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A review by kristin_c_a
Aces Wild: A Heist by Amanda DeWitt
4.0
Thank you so much to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book!
rating: 4/5 stars
When I first read the blurb for this book I thought “group of teens go on a heist together? tik tok’s gonna love this.” And while I think that’s still true, I can add that it’ll also be loved for its balance of lighthearted scheming and emotional maturity surrounding some heavy topics as well as just generally good writing throughout.
While the plot of this book is technically “wealthy Las Vegas hotel-owning family being torn apart by the arrest of the matriarch”, it still manages to not feel too heavy or too inaccessible to a younger crowd. This book is firmly within the YA genre which makes me a little old to be its target audience and occasionally the writing reflects that with some cheesy comedic beats and occasionally predictable twists. That said, it’s an enjoyable read the entire way through.
Let’s talk asexuality. The mc of Aces Wild is Jack Shannon, kinda traumatized youngest child of emotionally immature hyper-rich Vegas casino magnates. He is also asexual and has found a community in a group of online friends all of whom are also asexual. I found Jack to be an extremely charismatic mc to follow through this experience and the occasional fourth-wall breaks are fun and witty. Although we get insight into how he discovered asexuality and how the label fits him, it’s not the main plot which I found refreshing. The fact that all the friends are asexual is brought up and talked about throughout the book, but it never feels forced or unnecessary. It truly just feels like a group of teens who are excited to meet people who identify the same way they do and reading along, I felt excited for them.
All in all, I loved this book and I can’t wait to read more from Amanda DeWitt in the future!
rating: 4/5 stars
When I first read the blurb for this book I thought “group of teens go on a heist together? tik tok’s gonna love this.” And while I think that’s still true, I can add that it’ll also be loved for its balance of lighthearted scheming and emotional maturity surrounding some heavy topics as well as just generally good writing throughout.
While the plot of this book is technically “wealthy Las Vegas hotel-owning family being torn apart by the arrest of the matriarch”, it still manages to not feel too heavy or too inaccessible to a younger crowd. This book is firmly within the YA genre which makes me a little old to be its target audience and occasionally the writing reflects that with some cheesy comedic beats and occasionally predictable twists. That said, it’s an enjoyable read the entire way through.
Let’s talk asexuality. The mc of Aces Wild is Jack Shannon, kinda traumatized youngest child of emotionally immature hyper-rich Vegas casino magnates. He is also asexual and has found a community in a group of online friends all of whom are also asexual. I found Jack to be an extremely charismatic mc to follow through this experience and the occasional fourth-wall breaks are fun and witty. Although we get insight into how he discovered asexuality and how the label fits him, it’s not the main plot which I found refreshing. The fact that all the friends are asexual is brought up and talked about throughout the book, but it never feels forced or unnecessary. It truly just feels like a group of teens who are excited to meet people who identify the same way they do and reading along, I felt excited for them.
All in all, I loved this book and I can’t wait to read more from Amanda DeWitt in the future!