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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
So incredibly powerful
This really is a book you need to go into as blind as possible. So what I'm going to try to keep this review vague as possible: two exceptional Black students, a boy and a girl, with normal teenage problems (dating unsuitable people, being secretly in love with your best friend, wanting to do everything possible to get into your dream college). But surround them with extremely privileged white students. And then someone knows all their secrets - and is willing to tell the whole school.
Faridah is a genius at building tension, sowing doubt in the reader, making you guess and flounder and worry right along with the protagonists. Who can you trust? Who might know something? And... At least it can't get any worse - or can it?
The second half of the book is an absolute whirlwind as things about both characters' pasts and the secrets that have been hinted at throughout come to light. And the epilogue really works to address the root problems rather than just leaving the book with small solutions
Faridah is a genius at building tension, sowing doubt in the reader, making you guess and flounder and worry right along with the protagonists. Who can you trust? Who might know something? And... At least it can't get any worse - or can it?
The second half of the book is an absolute whirlwind as things about both characters' pasts and the secrets that have been hinted at throughout come to light. And the epilogue really works to address the root problems rather than just leaving the book with small solutions
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I came here from Gregslibrary from Instagram and their recommendations are IT!
Holy fucking shit. How gripping was this book?! This is one of my new all time favourites.
A YA title set in a school but it feels more like a thriller horror mix. It touches subjects like racism (institutionalused and individual), homophobia, cyber bullying, psychological abuse, classism, anti-blackness, stalking, prison, police,...
There is so much in there. Feel free to add to the list.
The main two characters are the only two black students in their very white private school and their senior year seems to start off almost normal if it weren't for the sudden change of headmaster and an ace of spades glitching on the screen.
My library licensed it so I listened to the english audiobook on my commute everyday. It is so perfectly done. And I gasped out loud more times than I can count, startling passengers beside me.
I have already ordered a copy to reread and make postit annotations.
Holy fucking shit. How gripping was this book?! This is one of my new all time favourites.
A YA title set in a school but it feels more like a thriller horror mix. It touches subjects like racism (institutionalused and individual), homophobia, cyber bullying, psychological abuse, classism, anti-blackness, stalking, prison, police,...
There is so much in there. Feel free to add to the list.
The main two characters are the only two black students in their very white private school and their senior year seems to start off almost normal if it weren't for the sudden change of headmaster and an ace of spades glitching on the screen.
My library licensed it so I listened to the english audiobook on my commute everyday. It is so perfectly done. And I gasped out loud more times than I can count, startling passengers beside me.
I have already ordered a copy to reread and make postit annotations.
While I appreciate the very complex and personal themes this book touches on, I couldn't really find a way to relate to it. I know it was intentional on the author's side, but I kept going back to Gossip Girl, but in no way was it as good and catchy as that show. And I found a fundamental issue that unfortunately I feel like I encounter way too often: it created too big a build up for the ending that it finally gave me. I don't regret going into it, but probably I won't feel the need to re-read.
adventurous
dark
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
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
tense
slow-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:
Yes
this book was such a page turner, and so incredibly stunning. it was honestly so eye-opening and & powerful in every way. the white supremacy & malicious motives of aces were absolutely gross, but also a shocking reminder that racism is still very real today, and that the entire system is so complex that it can't simply be brought down with one fell swoop. i love chiamaka and devon, & all the lies and intricacies within this book made it impossible to put down! ace of spades is the Black and queer dark academia book that everyone needs to read, like, right now.
there is just so much strength in this novel. so much strength, so much power. 5 stars.
Spoiler
oh, i'm still so affected from the tender touch of that ending. usually, i'm not fond of huge time skips, but seeing chiamaka and devon successful and happy in their futures felt like a warm embrace.there is just so much strength in this novel. so much strength, so much power. 5 stars.