Reviews tagging 'Death'

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

331 reviews

hilarylouise's review against another edition

4.5

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Car accident

Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Death of parent

yvonne_cl's review against another edition

4.25

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol

pitschi's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Racism, Outing

Moderate: Cursing, Violence, Car accident

Minor: Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury

letsgoromeo's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol

anaguana's review against another edition

5.0

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Death, Car accident

emily_reads09's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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I really enjoyed this book! I feel like Chiamaka’s character could have been delved into a little more, at times she felt flatter than Devon like her motives were being repeated in different words rather than being developed. There are some amazing own-voices moments in this book. I felt all the emotions reading it. 

edit: the more i’ve sat with this book the more i’ve realized that i think Chiamaka was actually really well written. she’s different from what you’d expect in a lot of ways and i loved that when i read and and i love it more now. i don’t know why she felt flatter to me at the time? i think maybe the pacing near the end kept me from really thinking about how it all effects her and creates these minute shifts in her character. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Death, Racial slurs

nyoom's review against another edition

2.0

dark emotional funny mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Death of parent

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Slavery, Medical trauma, Pregnancy

e_flah's review against another edition

4.0

dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Ace of Spades was a solid debut and an incredibly thought-provoking take on dark academia. This is a book that grapples with big issues in a way that is seamlessly woven together with the story. Chiamaka and Devon's vastly different experiences at Niveus Private Academy were an interesting way to lean more about the setting of the story. They are both well-rounded characters who I loved learning more about over the course of the book.

There were two reasons this wasn't a five-star book for me. The middle of the book lost a lot of the tension from the beginning. It seemed like there was a lot of page time between the gripping beginning and the nail-biting conclusion. I also guessed nearly all of the big reveals, which was kind of disappointing. Neither of these things would stop me from recommending this book to others.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Car accident

Moderate: Death, Death of parent

the public outing of a queer character is a main plot point in this book

ali_k0's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 0%

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Too many triggers

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting

ashleycmms's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Stalking, Car accident, Outing

Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts