A NEW YORK TIMES TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR ΓÇó FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD IN FICTION ΓÇó A READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK ΓÇó NATIONAL BESTSELLER ΓÇó Two top women gladiators fight for their freedom within a depraved private prison system not so far-removed from AmericaΓÇÖs own in this explosive,hotly-anticipated debut novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Friday Black ΓÇó LONGLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE A Best Book of the Year: The New York TimesThe Washington PostNPRElleEsquireChicago TribuneLit HubKirkus Reviews ΓÇ£Like OrwellΓÇÖs 1984 and AtwoodΓÇÖs The HandmaidΓÇÖs TaleAdjei-BrenyahΓÇÖs book presents a dystopian vision soΓǪilluminating that it should permanently shift our understanding of who we are and what weΓÇÖre capable of doing.ΓÇ¥ ΓÇöThe Washington Post ΓÇ£This book will change you!…A masterpiece.ΓÇ¥ ΓÇöJenna Bush HagerThe Today ShowΓÇÖs #ReadWithJenna She felt their eyesall those executionersΓǪ Loretta Thurwar and Hamara ΓÇ£Hurricane StaxxxΓÇ¥ Stacker are the stars of the Chain-Gang All-Starsthe cornerstone of CAPEor Criminal Action Penal Entertainmenta highly popularhighly controversial profit-raising program in AmericaΓÇÖs increasingly dominant private prison industry. ItΓÇÖs the return of the gladiatorsand prisoners are com\u00adpeting for the ultimate prize: their freedom. In CAPEprisoners travel as Links in Chain-Gangscompeting in death matches before packed arenas with righteous protestors at the gates. Thur\u00adwar and Staxxxboth teammates and loversare the fan favorites. And if all goes wellThurwar will be free in just a few matchesa fact she carries as heavily as her lethal hammer. As she prepares to leave her fellow LinksThurwar considers how she might help preserve their humanityin defiance of these so-called games. But CAPEΓÇÖs corporate own\u00aders will stop at nothing to protect their status quoand the obstacles they lay in ThurwarΓÇÖs path have devastating consequences. Moving from the Links in the field to the protestorsto the CAPE employees and beyondChain-Gang All-Stars is a kaleidoscopicexcoriating look at the American prison systemΓÇÖs unholy alli\u00adance of systemic racismunchecked capitalismand mass incarcerationand a clear-eyed reckoning with what freedom in this country really means from a ΓÇ£new and necessary American voiceΓÇ¥ (Tommy OrangeThe New York Times Book Review).