In a dystopian future dominated by the for-profit prison industry, convicted criminals have the option to participate in the Criminal Action Penal Entertainment program known as CAPE. In the CAPE’s gladiator-like battles, participating convicts fight against each other to the death with the ultimate prize in their sights: freedom. Loretta Thurwar has almost completed the CAPE program successfully, and has freedom in her sights just a few battles away. As she prepares to leave her fellow Links, she considers how she can help preserve their humanity in the face of the games. But CAPE’s corporate owners will stop at nothing to protect their program, and the obstacles they throw at Thurwar have devastating consequences. 

Dang, this book was wild and intense! It was so well written and such an incredibly sharp commentary on America’s for-profit prison corporations (I’m looking at you CoreCivic), mass incarceration that disproportionally impacts Black Americans, and the death penalty. The book shifted in perspectives between the main Chain-Gang All-Stars, protesters, spectators, and corporate board members, which really created a well-rounded narrative. The book also included a lot of footnotes with real data about prison systems, which I found very interesting. The concept was so original and fascinating, and yet didn’t feel that far removed from reality. The ending was wild and I will definitely be thinking about this for a while!