If I could give this book 100 stars I would.
Superficially, it is the story of Loretta Thurwor and Hamara Stacker, known to their fans as Blood Mama and Hurricane Stacks. They are convicted criminals in a near-future American prison system. A system that has introduced Hard Action Sports – or in other words, a system where criminals can fight to the death in order to earn parole. All they need to do is survive three years on the circuit.
In reality, beneath the story of love and loss and heartbreak and murder is a searing, devastating, and absolutely unflinching novel. It is the most savagely eviscerating book I’ve probably ever read (listened to, and the voice actors were supreme).
The interweaving of real life American byelaws, statistics, and criminal justice protocols with a narrative about convicts fighting to the death for civilians’ entertainment is so brutally effective I honestly don’t know where to start.
Most of the protagonists are murderers and rapists. Despicable, horrible people. But still people. The central premise – that if life is worth living, it’s worth living for us all – forces the reader to wrestle with the fact that they are rooting for and weeping over these rapists and murderers, that evil can be done to evil people and THEY DO NOT DESERVE IT.
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah has written an absolute masterpiece, a searing indictment of the American so-called justice system, and just because we’re not quite at the stage of the premise of the book doesn’t mean we’re not on our way there. The dehumanisation of prisoners is not justified because they dehumanised their victims.
This book should be required reading – or listening – for every person who takes any sort of public office or government position. It forces you to question every superficial belief you have about the nature of justice, who deserves punishment, and what punishment actually looks like.
It is not an easy read. It will not make you happy. But it is a masterpiece. Read it. ~ Anna
The Write Advice 