Switching back and forth through different POVS, this book never lets you breathe for a minute as it drags you through the world of Chain-Gang All-Stars, where imprisonment has become sport. For me, this is the adult successor to Hunger Games, but tied so much closer to today's world.

It's a dystopia, it's gory, violent and horrific, but it's very very human too. Using real statistics pulled from today's world, this shows us a potential future US, while reminding us just how bad the prison system is for Black and disadvantaged people today.

Staxx and Thurwar's love of each other and their chain added so much light and fear to the story, and we continously go back their POVs as the story creeps ever close to the match that will see them seperated forever, as they battle each other to the death. It's a poignant, devastating ending.