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sonoma's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Body shaming, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, Death, Medical content, Police brutality, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Fatphobia, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
l_arand's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
this book acts simultaneously as a thriller and a social commentary on the racist systems that still exist today, especially in terms of private education. it’s a great read, full of twists that push you into continually saying “just one more chapter.” another thing i loved about this book (which i normally don’t love) is dual perspectives. the chapters go from chiamaka’s pov to devon’s, and this allows the reader to really see how much their upbringing and gender impacts the way the experience the world. the only slight issue i had with this book was the pacing. it starts off very slow but picks up towards the end, and i was in a frenzy to finish it. also, the language seems a bit...young if that makes sense. in these “dark academia” kind of books, one expects dark and lush writing, especially if it’s talking about darker topics like the ones covered in this book. overall though, i really did love this book and the characters.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Racism, and Stalking
Moderate: Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Gun violence
Minor: Body shaming, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
hyliansee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Hate crime, Blood, Outing, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Car accident, Classism, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Grief, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, Sexism, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Vomit, Fatphobia, Mental illness, and Misogyny
mileskayden's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I enjoyed the shit out of this book. Reading character's I dislike was such an experience, especially when one of them was the main character. This book filled my rich asshole kids' trope to the top! I enjoyed how every story was told and how you couldn't trust anyone. I really felt for the characters too, their devastation of what was done to them and fear of what would come next.
There were points where I had to put the book down and just process how bad these things really were and how this is something that could really happen.
Graphic: Death, Bullying, Body shaming, Car accident, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Racism, Blood, Emotional abuse, Grief, Racial slurs, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Drug use and Sexual assault
Minor: Suicide attempt
arnreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
The tension in the story vibrating throughout my veins. I honestly got annoyed with Chiamaka's behavior at first. Her actions, no cautions. For Devon, I just hate how he gives his trust easily after everything that happened. But the sequence of consequences isn't freaking valid, not to anyone.
But hey, I loved how the character developments taken place. I'm screaming with satisfaction about the ending. Reclaiming the game those scumbags created is superbly amazing.
I'm wounded, can't stomach those events occurred in this story. Racism, the battle cry of equality for this matter in reality, is still on the floor, some people picking up and others still stepping on it—hardly grinding torn to pieces.
Representation : Black and Queer Protagonists
Trigger Warning : Racism, Bullying, Sexual Assult, Gender Shaming, Drugs and many more..
Graphic: Bullying, Body shaming, Death, and Racism
laila1007's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The plot is just...wow. Just when you think the characters can't get any deeper in hot water, things take an even steeper turn for the worse. I found the beginning slightly difficult to get through, but things picked up pretty quickly and I'm glad I didn't DNF it.
The characters are, for the most part, alright. I found both the main characters a bit whiny in the beginning, but it improves throughout the book, and character development as subtle but solid. Chiamaka seems to take high school way too seriously, but seeing where the plot goes, she wasn't completely wrong to. The other characters are almost all intolerable, as they should be.
The pacing was brilliant, apart from the first few chapters, and I finished the book in just two days. The plot had me gripped, and honestly, my heart broke a little with every page. It was in pieces by the end.
The only thing that bugged me was a few loose ends. I wanted to see Devon confront his mother about his dad being dead. I wanted to hear what Belle had to say to Chiamaka. What she did was unforgivable but I still wanted some closure on that relationship, because it was great before we find out how Belle is involved with Aces. I really wanted to see Chiamaka face off with Belle's sister, after the latter had haunted her for so long.
The ending had me shivering, and all in all, this was definitely worth the tears it cost me.
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Violence, Bullying, Death of parent, Death, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, and Suicide attempt
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
📘The Gist 📘: Chiamaka and Devon are high achieving students at Niveus Private Academy. No doubt, they’re college-bound! Until, that is, anonymous texts from Aces start pouring out their secrets (and blatant lies about them) to the school! As they work to find out who Aces is, they find that not all is as it seems at Niveus.
📒Representation📒: bipoc mc, mixed race mc, gay mc, low income mc
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Murder, Outing, Racism, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Drug use
Nonconsensual nudity, cyber bullying, white supremacy, terrorism, death penaltyjacobandthefrogs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is definently one of my contenders for book of the year, wow.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Murder, and Physical abuse
pond_newt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Outing, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, and Car accident
Moderate: Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Violence, Suicide, and Hate crime
Minor: Alcoholism, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, Drug use, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Gun violence
This book deals with some heavy stuff so be prepared and please make sure to check the trigger warning at the start of the bookhowie_e's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Gaslighting, Homophobia, Outing, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Body shaming, Car accident, Cursing, Death of parent, Death, and Suicidal thoughts