User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
I could not put this book down! Sex, lies, and fighting back against racism - this book is a wild ride, with an incredibly powerful message. A heart-racing and twisty thriller that grapples so much more than a simple mystery; ACE OF SPADES explores being both queer and Black, and the sinister, destructive nature of white supremacy and racism.
Rating: really liked it
Biased review - but I can 100% confirm that the author worked really hard on this!
Rating: really liked it
the bar has been set and it’s extremely high now. this is all i ever wanted, dark academia that deals with racism mixed with a badass female lead. loved this book and i cant wait to see what the author does with her next book!
Rating: really liked it
Ace of spades was interesting, to say the least. I usually don't read synopsis so I was completely unprepared for what was going to come. I am in awe of this book, and it is one of the most phenomenal debuts that I have ever read.
🃏Plot
[...]
"The world isn’t ideal. This world, our world, the one with houses as crooked as the people in them. Broken people, broken by the way the world works.”[...]
Two Black teens become the targets of an anonymous texter and they must work together to take them down.
I really appreciate how this book addressed a lot of heavy topics (racism, homophobia, elitism and white supremacy)in a short span of time all while staying within the interesting and dynamic plot line of a thriller. It doesn’t just discuss these themes but digs deeper and questions everything and it was compelling and downright chilling. And being an outsider I enjoyed reading about it, got to learn something new.
I also liked how the story explores how class adds another layer of privilege, and this is exemplified in how Chiamaka, who grew up and lives in a rich neighbourhood and how it insulates her, versus Devon, from a poorer neighbourhood, differently navigate and perceive society and the spaces that they occupy. It explores joy and beauty of being queer and as well as challenges which comes with it.
🃏Characters
♠
Chimaka :- Nigerian-Italian, bisexual, popular, confident, unapologetic, logical, goal oriented girl who will take whatever it is to stay at the top of everything. I really enjoyed reading her chapters. Definitely a character which will live with me for a long time. I absolutely adored her. And she is polyglot, I can only Stan.
[...]
"Besides, regardless of whether it’s me or someone else, there will always be a kingdom, a throne, and a queen."♠
Devon :- a black-american, gay, laid back , quiet student interested in music. He is like my precious baby who should be protected at all cost.
[...]
"I’ve felt alone a lot in this world, filled with people and faces that don’t look like me."[...]
Apart from main characters all the other characters were perfectly crafted as a piece of puzzls that's fits perfectly in the story and give audience a perfect outcome.
🃏Thrill
The book is pitched as a thriller, though I figured out most of the book because it was advertised as gossip girls meets "GET OUT" so I figured out most of the things. But still the truth was major and dark enough for my liking.
🃏Writing
The author has a flair of creating an atmospheric and intriguing story, she has this certain way with her words which keeps you hooked. And this is her debut novel, I can't wait to read more of her work.
🃏Ending
We are gonna take some time and consider the epilogue - seriously that was my fav part of the book. I had tears after reading the epilogue. A perfect ending.
The combination of the haunting story and formidable characters make this book absolutely stunning.
Overall the book was good but why I didn't gave it 5 perfect stars :-
(✖) Pacing :- the book become somewhat slow towards the middle and then the ending was a bit rushed too. Despite me being totally in love with Chimaka I decided to put down the book in middle because it felt like I was forcing myself to read. I don't like it.
(✖) I wish to see more of Devon and Chimaka's friendship because honestly I was rooting for them platonically, but I get it because it wasn't the major theme.
Bottom line :- I’m happy to have gotten a glance into the struggles that different people face growing up in America. Highly recommend.
-------
pre review :-
We all knew this was gonna be a winner 🃏
4.25 stars ⭐/ review to come!
------------
currently reading updates :-
Honestly I can't tell you guys how excited I am to read this beauty.❤️
---------
tbr review :-
Is there a thing like cover porn? If yess then this book is one of the top contenders for it.
Rating: really liked it
Ace of Spades had good ideas but fell flat with the execution. The story follows Devon and Chiamaka as they head into senior year as Niveus Private Academy where they are selected as head boy and girl. Soon after they start receiving threats from a mysterious entity called Aces.
Niveus Private Academy is described as an amalgam of British and American private school traditions and I understand the author wanted to appeal to an American audience but the story should've just been set in the UK. Nothing really felt American to me and she was too vague on the setting because she didn't want to tie it down to any one place. The concept of head girl/boy is a very British concept and the closest American equivalent is Class president but I don't feel like it's held to the same standard. This was compared to Gossip Girl but it never get me those vibes. Outside of name dropping a few designers this felt very generic private school.
