Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjai-Brenyah

 Sunday, Apr. 14, 2024--San Antonio

Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjai-Brenyah, a finalist for the National Book Award, takes place in the near future of the United States.  The title is the name of the hottest new reality show which has taken the interest of the nation by storm.  It features prisoners voluntarily sign up for the show which requires them to fight each other to the death for a chance of prison release if they can keep winning for three years.  Different prisons around the name have their own representatives forming a "chain" in competition with the other chains.  The big stadium battles are always between members of different chains, but to keep the public's interest and introduce surprises, chains are followed regularly.  (Think Big Brother-type shows.) Technology has advanced so that there are no hidden cameras; instead, there are spinning orbs used zoom in, out and around to broadcast what is happening at any moment both during battles and outside of battles.  To add surprise actions, there are activities such as hiking/camping trips by individual chains through wilderness areas giving members a chance to turn on and kill other members of their on chain.  Most prisoners who participate die within a matter of 2-3 weeks.  There is a hierarchy of titles and privileges plus stardom to be gained the longer a prisoner stays alive.  Unlike the Hunger Games which occurred after changes in the type of national government and living conditions within the country, Chain Gang All Stars seems closer to possibly coming true since it is not so much of a stretch from what we already see in today's reality shows.  And there is the added question of why those watching as people kill each other are exhilarated.  I gave the book 4 stars out of 5.