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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
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
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a mixed review. I really liked it, and there were bits I didn’t like. The ending was disappointing, and I know that’s kind of the point, but blaming it all on a giant conspiracy feels like it doesn’t address the actual and systemic racism that truly is out there.
I listened to the audiobook and I like that they included the afterward and authors note.
I listened to the audiobook and I like that they included the afterward and authors note.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Thrillers and young adult novels aren’t something I venture into all too often, so a YA thriller is deffo out of my comfort zone - but if it’s queer, then my interest is piqued. This was a fast paced, twisty ride for sure. It’s 450 pages but I sped through 75-100 pages in each sitting, it was easy to devour. The actual mystery of Aces themself was gripping, and the reveal was satisfactorily horrifying. But the plot propels this book forward to the slight detriment of the two MCs Devon and Chiamaka. I didn’t feel like we really knew them at any more than surface level. I also found the writing quite stilted at times.
Bit of a mixed bag, but overall an engaging, pacey thriller centred around institutionalised racism in an elite academic setting.
4.5!!!! this kept me on the edge of my seat and made me feel so nauseous at times. the ending was SOOO rushed though, I couldn’t believe that was the end