There was a lot of telling in this story and I would've liked to see more showing. The book emphasized the problem I have when the plot is racism vs racism being one of many factors. There was a narrow focus on micro and macroaggressions but little levity needed to balance this story out. There's so much more to the Black experience than just suffering at the hands of racists. It felt like the book was all about showing how anti-Black society is but lacked joy. And often felt anti-Black in it's portrayal of the teens. So much happened in this story but none of it had me on the edge of my seat. I wasn't really excited or surprised by the reveal of the identity of Aces. The motivation for Aces also wasn't well plotted.
Devon's stronger and more engaging narrative voice carried this story. I enjoyed him more than Chiamaka but the character was weighed down by having all the issues thrown at him like being poor with a dad in jail, having a single mother with multiple kids she was struggling to raise, having a drug dealing friend in addition to being a young gay boy struggling with his sexuality. It was overkill and got be too much. I don't like when Black writers especially play into stereotypes for shock value like that. Especially when they don't have acknowledge knowledge about a particular experience.
Aces was spilling Devon's deepest secrets, while in Chiamaka's case her issues were more about her struggles to fit in as a biracial girl and wanting to be the school's elite. So Aces drama was more manufactured to break down her perfect image. I don't feel like much thought was given into properly establishing her background. I also feel like there was no reason to make her biracial when some of the stuff written around that identity didn't make sense.
I received an audio book for review from Macmillan Audio. The narration was good and made for a quick and easy read despite the page length. I liked that there were dual narrators and they didn't try to do male/female voices when it came time for dialogue. I listened on 1.75 speed.
Rating: really liked it
This review is for: everyone.
I assume that everyone wants to read a book that is like the young adult book equivalent of Get Out meets Gossip Girl, with unlikely friendship and TWO gay relationships and mystery and solving and a tiny hint of dark academia.
So this is to tell everyone that you're right. This is good, and you do want to read it.
Enough said.
Bottom line: Things may not be as they seem IN this book, but they are as they seem about them!
-------------
pre-reviewsheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh.
review to come / 4 stars
-------------
currently-reading updatesmy hold on this book came in and i started reading immediately.
Rating: really liked it
PLEASE CHECK CWS ONLINE IF YOU WANT TO READ!!!
This book left me speechless and literally pulling my hair out.
Rating: really liked it
FUCKING PERFECTION! If you haven't read this book yet you're doing a disservice to yourself. If ya'll think that this won't end up on my 2021 top books of the year you're losing your mind!Ace of Spades is what I look for in thrillers. It's engaging, it's creepy, it screws with your mind, and when the big reveal comes your jaw hits the floor. This book definitely has vibes that can be closely related to
Get Out,
Gossip Girl, and
Pretty Little Liars, but my oh my it's so much more. The story itself initially feels simplistic. It focuses on two students: Devon and Chiamaka as they are nominated to become prefects at the predominately white, elite high school. And I say predominately with an emphasis on the fact that Devon and Chiamaka are the only Black students. Everything is great UNTIL Aces appear. Aces is apparently this anonymous individual who begins to reveal some pretty heavy secrets about both Devon and Chiamaka and that's when the real drama begins.
Ace of Spades is pure brilliance in terms of character development. The internal dialogue of both Devon and Chiamaka helps readers connect with them on a different level. They not only have their personal struggles, but they deal with a lot at school. Being a Black person in a predominately White space is not always easy to navigate and it's clear that both characters struggle with it. I liked Chiamaka, but I fell in love with Devon. His story is one that broke my heart and soul. And knowing everything that he had been through made me want to kick everyone's ass by the time the big reveal occurred. The relationship between Devon and Chiamaka is interesting. I think that as a reader it would have been easy to assume that the two would get along and effectively work together to figure out who was revealing all of the information about their personal lives; however, I liked that the author didn't make it that easy. In the real world, I think it's easy to assume that people of the same racial group, particularly Black people, will instantly get along or have the same thought process in the time of crisis or in regard to certain social issues. This is the farthest thing from the truth and the way that this is illustrated through their relationship is gold. It was a constant reminder that Black people are not a monolith.
