Starred review from June 7, 2021
KunQuest’s searing debut depicts a man’s unrelentingly brutal life in the U.S. prison system. Lil Chris is an AU (“admitting unit,” the prison’s term for a new inmate) and at 19 has experienced enough loss and seen enough violence for a lifetime living in Bottom, one of Shreveport, La.’s roughest neighborhoods. Convicted of first-degree murder, he’s been sentenced to life at Angola. An aspiring rapper, he tries to keep to himself and builds up a mental defense by writing lyrics, and for the first two years, he mostly stays out of trouble. A parallel narrative follows Rise, a respected veteran of the prison system who offers advice to young AUs (“Set your own feet. Validate yourself. Mostly, it’s not what you do that these cats respect. It’s what you don’t”). When Rise demonstrates his skills in a freestyling match, he earns instant respect from Lil Chris. After a riot results in the death of a guard, Lil Chris and Rise both receive harsh punishment, and they reflect on how the criminal justice system is designed to keep them repressed and defeated (“Modern day slavery,” Lil Chris calls it). Using an effective experimental combination of prose and rap lyrics, KunQuest brilliantly captures the cadence and rhythm of the prison. Confident and unrelenting, this one hits hard.
June 1, 2021
The first novel by KunQuest, an artist and inmate at the Louisiana State Prison in Angola since 1996. Nineteen-year-old Lil' Chris walks into Angola ready to serve his life sentence on his own terms. He's not interested in friends or advice from the older "victs" and is ready to defend himself against whatever violence comes his way. Rise has been in Angola for more than 10 years after being transferred from a juvenile facility and is also serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The two men quickly develop a respect for each other based on their ability to freestyle rap, and Rise is determined to help Lil' Chris become a leader and role model for the other inmates. For Rise, surviving in prison isn't about physical strength. The key to survival is philosophical, historical, and legal education, and he's earned the respect of his peers by mentoring dozens of prisoners over the years. As Lil' Chris' freestyles draw him more attention, another group of inmates with a darker, more bitter worldview tries to recruit him to their ranks. The narrative roams among the characters in a close third-person point of view that creates a widescreen vision of the claustrophobic life behind bars. Readers will learn about the history of Angola, the daily grind of life in the different cell blocks (each with their own levels of freedom), and the difficulty of picking vegetables on the prison's farm, and they will be treated to pages and pages of blistering rap lyrics. The lyrics aren't about showing off; the rapping is necessary for these characters to hold on to their souls. "Somehow [Lil' Chris] is conscious that these conditions are meant to kill something inside of him. He knows this because he feels whatever it is struggling to live." KunQuest never veers into exploitation. The characters may be suffering from the mental, physical, and psychological violence of long-term imprisonment, but they find solace and complex relationships in community and art. An effective philosophical novel that uses hip-hop to tell a story of prison life and how rhyme can lead to redemption.
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May 15, 2021
KunQuest dramatizes the lives of prisoners in a notorious Louisiana penitentiary in this startling debut novel. Nineteen-year-old Lil Chris, sentenced to life, arrives at Angola determined to master the system. Rise, an autodidact and mentor to many, is already several decades into his own sentence. As Lil Chris immerses himself in his new normal, Rise attempts to guide him through the complicated prison world, and the two men connect over the course of several years. Lil Chris emerges as a talented rapper and processes his devastating circumstances by crafting lyrics that connect him to Rise as well as his fellow inmates. KunQuest, who himself is currently incarcerated and a musician, rapper, and artist, writes in direct, spare prose, punctuating chapters with his characters' lyrics and infusing the story with realism and rhythm. Through the unique perspectives of his characters, KunQuest offers a full and precise portrait of prison life, from daily mundane rituals to the dynamics of relationships, philosophical musings, legal pitfalls, and the psychological turmoil experienced by individuals imprisoned for life.
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