Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

As de picas by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

91 reviews

123urmom's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Stalking, Car accident, Outing, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

capitaens's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The last time I finished a book this quickly was probably 12 years ago. It's not an easy read in the sense that the content is hard to stomach, but it is so well written, the characters are incredible, and I simply couldn't put this book down. Highly recommend it!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Police brutality, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

lilifane's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Yeah, it's as good as everyone says, should have read it sooner. Had me at the edge of my seat the whole time, couldn't put it down. Loved the characters, loved the pacing, loved how queer it was. 
It was a bit predictable but shockingly surprising at the same time. I got so paranoid, I suspected everyone at some point and was constantly afraid for the characters. Especially Devon. I love him with all my heart. I was devastated DEVASTATED by some of the scenes and cried multiple times. But it also had heart-warming and empowering moments.
Would love to see an adaptation of this. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Racism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Gun violence, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

thekiwibibliophile's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I have had this book on my TBR for a while now & I’m so glad I picked it up! It was a slow start & I almost put it down but ended up reading 350 pages in 3 hours because I just couldn’t put it down! Such an important read that sheds light on eugenics & systemic racism. I enjoyed the main characters and there were a few I would have liked to have seen get their comeuppance.. overall a great read & I think I’m going to buy myself a copy! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

jareadforfilth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

The Gossip Girl and Get Out quotes at the beginning are a perfect representation for what this book feels like because this is a WILD RIDE. What an incredible debut, and the fact that this book was written while the author was in college?! Gagged. 

The complexities here are profound and this is a wonderful but horrifying representation of how I’m sure it can feel to live as a black person in a white patriarchal culture. I love the queer black Rep here, it’s so important to have more and more representation of non-white queerness and to have the intersectionality of homophobia and racism that bleeds through. 

This book becomes so much more than I was expecting and I was gripped and so terrified for Chi and Devon the entire time! There was just so much each of them had to endure coming on them from all directions and it was horrifying and soooo stressful, like they really only have each other and they’re not even friends which I think is profound in itself—they’re forced to have each others backs even though they don’t particularly like each other all because of the color of their skin, but NO ONE ELSE can be trusted. It’s unfair but such an impactful message by the author. 

I did wish we saw more of the takedown of Niveus coming from Devon and Chi instead of a random unexplained fire that I’m pretty sure was Jamie somehow, but I did love the symbolism of that hellhole going down in flames. Also, seeing them work through what’s happened to them and making the moves to show how they got to the epilogue instead of just showing them successful and empowered could have been a really incredible detail I wish we’d gotten. Lastly, I wish there’d been some resolution regarding Devon’s dad. The hurt and loss he must have felt at being deceived by his parents must have been equally profound to what he was experiencing (though less vindictive of course) and I wish we could have gotten to see Devon put himself first and get the conversation he deserved

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

leahkarge's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

shell_s's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

recycled_personalities's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I cannot say enough good things about this book. I would rate it higher if I could. This has risen to the top of my list of books I’ll recommend forever.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Car accident, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Body horror, Drug use, Gore, Racial slurs, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Minor: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

saucy_bookdragon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

 Ace of Spades for the first half is a compelling contemporary that makes you understand the characters and sets up what they have to lose, then the second half is a tense dark academia thriller that had my heart pounding as the mystery got darker and darker. This put me through an absolute whirlwind of emotions, I even cried during one scene!

It's got a very similar premise to Gossip Girl/Go Piss Girl, our two main characters are the only Black students at a prestigious private school who are being targeted by the mysterious Aces who is airing out their dirty laundry. I really loved both characters and how dynamic they are! They're also both queer, Devon is gay and Chiamaka has an arc of figuring out her sexuality. I found this to be some of the most relatable rep I've read, Devon really captured a lot of the darker feelings from being closeted while Chi's journey wasn't simple nor quick.

Thematically, the book is an indictment of systemic racism, shown through the example of an overwhelmingly white private school. It deals with various different ways that this racism manifests, from the targeted attacks by Aces to characters passively allowing racism to go unchecked and not acknowledging their own biases.

My only complaint is that the plotting has some odd hiccups. Like, I didn't understand why they didn't start investigate Aces earlier, even though I like the fact that we got time to know the characters before diving in. There's also a major decision towards the end that was odd, illogical, and convoluted. And the climax was both rush and a bit too convenient.

Overall, Ace of Spades is an absolutely wild dark academia thriller with lovable complex characters that criticizes systemic racism.
 
TWs: racism including targeted attacks, homophobia including outing, stalking, vehicular manslaughter, death, capital punishment, and an intense interaction with a police officer. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Police brutality, and Classism

spooderman's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Eating disorder and Pregnancy