The pacing of
Ace of Spades is interesting. It's slow and it needed to be slow. It was important that readers see everything unfold layer by layer. I'm typically not a fan of books that have slow pacing, but for the style of this book is was necessary. By the time readers get to the big reveals, the ultimate purpose of the book becomes shocking. What's even more creepy/frightening about this book is that it's not that far removed from things that have happened or things that could happen. Of course, some things are exaggerated for the purpose of the book, but there is a lot truth to this book that is the real live experience for a lot of Black youth. I'm usually the queen of figuring things out, but I didn't see a lot of this book coming. And the added social commentary especially those parts that focus on racism, classicism, white privilege, and more take this book to another level.
Listen, if there is any book that you need to read before the year ends THIS IS THE BOOK YOU NEED TO PICK UP. I'm so excited to see what this author is going to do in the future.
Rating: really liked it
ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweissmaybe the best debut i've ever read. this is going to make so many people's best of 2021 list. full review to come. <3
Blog | Instagram | Youtube | Ko-fi | Spotify | Twitch
Buddy read with Maëlys & Lea! ❤
Rating: really liked it
I was starting to think that I was growing out of young adult books but then Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé went 'no you fucking don't get back here' and I was saved.
Rating: really liked it
This book was a giant trainwreck. It was one of my most anticipated novels of 2021, but now, it is the worst novel I read this year. I do not know whether I am more disgusted or disappointed.
Ace of Spades follows Chiamaka Adebayo and Devon Richards, a biracial student and a Black student respectively, who attend a white private school where they face harassment from an annonymous source who broadcasts their secrets to the entire school.
This book was aggressively pitched as
Gossip Girl meets
Get Out. Neither of these comps are correct. This book was also pitched as a modern day dark academia, which is also a horribly wrong description of this novel. I will organize this review by explaining the ways in which this book was so terribly not what it was supposed to be.
This is not Gossip GirlThe author herself said that she wrote this to allow Black queer kids to play the role of the spoiled rich kid with spoiled rich kid drama. This did not happen in the book.
Instead, the two main characters were the victims of horrific racism. Chiamaka was not the "Queen Bee" she was advertised to be, for as we see later in the novel, her status was manufactured the whole time. The author could not even let her be Black and rich, because God forbid a Black person can have their own wealth; no, she is rich on her father's side of the family, who is Italian. White.
As for Devon, he was far from the 'Dan Humphrey' that he was advertised to be. Dan Humphrey comes from a middle class family and stands as the only 'normal' kid in a sea of rich kids. But not only is Devon piss poor—something the author is so intent on emphasizing—but most, if not all, of his hardships are because he's Black.
The appeal of
Gossip Girl is its carefree cast who walk through the world selfishly and glamorously, getting into trouble and having fun. However, Chiamaka and Devon are bogged down by their race at every corner, and they are never given the chance to come anywhere close to being carefree like
Gossip Girl.
This is not Get OutThe second comp,
Get Out, is marginally a more accurate description for this book, but
Ace of Spades still falls woefully short from being anywhere near as impactful.
The reason why this is, is because, while
Get Out highlighted a common theme in society in a creative and new way, Àbíké-Íyímídé merely shoved every iota of Black trauma she could think of into the plot of
Ace of Spades. It very much felt like she was simply throwing stuff at a wall and hoping something would stick.
This book was one big bout of trauma p*rn, in that the characters suffered for nothing. The only possible message that this book can give is "racism exists." Which, wow, Àbíké-Íyímídé, you really made a groundbreaking statement with that one.
It makes me wonder who the audience of this book truly is, because I would sooner recommend the KKK handbook than I would recommend
Ace of Spades to a young Black reader. Both are equally as likely to make Black readers feel dismal and hopeless. I am so sick of these Black trauma-filled novels that are so obviously catered to white audiences.
Side note: It really is laughable that in her author's note, Àbíké-Íyímídé says that she hopes readers will "pick up" on the racist themes written in her novel, as though it is not overtly thrown in our faces.
This is not dark academiaSay it with me: just because a book is set in a school does not make it dark academia. Niveus Academy was merely a backdrop for the plot. The characters never once engaged in academics, nor did academics ever play a role in the plot.
This is not 'modern day'You can't just stick Twitter into the last ten pages of the novel and expect me to believe that this book is happening in the world as we know it. Seriously, though—how did social media not play a bigger role in this?? The first thing that most people do when they have an issue is take it to the internet. The fact that this book was so isolated from the rest of the world in the modern age made it very hard to believe.
