Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

138 reviews

aurora4847's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-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

4.75

Ace of Spades was such a good read, especially for a white college graduate during Black History Month. While the stakes seem so low in the beginning, the tension and mystery keep ramping up the further in you get. It feels almost like a paranormal thriller, but with the monster being systemic racism instead of a demon. The ordeals Chiamaka and Devon have to survive are truly horrifying, and terrifyingly realistic. While it may seem exaggerated for the sake of the story, it really isn't too far off what black students actually have to deal with in academia. Chiamaka and Devon's differing socioeconomic statuses adds another layer of complexity in how they handle and think about what they're enduring. Ace of Spades is practically required reading for any white person who's benefited from access to higher education, especially more elite private schools and universities, and actually gives a damn about how POC are treated in those spaces.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Stalking, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Moderate: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol

This book is about systemic racism and eugenics. The main characters are the victims of harassment that grows to assault, hate crimes, stalking, and abuse. They are repeatedly betrayed by trusted individuals.

maresuju's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Racism, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Stalking, Outing, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Drug use, Misogyny, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

softgalaxy's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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? No

5.0

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I could hardly put it down. It is spine-chilling. But it is reality for Black people in a world that holds whiteness above anything. 

I had my theories but what came about in the end was much more horrifying. Àbíké-Íyímídé weaved such an intense storyline that just stays with you. 

I felt so strongly for Devon and Chiamaka. The psychological torture that they were going through was unreal (something I’d never experience as a white person). 

Just an amazing book from start to finish. It had me hooked. Can’t wait to read more from Faridah in the near future!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Stalking, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

living_for_the_hope_of_it_all's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative inspiring 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

3.5

this had me HOOKED literally ate it up, made up theories and speculated about everything
justice for my boy von he did nothing wrong!!!!
also Dre. i fucking love dre come home babe the kids miss you
3* because a few characters were left which i would have loved to see more of

belle, dre, jack, even ruby like cmon where did they gooo

got a few good laughs out of it, almost made me cry once 

that reveal about von's dad being on death roll the last time von ever saw him??? like stfu i was gonna THROW. UP.

overall i enjoyed it thoroughly, got my mind moving and all that, very quick to read and the writing was pretty easy to read too so!
great one!!

~a month later~
taking the rating down a notch bcz not that in hindsight i think the book is bad, it's just that i always forget i even read it😭

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Blood, and Outing

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

elfyn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Fucking fantastic. Challenging in all the right ways. I finished it in one sitting.

I literally cried at reading dr and professor in the epilogue.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Classism

oleaceae_18's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.0

Such a good book! I felt like it was a little bit slow in the beginning, and the resolution at the end was wrapped up a little too quickly in my opinion. But this book is such a good depiction of systemic racism and how everyone around you really is involved. I loved the friendships developed among the black characters. The gaslighting and microaggressions were so aggravating to read, but only because it's so real. I highly recommend reading for everyone. And the authors note was really touching. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Outing, and Colonisation

modernthymes's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.0

I was going to give this a 3.5 but the last 50-100 pages was so thrilling and the ending was great.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Stalking and Sexual harassment

Minor: Gun violence, Police brutality, and Fire/Fire injury

the_true_monroe's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

4.25

When I started the audio book, I did not expect it to go the way it did. Although as I went through, I knew what was coming but not to the degree that it came. Wow.

Definitely a psychological thriller, with similar vibes to ‘Get Out’ (although both are completely different stories focusing on different aspects of horrors related to racism). 

4 stars because there was a lot I wish was expanded upon, like a follow-up on characters such a Belle, Scotty, Andre and Jack.

Also, I absolutely love how on the author’s websites there is art depicting the major characters. I have a hard time visualizing things based on descriptions and that really helped! I only found it writing this review since I went searching for one of the character’s names. 

I really enjoyed the author’s note, which mentions how the book was written over the course of her college career which is very symbolic to the course of the story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Death of parent, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Moderate: Confinement, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Fire/Fire injury

erinamerritt's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Gun violence

sabrinas's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Outing, and Classism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Gun violence, Blood, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail