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oddduck's review
funny
fast-paced
4.5
This book was literally tailor made for me. A HEIST pulled off by a friend group of aces? How have I been living without this book??
While I did end up adoring this book, I do have some thoughts on it. But first, let's look at what I loved.
I'm a big character person, and I loved these characters. The Shannon family is such a mess, but they still care about each other. Jack's friends strike a nice balance between "Are we sure this is a good idea?" and ride-or-die. And they're all so distinct from each other! It was a delight to meet them all and watch Jack bond with all of them. I especially love Lucky, but I've got a major soft spot for small, cute characters who will not hesitate to rip a grown man to shreds (literally or metaphorically). Beth and Kerry were also super interesting to me. Seeing how their personalities struggled to mesh for so long felt very realistic, as did Jack's realizations about why Beth and Kerry are who they are. When he finally got there and was willing to make an effort with them was a great moment.
The villain was pretty solid. I won't say that he's interesting, because I don't think he is, but I do think he's realistic, and in this book I'd actually say that's more important. He's very wealth and power driven, which makes sense for his goal, and is one of the things that make the twist at the end work. Not really much else to say about him, other than it was satisfying when he lost.
Speaking of the twist, I liked that quite a bit. I was expecting a different twist from very early on, but once the clues for the actual twist started to add up, I figured them out pretty quick. I think it worked well and definitely made sense with Carlevaro's motives, though I am still a bit disappointed that what I thought was coming did not end up being the plot (but more on that shortly).
Now obviously we've got to talk ace rep. As an ace starved for some good fictional representation, I'll freely admit that this was 50% of the sell for me (the other 50% was, naturally, the heist aspect). I was promised not just a main character who's ace, but a whole team of ace characters, and boy howdy did this book deliver. And it was good!! They weren't all the same and they interacted with their ace identity differently! We got conversations on what having a romantic relationship can mean/look like as an ace person. We got "hey they're cute - wait what?". We got "Hard pass, get that away from me please and thank you". We got "I'm out and proud" and "I don't really feel the need/want to tell people that I'm ace" and had those coexist without pressure or judgement! And!!! Jack describes learning about asexuality as feeling like a missing piece has clicked into place. Yes!!! That was the feeling!!! It was the "Oh, that's a thing?" moment! I nearly cried when I read that. Absolutely incredible.
Related, there's another scene that I really liked that centers on asexuality that I want to discuss. Summary behind the spoiler bar. After finding out how old Lucky is, Gabe asks how she can be sure. How maybe she'll change her mind when she gets older. He gets called on this immediately by the rest of their friends, and he apologizes to Lucky. This scene is so interesting to me for several reasons. First, because it shows how acephobia is so ingrained in our culture and how internalized these beliefs are for so many, without them ever realizing it. Second, because this is a conversation I see every once in a while in online spaces. In the part of the community I hang out in, the overwhelming attitude when faced with this is "So what?" So what if someone ID'd as ace before realizing there was another label that they like better? So what if they did get older and realized they aren't actually ace? At least they had something that felt right, for however long they needed it. They had access to a community that could support them. I personally find that attitude to be much more useful than any kind of gatekeeping nonsense. It was nice to see that reflected in this book. Third, it was nice to see that even though they're friends who have just met in person for the first time, they're still willing to call each other out when they say stupid shit. This was the scene that made me say, "Oh, this book is about being ace." And I loved that.
The heist aspect was fun, but, as is usually the case for non-Leverage media, not particularly elaborate. I liked the way blackjack was a recurring topic, especially for a character named Jack, and when Kerry showed up to distract Carlevaro with Texas Hold 'em I was so excited. Jack also really feels like he's grown up in this world, which is very important for me in terms of believability. In YA media, there's usually the question of "How did a bunch of kids pull this off?" which is fair, and I kind of like that the answer in this book is mostly "They didn't". Like, Carlevaro knew from the beginning what Jack was doing and what his goal was. He wanted Jack to do this. So at any point where we think the team should have been caught, or that it was too easy for them, and we wonder why things still turned out okay-ish, the answer is that Carlevaro wants Jack to come after him, so he's probably doing something behind the scenes to make that happen. We even see it overtly, when he sends Morgan to steal the chips. And this is what makes Carlevaro's arrest so satisfying. Because when Jack wins, he does it by actually out playing Carlevaro, and he does it in kind of a dumb way, which is totally believable for a teenager.
Now let's talk about the two things I wish would have been done just a little differently.
First, while I liked that Kerry is hard of hearing, I wish we would have known this sooner. I love that Kerry's not The Deaf Character, but the way we find out that she uses a hearing aid makes it feel like this was a decision that was made late in the game, and thus only for the specific reason of making people view Kerry differently/seriously underestimate her. Even just mentioning it when we first meet her - maybe she needs to replace her hearing aid soon and is wondering how she's going to pay for it or is just generally worried about access to healthcare, alongside her college tuition - would have eliminated this. I love how casual it is, and I do like the idea that Kerry knows people underestimate her capabilities because she's disabled and uses that to her advantage, I just don't like how it feels like this was solely done to make the Plan work. Like, it's already established that Carlevaro is sexist. The Plan totally could have hinged on that and it still would have worked with Kerry.
