Chain Gang All Stars Summary
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Chain Gang All Stars Overview

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's novel Chain-Gang All-Stars is a maximalist, kaleidoscopic look at the far-reaching consequences of the United States prison-industrial complex. Set in a dystopian near future, the novel unfurls against the backdrop of a culture that has revived gladiatorial conflict as a public-broadcast alternative to incarceration for the nation's felons. As the novel's two heroes, Thurwar and Staxxx, attempt to survive this voyeuristic gauntlet in order to secure their freedom, the novel explores dizzying themes of, incarceration, love, race, redemption, and social activism.