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A review by missbreathing
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I’m glad I finally got to read it after having it in my shelves for so long!
This is described as Gossip Girl meets Get Out, and that’s pretty accurate! It’s told from the POV of the only two Black kids at an elite private academy. As their senior year begins, a slew of defamatory messages about them begin to circulate, revealing secrets and ruining their reputations. They team up to find the anonymous messenger, Aces, and stop him before he ruins their lives for good.
The themes of systemic racism in this book are so important and tragically way too relevant. It’s maybe a bit heavy-handed in its delivery of these themes, but this might just be a case of me not being the book’s target audience. YA encompasses a vast age group, and some authors highlight their themes in ways that might seem obvious to me, an adult, but which would most effectively reach a 13 year-old.
There were times when it was hard to read because of how many awful things happen to one of our MCs. I won’t spoil anything, but I cried so hard for one of the MCs. It was almost too much; like the author piled on every bad thing that could happen to someone onto this one character. But the ending is hopeful for both the MCs and their epilogue is triumphant.
This book is TENSE. It kept me on the edge of my seat. The who isn’t the major question here (you’ll likely guess who Aces is), but the what and the how are really what drive the mystery. It’s the kind of story that makes the world seem scary and unsafe, leaving you with a lingering sense of discomfort. It’s an extremely successful thriller in that sense.
🌈 Rep: gay MC, sapphic MC
⚠️ TW: outing, car accident, homophobia, racism, violence, drugs, mention of suicide, incarceration
This is described as Gossip Girl meets Get Out, and that’s pretty accurate! It’s told from the POV of the only two Black kids at an elite private academy. As their senior year begins, a slew of defamatory messages about them begin to circulate, revealing secrets and ruining their reputations. They team up to find the anonymous messenger, Aces, and stop him before he ruins their lives for good.
The themes of systemic racism in this book are so important and tragically way too relevant. It’s maybe a bit heavy-handed in its delivery of these themes, but this might just be a case of me not being the book’s target audience. YA encompasses a vast age group, and some authors highlight their themes in ways that might seem obvious to me, an adult, but which would most effectively reach a 13 year-old.
There were times when it was hard to read because of how many awful things happen to one of our MCs. I won’t spoil anything, but I cried so hard for one of the MCs. It was almost too much; like the author piled on every bad thing that could happen to someone onto this one character. But the ending is hopeful for both the MCs and their epilogue is triumphant.
This book is TENSE. It kept me on the edge of my seat. The who isn’t the major question here (you’ll likely guess who Aces is), but the what and the how are really what drive the mystery. It’s the kind of story that makes the world seem scary and unsafe, leaving you with a lingering sense of discomfort. It’s an extremely successful thriller in that sense.
🌈 Rep: gay MC, sapphic MC
⚠️ TW: outing, car accident, homophobia, racism, violence, drugs, mention of suicide, incarceration
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Car accident, Outing, and Racism
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, and Drug use