Second, while I did end up liking the twist, it was not what I thought was coming. On the one hand, this is good. It's a subversion of expectations, which are usually interesting. On the other hand, I feel a little dissatisfied. My prediction, from very early on, was that Carlevaro was not going to be the one who sent Jack's mom to prison. There was going to be someone else pulling the strings, and perhaps even controlling Carlevaro, or maybe they were working together. Either way, oftentimes, when a character becomes so hyper-focused on an idea, they fall into a pit of confirmation bias, and then are totally blindsided when their idea is wrong. Looking back at the clues though, we see how they were actually building to something else. I love this structure, so seeing Jack immediately pick out Carlevaro as the culprit made me think that this was the road we were heading down. And again, I'm not disappointed with the real twist. I just did not have my expectations met on this specific thing and I'm still trying to adjust from that. This might be rectified with a reread, but for now, I'm just a little dissatisfied, which is mostly on me.
Overall, I loved this book. I was eagerly anticipating its release, and was so utterly thrilled to find it while browsing the "new" shelf at my local library. And I really wasn't disappointed. This was such a fun read and a fantastic way to start off the year.
While I did end up adoring this book, I do have some thoughts on it. But first, let's look at what I loved.
I'm a big character person, and I loved these characters. The Shannon family is such a mess, but they still care about each other. Jack's friends strike a nice balance between "Are we sure this is a good idea?" and ride-or-die. And they're all so distinct from each other! It was a delight to meet them all and watch Jack bond with all of them. I especially love Lucky, but I've got a major soft spot for small, cute characters who will not hesitate to rip a grown man to shreds (literally or metaphorically). Beth and Kerry were also super interesting to me. Seeing how their personalities struggled to mesh for so long felt very realistic, as did Jack's realizations about why Beth and Kerry are who they are. When he finally got there and was willing to make an effort with them was a great moment.
The villain was pretty solid. I won't say that he's interesting, because I don't think he is, but I do think he's realistic, and in this book I'd actually say that's more important. He's very wealth and power driven, which makes sense for his goal, and is one of the things that make the twist at the end work. Not really much else to say about him, other than it was satisfying when he lost.
Speaking of the twist, I liked that quite a bit. I was expecting a different twist from very early on, but once the clues for the actual twist started to add up, I figured them out pretty quick. I think it worked well and definitely made sense with Carlevaro's motives, though I am still a bit disappointed that what I thought was coming did not end up being the plot (but more on that shortly).
Now obviously we've got to talk ace rep. As an ace starved for some good fictional representation, I'll freely admit that this was 50% of the sell for me (the other 50% was, naturally, the heist aspect). I was promised not just a main character who's ace, but a whole team of ace characters, and boy howdy did this book deliver. And it was good!! They weren't all the same and they interacted with their ace identity differently! We got conversations on what having a romantic relationship can mean/look like as an ace person. We got "hey they're cute - wait what?". We got "Hard pass, get that away from me please and thank you". We got "I'm out and proud" and "I don't really feel the need/want to tell people that I'm ace" and had those coexist without pressure or judgement! And!!! Jack describes learning about asexuality as feeling like a missing piece has clicked into place. Yes!!! That was the feeling!!! It was the "Oh, that's a thing?" moment! I nearly cried when I read that. Absolutely incredible.
Related, there's another scene that I really liked that centers on asexuality that I want to discuss. Summary behind the spoiler bar.
The heist aspect was fun, but, as is usually the case for non-Leverage media, not particularly elaborate. I liked the way blackjack was a recurring topic, especially for a character named Jack, and
Now let's talk about the two things I wish would have been done just a little differently.
First, while I liked that Kerry is hard of hearing, I wish we would have known this sooner. I love that Kerry's not The Deaf Character, but the way we find out that she uses a hearing aid makes it feel like this was a decision that was made late in the game, and thus only for the specific reason of making people view Kerry differently/seriously underestimate her. Even just mentioning it when we first meet her - maybe she needs to replace her hearing aid soon and is wondering how she's going to pay for it or is just generally worried about access to healthcare, alongside her college tuition - would have eliminated this. I love how casual it is, and I do like the idea that Kerry knows people underestimate her capabilities because she's disabled and uses that to her advantage, I just don't like how it feels like this was solely done to make the Plan work. Like, it's already established that Carlevaro is sexist. The Plan totally could have hinged on that and it still would have worked with Kerry.