Speaking of isolated—this town, wherever it is, does not exist. Àbíké-Íyímídé stated she wanted to make Niveus' location vague, somewhere in between America and England (so the ocean???), but the result was a town where nothing seemed to exist except for Niveus Academy. This might have been believable if it was a small town, yet this is a town with a distinct wealthy side and a distinct poor side, which is indicative of a larger city. Oh, and it has a beach!
Clearly, the location of this novel is extremely confused.
Another reason why this is not modern day: there is simply no way a school like Niveus could be as reputable as it is and no one knows a single thing about it. Maybe if it were the 1900s. But schools, especially higher ranked schools, are literally forced to be very transparent about how they conduct themselves—especially in admissions.
As in, diversity. Let's say that Niveus has a very small student population of 500. You're telling me that there are only 2 Black kids in the school, meaning there are 498 white kids, and not a single person noticed? Universities still recognize such a white-washed school? People still apply here? It still gets funding?? This makes ZERO sense. There is simply no high-ranked school that could get away with a 0.4% diversity rating. Niveus is not even a PWI; it's simply white.
Perhaps the author should have simply made Niveus set in a fantasy world, since nothing about it is realistic anyways.
MiscellaneousAdditional problems I had with this book that I could not fit in earlier:
-The supporting cast very much gave me "Andy's coming!" because they were inanimate until either Devon or Chiamaka came around. All Devon's little brothers did was watch television, all his mother did was cry, and all Chiamaka's dad did was cook. Terrell did not even go to school. Everyone around these two characters were living for these two characters.
-The ending was extremely unsatisfying. Not only because nothing's resolved (see? trauma p*rn) but also because we have no idea what happens with a good chunk of the other characters. I suppose this ties into the Andy's Coming observation; no one exists outside of Chiamaka and Devon.
-Belle's reveal made no sense. This ties in with the social media observation—how did Chiamaka never look her up before? Especially during the time when she hated Belle and wanted to take her down?
-Headmaster Ward was an under-used character. I expected him to have a much bigger role, but in the end, he gave us nothing.
To conclude...If I could give
Ace ofSpades 0 stars, I would. It's heartbreaking that this book has been on the bestsellers' list for so long—is that the only way Black authors can sell? If they write about racism and trauma for trauma-sake? I really thought media was moving past this, but it appears not. Whatever sells, I guess.
Rating: really liked it
"Hello Niveus High. It's me. Who am I? That's not important. All you need to know is... I'm here to divide and conquer. Like all great tyrants do. -Aces"Binge-worthy. Timely. Thought provoking. These are all phrases that come to mind when I look back at this story. I've been salivating over the teasers and early reviews of Ace of Spades, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't my most anticipated release of 2021. A YA mystery with shades of
Gossip Girl and
Get Out? Yes, please! I'm pleased to report that this story holds up to the hype, as I found it to be equal parts entertaining and informative.
It's a really tough story to review, because the entire plot is wrapped up in figuring out who exactly Aces is and why they’re targeting our two main characters, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo. Both of our POVs are Black teenagers that come from vastly different backgrounds. Devon has lived his entire life trying to claw his way out of his neighborhood; his single mom has sacrificed everything to get Devon through Niveus Private Academy so that they can have a better life when he goes off to Juilliard as a music prodigy. Chi has grown up in the lap of luxury, but still faces racial discrimination on a daily basis as a biracial young woman, as her mother is Nigerian and her father is Italian. The complex comparison to Chi and Devon's daily life is profound, and seeing how racism can rear its ugly head in many ways is a theme that needs continual discussion.
Obviously one of the driving factors of this story is the mystery behind who is Aces? Why are they targeting these particular students? And how will this mysterious entity be stopped? To tell you anymore would be rude, so you should definitely pick this one up for yourself, but I will say that this was *almost* a 5 star read for me. My only issue is the fact that we spend a good bit of the book with a slow build up to what exactly is going on, which I loved, but once the big reveal happens, things are glossed over rather quickly and wrapped up without touching on some major questions that I had. I just needed a little more explanation on a few bombs being dropped that weren't addressed again, and there's something that happens at the very end that jarred me a little and made me wish we could go back and get some answers before that happened.
Regardless of my personal wishes, this is a fabulous debut novel by a young woman who put so much of her own experience into this story, and I applaud her for doing so in a way that draws the reader in with entertainment but doesn't shy away from discussing uncomfortable topics. The author's note at the end is a must read, along with the acknowledgements (big shout out to the tea kettle that helped bring us this novel), so please do not skip them!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my ALC, and to Shelly for sending me her bonus hardcover!
