I found The Bezzle by Cory Doctorow @pluralistic@mamot.fr somewhat disappointing, especially compared to Red Team Blues. While it was an interesting read, it was enough of a grind, that I put it down part way through and only finished it months later when I finished my other, more entertaining books.

Sure, some of my disappointment is because Cory set the bar so high. Also, since I already knew about the abuses of the private prison system and have been reading other authors who rant on about the abuses of oligarchs. So there was very little in here that was entirely new to me. For people who aren't familiar with these topics, I could see how it would be a big mind opener. For me it was a long litany of horrors.

On the other hand The Bezzle did expand my knowledge of the extent or particulars of the abuses and personalities involved. It was engaging, but not entertaining. However, I don't put entertainment at the top of my priorities for good reading because I'd rather be engaged with interesting topics than pandered to.

Overall, The Bezzle was worth reading, but vaguely disappointing.