A review by bookobsessedmommy
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I have mixed feelings about this book, but I'll start with a more technical review which is how I chose to rate it. Check the content warnings! Chiamaka and Devon are compelling characters and the whole vibe of the book keeps you on edge. Its like Get Out, but make it high school. I think it's well written overall, but too long. There are whole scenes, like the situation with Devon's dad for example, that could have been cut with little to no change to the actual plot. The beginning drags and so do various parts of the book, which again I attribute to it being too long. The resolution is a bit abrupt, but the epilogue is a welcome addition. (I am a sucker for a wrap up)  As for my personal feelings, I never would have picked this up if I knew how much trauma there was. I read primarily for enjoyment and escape, so this thriller/horror depiction of life in brown skin is a little too real and too scary for me. I was really into the strange mystery of it all for a while, but there are times when it feels like every painful stereotype has been thrown in here to tick things off like a depressing bingo card. Homophobia, racism (blatant and systemic), police brutality, mass incarceration, slut shaming, gang violence. I could go on, but you get the idea. I nearly DNFd multiple times, but I wanted to know what happened. The ending was both surprising and underwhelming, but I'm here for what it represents. Even with my mixed feelings, I would still give this author another shot after checking content warnings.
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