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A review by saucy_bookdragon
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
Ace of Spades for the first half is a compelling contemporary that makes you understand the characters and sets up what they have to lose, then the second half is a tense dark academia thriller that had my heart pounding as the mystery got darker and darker. This put me through an absolute whirlwind of emotions, I even cried during one scene!
It's got a very similar premise to Gossip Girl/Go Piss Girl, our two main characters are the only Black students at a prestigious private school who are being targeted by the mysterious Aces who is airing out their dirty laundry. I really loved both characters and how dynamic they are! They're also both queer, Devon is gay and Chiamaka has an arc of figuring out her sexuality. I found this to be some of the most relatable rep I've read, Devon really captured a lot of the darker feelings from being closeted while Chi's journey wasn't simple nor quick.
Thematically, the book is an indictment of systemic racism, shown through the example of an overwhelmingly white private school. It deals with various different ways that this racism manifests, from the targeted attacks by Aces to characters passively allowing racism to go unchecked and not acknowledging their own biases.
My only complaint is that the plotting has some odd hiccups. Like, I didn't understand why they didn't start investigate Aces earlier, even though I like the fact that we got time to know the characters before diving in. There's also a major decision towards the end that was odd, illogical, and convoluted. And the climax was both rush and a bit too convenient.
Overall, Ace of Spades is an absolutely wild dark academia thriller with lovable complex characters that criticizes systemic racism.
TWs: racism including targeted attacks, homophobia including outing, stalking, vehicular manslaughter, death, capital punishment, and an intense interaction with a police officer.
It's got a very similar premise to Gossip Girl/Go Piss Girl, our two main characters are the only Black students at a prestigious private school who are being targeted by the mysterious Aces who is airing out their dirty laundry. I really loved both characters and how dynamic they are! They're also both queer, Devon is gay and Chiamaka has an arc of figuring out her sexuality. I found this to be some of the most relatable rep I've read, Devon really captured a lot of the darker feelings from being closeted while Chi's journey wasn't simple nor quick.
Thematically, the book is an indictment of systemic racism, shown through the example of an overwhelmingly white private school. It deals with various different ways that this racism manifests, from the targeted attacks by Aces to characters passively allowing racism to go unchecked and not acknowledging their own biases.
My only complaint is that the plotting has some odd hiccups. Like, I didn't understand why they didn't start investigate Aces earlier, even though I like the fact that we got time to know the characters before diving in. There's also a major decision towards the end that was odd, illogical, and convoluted. And the climax was both rush and a bit too convenient.
Overall, Ace of Spades is an absolutely wild dark academia thriller with lovable complex characters that criticizes systemic racism.
TWs: racism including targeted attacks, homophobia including outing, stalking, vehicular manslaughter, death, capital punishment, and an intense interaction with a police officer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Car accident, Outing, Racism, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Hate crime, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Violence, Police brutality, Classism, Death, and Gun violence