Reviews tagging 'Violence'

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

405 reviews

cathy61r's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, Murder, and Misogyny

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

rosebee00's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Rape and Transphobia

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

smileymiley550's review

challenging dark emotional 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: Death, Slavery, Body horror, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Grief, Police brutality, Gore, Racism, Classism, Confinement, Physical abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Self harm

hretzkin's review

dark sad 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? It's complicated

3.25

I really really wanted this book to be one of the best books I've read all year but unfortunately I just couldn't connect to it. I didn't find any depth with Thurwar and Staxxx's relationship and didn't really believe they were madly in love. I thought the vignettes with other characters were distracting and wish there was more extensive world building so we knew when this was taking place. 

The concept is totally believable and I love exploration of the inhumanity of incarceration but I just wasn't connected to the characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, and Violence

jpalms0626's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

4.75

This book is so well done, and is such an interesting take on the US prison system. Definitely not a fun read, this is super heavy and gruesome and leaves you thinking a lot about the realities faced today. I really enjoyed the look into the lives of the characters (and the range of perspectives on this system and what goes through their minds as they justify it) and I loved the footnotes that remind you how much of the gruesomeness is actually factual. I struggled to grasp the ending, and the writing style wasn't always my favorite are my minor critiques. Highly recommend this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racial slurs, and Racism