Chain Gang All Stars

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Consider the novel’s basic premise: the choice its protagonists are given to serve out their sentence as Gladiators. What would you do in their situation?

2. The novel pairs sequences of violence with themes of love and forgiveness. How did you feel about its treatment of these themes? Do you personally feel some things are unforgivable? 

3. Which characters’ story resonated most with you, and why?

4. Do you typically enjoy reading dystopian novels like this one? Why or why not? Why do you think they have enjoyed such a surge in popularity in the 20th and (especially) 21st centuries.

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel recontextualizes the American penal system in a dystopian, speculative world. How does Adjei-Brenyah’s hyperbolic representation of incarceration function thematically? What commentary is he making on the United States justice system via this world?  

2. The novel’s primary characters are from historically marginalized backgrounds. What is the narrative and thematic function of Thurwar’s and Staxxx’s identities (race, gender, etc.)? How does this relate to systemic inequality in the real world?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The novel is written from multiple points of view. Explore the narrative and thematic function of this vantage point. How would the novel unfold or resonate differently if told from an alternate point of view?

2. Discuss Thurwar’s evolution over the course of the novel. What makes her a dynamic character? What is the narrative and thematic significance of her development?

3. The novel is set in a dystopian iteration of the United States. Discuss how this setting dictates the overarching narrative mood. How would the novel’s thematic explorations change if the novel were set elsewhere?

4. The characters must use blood points as currency while in CAPE. Explore the symbolic significance of the blood points. How does this currency relate to incarcerated people’s economic situation in the US?