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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
all the times i saw this marketed as gossip girl meets get out i hadn’t truly realized what that entailed BUT OH MY GOD??!!!
4.5 bc i did feel like the pacing & vibe shifted a bit around part 3 but HOT DAMN
4.5 bc i did feel like the pacing & vibe shifted a bit around part 3 but HOT DAMN
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Yes
mysterious
fast-paced
I really great debut! Once I got going, I couldn't stop; a real page turner. The ending felt a little rushed, but overall I enjoyed the story
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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:
Complicated
This is an intense, dark thriller about institutionalized racism, homophobia, trauma and loss. It doesn't hold back with the violence or the subject matter, and I'm glad that YA gets to be this bold and this 'adult'.
We follow two characters: Chiamaka and Devon, who are both seniors at an elite, private school. Someone known only as Aces starts targeting them both by leaking private, sensitive info on them, the kind of stuff that can ruin their lives and futures. With no one else to trust, the two become allies, despite coming from wildly different backgrounds and circumstances.
What I liked about this book was how mature it was; when I say that Aces uses private information, I mean private; we are not talking about Gossip Girl here, we are talking about outing people, leaking sexually explicit photos and videos, addiction status, etc. There is a real and genuine sense of danger for these two students, and it never lets up.
The terror and threat Devon and Chiamaka feel is omnipresent; they are never safe, never not watched or stalked, not even in their homes. Everything could be used against them, and throughout the book, it is. I especially appreciated the discussion of socially enforced homophobia and closeting that Devon has to deal with; the constant vigilance, losing friends, being afraid of your own family and their disappointment, being made to feel wrong and like a burden even to your closest friends are all things that were very realistic and familiar to me.
There were only 2 things that prevented me from loving this book, and both have to do with the pacing. It takes too long before Chiamaka and Devon start to interact, and as such the first 160 pages feel very repetitive. It's just bombshell after bombshell that ruins their lives (mostly Devon's) and the characters just sit and take it, for way longer than I think it was necessary before they at least start planning.
The second was that once they start working together, their relationship feels rushed. We never get any real development on their friendship; they feel kinship to each other, sure, but they never really become friends, or confide in each other. I wish we had gotten more of the two of them becoming close and sharing their experiences, because I feel like this book is lacking in that department. Because Aces is trying to make Devon and Chiamaka social pariahs, there is no real levity or real friendship in the book, which made it a bit... isolating.
For those who've read the book, I also found it weird how quick Devon forgave Terrell, but then there was no real resolution on Belle. Also, the twist at the end was very abrupt, and I do find it kind of hard to believe that it only ended with some mild outrage on twitter instead of national news.
Overall, I'm very excited to read anything else this author writes, especially if she ever decides to branch out into adult thrillers.
We follow two characters: Chiamaka and Devon, who are both seniors at an elite, private school. Someone known only as Aces starts targeting them both by leaking private, sensitive info on them, the kind of stuff that can ruin their lives and futures. With no one else to trust, the two become allies, despite coming from wildly different backgrounds and circumstances.
What I liked about this book was how mature it was; when I say that Aces uses private information, I mean private; we are not talking about Gossip Girl here, we are talking about outing people, leaking sexually explicit photos and videos, addiction status, etc. There is a real and genuine sense of danger for these two students, and it never lets up.
The terror and threat Devon and Chiamaka feel is omnipresent; they are never safe, never not watched or stalked, not even in their homes. Everything could be used against them, and throughout the book, it is. I especially appreciated the discussion of socially enforced homophobia and closeting that Devon has to deal with; the constant vigilance, losing friends, being afraid of your own family and their disappointment, being made to feel wrong and like a burden even to your closest friends are all things that were very realistic and familiar to me.
There were only 2 things that prevented me from loving this book, and both have to do with the pacing. It takes too long before Chiamaka and Devon start to interact, and as such the first 160 pages feel very repetitive. It's just bombshell after bombshell that ruins their lives (mostly Devon's) and the characters just sit and take it, for way longer than I think it was necessary before they at least start planning.
The second was that once they start working together, their relationship feels rushed. We never get any real development on their friendship; they feel kinship to each other, sure, but they never really become friends, or confide in each other. I wish we had gotten more of the two of them becoming close and sharing their experiences, because I feel like this book is lacking in that department. Because Aces is trying to make Devon and Chiamaka social pariahs, there is no real levity or real friendship in the book, which made it a bit... isolating.
For those who've read the book, I also found it weird how quick Devon forgave Terrell, but then there was no real resolution on Belle. Also, the twist at the end was very abrupt, and I do find it kind of hard to believe that it only ended with some mild outrage on twitter instead of national news.
Overall, I'm very excited to read anything else this author writes, especially if she ever decides to branch out into adult thrillers.
this book was so well written, throwing surprise after surprise. the plot twist absolutely mind-blowing!! really obsessed with the emotional rollercoaster faridah put me through in this book. the fact that this is the author's debut novel blows my mind. definitely deserves the title as one of the best YA debuts this year!
dark
emotional
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:
Yes