Published: 2023
Author: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Genre: Dystopian Fiction / Satire / Political Fiction
Audience: Adult (Ages 18+)
Number of Stars: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Goodreads Link: Chain-Gang All-Stars
Content/Trigger Warnings: Graphic descriptions of death, extreme blood and gore, systemic psychological torture, and mature sexual content.
Diversity: Features prominent Black, LGBTQIA+ protagonists fighting systemic white supremacy within an oppressive corporate landscape.
Review by: Evan Waugh
Publisher’s Summary
Review
Having heard an immense amount of critical buzz surrounding Chain-Gang All-Stars, I went into this book fully wanting to like it. Going into the reading experience, I did not have any doubts or questions about whether it would suit my tastes. However, as I got further into Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s novel, navigating the narrative became too much of a chore, and I eventually chose to put it down before finishing it.
The plot follows a group of prisoners-turned-combatants as they compete in a corporate-run contest that promises to grant them their ultimate freedom if they win. The core issue is that each contestant must fight to the absolute death against fellow prisoners within the far-reaching CAPE system. The book is undeniably bloody and brutal, featuring highly grotesque fight scenes.
Compounding the violence, I found the prose to be quite clunky, which made sitting down to read the book feel like a tedious task with each session. The text relies heavily on extensive academic footnotes, fragments into various point-of-view shifts that are difficult to follow, and carries an overall sense of style and voice that simply does not flow naturally. While I have immense respect for the fact that this book was a National Book Award finalist, its structural execution was not for me.
That being said, I have great respect for the unapologetic ways in which the book aggressively tackles the American carceral system—especially regarding the exploitative nature of private prison systems that turn human incarceration into corporate profit. While the Department of Justice previously announced intentions to end federal contracts with private prisons, many still exist today to serve various state and federal operations. If you would like a highly compelling non-fiction pairing that explores the true legacy of private prisons, I highly recommend checking out American Prison by Shane Bauer.
🏛️ The Infrastructure of CAPE: Dystopia vs. Modern Reality
Adjei-Brenyah uses a sci-fi gladiator ring to satirize the real-world connections between American corporate capitalism and the penal system.
- The Weaponization of Entertainment: In the novel, the American public happily consumes high-definition state executions under the guise of sports entertainment. This directly critiques the desensitization of modern media and the historical lineage of public punishments.
- Footnotes as Non-Fiction Subversion: The footnotes that disrupted the reading flow are actually designed to snap the reader out of the fantasy. Adjei-Brenyah embeds real-world historical facts, prison statistics, and true legal cases directly underneath his fictional prose to remind the reader that the “dystopia” is closer than it appears.
🎒 Classroom & Curricular Connections
- Social Studies, Civics & Ethics (The Private Prison Industry):
- Activity Idea: “American Prison Analysis.” Taking inspiration from the review’s recommendation, pair selected excerpts of this novel with chapters from Shane Bauer’s investigative non-fiction book American Prison. Have students study the history of privatized corporate prison contracts in the United States, analyzing how the monetization of inmate populations shapes rehabilitation policy.
- English Language Arts & Media Literacy (Satire as a Political Tool):
- Activity Idea: “The Anatomy of Satire.” Compare the corporate structure of CAPE to historical gladiator games and modern reality television. Have students write a short analytical essay discussing how authors use extreme exaggeration and media elements to criticize current political systems.