Rating: really liked it
This was so good 🤯 The comparison to Get Out and Gossip Girl are 100% accurate! I will admit the first 200 pages were kind of slow and read reaaaally young adult to me, but the ending was wild and so intense and worth it!
Reading vlog where I read it: https://youtu.be/yrJOxTbNPd4
Rating: really liked it
I can quite honestly say that
Ace of Spades blew my mind. I went into this book with high expectations after seeing so many people rave about it and somehow it still managed to exceed them. Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé has crafted a truly unputdownable thriller that expertly builds and draws out tension all while exploring institutionalised racism and the power found in fighting back.
I don’t often read thrillers but if they were all as brilliantly written as
Ace of Spades I don’t think I could ever put them down. I was gripped from the very first page and constantly in awe of this book’s ability to up the stakes and build tension, without ever feeling ridiculous or unbelievable. In fact, what makes this book so intense is that it’s all too real. Peeling back the layers of insidiousness present in this book invoked physical reactions in me, especially once we reached the truly rotten core.
Each of Aces’ attacks on Chiamaka and Devon left me reeling and sure it couldn’t get worse but get worse it did. I don’t want to go into too much detail with this because I think it’s best to go into this book blind and just let it blow your mind. What I will talk about though is the characters. I really appreciated the dual POV and felt that it was used very effectively to carry the story while also creating two distinct, convincing perspectives. Firstly, Chiamaka, the head girl with everything going for her. I adore popular mean girl characters and find them really fun to read about, especially once they’re given depth and Chiamaka did not disappoint. Her journey with owning her Blackness rather than squashing it down to fit in was a joy to read and a narrative clearly crafted with extreme care. Quiet Devon was really the stand out for me, which is not what I had originally expected. His character development and the exploration of how Blackness intersects with queerness, particularly in the rougher environment he lives in, was really touching and so gracefully written.
Ace of Spades left me unable to form any thoughts beyond
“holy shit ?!?!?!” upon finishing and, honestly, that still stands. The exploration into the rotten core of institutionalised racism provides the perfect, insidious backdrop to this high stakes thriller.
Ace of Spades is an unforgettable master class in building a palpable tension that relentlessly propels its readers forwards, all while filling them with an ever present dread. This stunning debut is a must read that deserves to become the next big thing. I cannot wait to see what Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé does next – she’s definitely one to watch.
I also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter
*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley*
Rating: really liked it
Instagram || Twitter || Facebook || Amazon || Pinterest
Gossip Girl meets
Get Out is actually the perfect way of describing ACE OF SPADES. This YA book fulfilled the dark academia itch that I've been suffering ever since I read THE SECRET HISTORY and craved more stories set in exclusive schools built on secrets, treachery, and lies. The two narrators of this book are Chiamaka and Devon. Chiamaka is biracial and super rich, but she still feels like she's never going to be enough unless she pushes her ambitions further. Devon, on the other hand, comes from a poor family and really struggles to fit in at the private school. His biggest talent is music and he hopes, with the help of his understanding teacher, to get into Julliard next year.
Both characters end up facing even more pressure, though, when someone named "Aces" starts putting them both on blast, sending text messages, photos, and videos to the school detailing some of their most intimate, and damning, secrets. Secrets that could destroy their futures and their lives. Even though neither of them have ever really interacted before, both Chiamaka and Devon are forced to come together to figure out who it is at the school that has it in for them--
And why.
I honestly couldn't put this down. It was done so well. Devon and Chiamaka both felt like distinct people. I actually related to Chiamaka a lot because I also pushed myself really hard academically, and I know there are reviewers saying they didn't like her because she was cold and mean, but I actually related to that, too, because it's a social defense you can hide behind: pushing people away and not letting them get to know you because you're afraid of being hurt. Devon is definitely more accessible on an emotional level, which is why I think readers tended to prefer him. And his story is
really sad. There were portions of this book that left me feeling kind of misty-eyed.
Less is definitely more when getting into this book and I don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say that not only does the blurb actually rise to the occasion, but so does the story. It's dangerous and dark, filled with real stakes that push the characters to their limits and test their ability to overcome and endure. Once the book gets going, you won't be able to put it down, and the chaotic finish and fantastic ending are going to leave you feeling like you've just withstood an emotional hurricane.
I. Loved. This. Book.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!5 stars