Second, while I did end up liking the twist, it was not what I thought was coming. On the one hand, this is good. It's a subversion of expectations, which are usually interesting. On the other hand, I feel a little dissatisfied. My prediction, from very early on, was that Carlevaro was not going to be the one who sent Jack's mom to prison. There was going to be someone else pulling the strings, and perhaps even controlling Carlevaro, or maybe they were working together. Either way, oftentimes, when a character becomes so hyper-focused on an idea, they fall into a pit of confirmation bias, and then are totally blindsided when their idea is wrong. Looking back at the clues though, we see how they were actually building to something else. I love this structure, so seeing Jack immediately pick out Carlevaro as the culprit made me think that this was the road we were heading down. And again, I'm not disappointed with the real twist. I just did not have my expectations met on this specific thing and I'm still trying to adjust from that. This might be rectified with a reread, but for now, I'm just a little dissatisfied, which is mostly on me.
Overall, I loved this book. I was eagerly anticipating its release, and was so utterly thrilled to find it while browsing the "new" shelf at my local library. And I really wasn't disappointed. This was such a fun read and a fantastic way to start off the year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Abandonment and Sexism
Minor: Blood, Ableism, and Alcohol
patricktreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
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? Yes
4.25
While heists and chases are not my typical direction, I was completely enthralled the entire time. I had an inkling to the twists, but Amy still got me. I loved this work. The narrator was a little distracting at first. They sounded a little old, but the more I listened the more I became accustomed to the voice. High recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexism, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship
arthur_ant18's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Ace Wilds: A Heist is an ebullient romp that thrives on its central crew's contagious charisma. From the start, Jack is an engaging and messy protagonist who has a habit of thinking he's smooth enough to wrangle together schemes, then tripping over his own chaotic energy. His first-person POV does a good job of bringing you into his teenage head and rooting for him as he introduces you to his underground gambling club, the shady layers of his family, and his support group buddies. Once those buddies make their debut, the fun only heightens with their uproarious banter—mainly the in-person kind, but we get to see a bit of it on Hullabaloo as well.
Ace Wilds: A Heist is an ebullient romp that thrives on its central crew's contagious charisma. From the start, Jack is an engaging and messy protagonist who has a habit of thinking he's smooth enough to wrangle together schemes, then tripping over his own chaotic energy. His first-person POV does a good job of bringing you into his teenage head and rooting for him as he introduces you to his underground gambling club, the shady layers of his family, and his support group buddies. Once those buddies make their debut, the fun only heightens with their uproarious banter—mainly the in-person kind, but we get to see a bit of it on Hullabaloo as well.
This isn't an original opinion, since it seems to be shared by virtually everyone who's had the chance to read Aces Wild, but Lucky is my personal favorite in the group. The moment when she threatens "I'll eat your kneecaps" is a splendid encapsulation of her feisty and biting attitude. Remy, who is both ace and nonbinary, is amusing as the target of the adorable crush that Jack ends up growing on them. Admittedly, I do wish the last two members, Gabe and Georgia, had more distinctive personalities. I liked the interactions they had as a pair, but I didn't really get much of a sense for who they are as separate people.
The ace and aromantic representation in this circle is an extra plus, although it wasn't as fleshed-out as I would have wanted. Jack's narration mentions on several occasions that asexuality is a spectrum, but there's never a point where the concept is truly dissected to display the experiences of ace people. Granted, I don't think it's the book's intention to teach readers all the ins and outs of the spectrum, but some additional nuance would have been preferable.
As for the plot device of Jack's sister Kerry's hearing aid being turned into an earpiece for the heist, it definitely leaves me feeling uncomfortable. This flippant inclusion of hearing aids, which play vital parts in the lives of the deaf people who use them, is unnecessary. Aside from a brief reference to Kerry having had a cochlear implant installed in her ear, there's nothing in the writing for her character to realistically designate her deafness and the challenges that come with using cochlear implants.
My biggest problem, intriguingly enough, isn't with the book itself, but rather the misleading marketing. When you promote something as "Six of Crows goes to Las Vegas," you better damn well deliver an intricate, extensive, and electrifying heist that measures up to the Six of Crows themselves and Ocean's 11. The thing is, Aces Wild's heist is very much a background element despite the book's subtitle being A Heist. Sure, Jack and his pals partake in a bit of pre-heisting in preparation for the main heist, but the interrelationships that comprise their found family is what really drives the book. The main heist doesn't even happen until the tail-end of the story. Thankfully, I'd heard this criticism ahead of reading the eARC, so I was able to set my expectations. Again, this isn't an issue in the book itself. If it wants to concentrate on the characters' repartee and emotional growth, that's laudable. It's the PR that requires revision so it can authentically advertise the product and avoid the pitfall of disappointing consumers purely because of erroneous publicity.
Overall, Aces Wild: A Heist is saddled with some flaws, but it’s worth picking up if you’re in search of an ace-representing YA book with loads of hilarious chemistry thrumming amongst its leads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism
heytherekaity's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, and Infidelity
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