off given the rate of incarceration (particularly BIPOC) in the US.
Thoughtfully presented and so well researched, but the author humanizes his characters in such a tragic way you can’t help but love them as the wade through a murder forward “justice” system.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Medical trauma, Death, Body horror, Racism, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Racial slurs, and Sexual violence

madele's review

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book did completely destroy me but something about it I can't put my finger on made me not do 5 stars... I do think everyone should read this book tho 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Police brutality, Torture, and Murder

jonezzzing's review

challenging emotional fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This is a masterful examination of American incarceration through an abolitionist lens. 
The footnotes were unexpected and a beautiful and heartbreaking way to weave reality into this story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Murder, Torture, Violence, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

Minor: Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Rape, Classism, and Racism

shellig93's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Death

joensign's review

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Police brutality, Racism, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Violence, Suicide, Child death, Murder, Torture, and Death

Moderate: Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual violence, Body horror, and Domestic abuse

wormgirl's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Torture

Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Blood, and Self harm

Minor: Slavery, Police brutality, Suicide, and Rape

sophiestasyna's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A harrowing tale of a horrific yet not implausible dystopia in which the prison-industrial-complex steps to new horrors.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicide