Chain-Gang All-Stars is a compelling, character-driven dystopian with a Hunger-Games-style premise that explores the very real present-day horrors of the prison-industrial complex in the United States. The story is told through a fragmented series of fictional POVs and is occasionally interspersed with real statistics and historical context. The idea of the games - killing contests derived for commercial entertainment staged between inmates from prisons across the country - calls on the language and history of slavery in the United States and blends it with the present commodification of a capitalist prison system. It might seem dystopian to imagine large corporations sponsoring prisoners' scythes, hammers, and other murder weapons, but it's hardly very futuristic when we consider the existing - and very profitable - industry surrounding imprisonment, security, monitoring and policing.

This is a stand-out read, and particularly enjoyable on audio, given the diverse cast of narrators. I only wish it had been a bit tighter in execution, because there were parts where I struggled to stay fully invested in the throughline of the story. That said, this is remarkable, and I highly recommend.