Review: Chain-Gang All-Stars, by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Pantheon)

Chain-Gang All-Stars is the frankly staggering debut novel from Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author of the phenomenal short story collection, Friday Black.  Welcome to an America where prisoners are used for savage entertainment. CAPE (Criminal Action Penal Entertainment) is a fighting league, where the incarcerated are pitted against each other in a literal battle to the … Continue reading Review: Chain-Gang All-Stars, by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Pantheon)

Review: Sea Change, by Gina Chung (Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor)

Sea Change is a surprising little gem of a book. I was drawn in by the promise of octopus friendship, but I stayed for the incredibly relatable (human) protagonist.  Ro is floundering. Her boyfriend has left to embark on a literal mission to Mars, she is still mourning her missing-presumed-dead father, her mother is “difficult”, … Continue reading Review: Sea Change, by Gina Chung (Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor)