I'm a fan of YA thrillers and Ace of Spades delivers. Set at the prestigious Niveus Private Academy, an anonymous texter Aces is unveiling student's secrets.

The action in this book starts pretty immediately and keeps you guessing throughout. As a reader, you're not sure who Devon and Chiamaka can trust--there are some really good twists that author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé throws your way!

Told by both Devon and Chiamaka through alternating chapters, this book explores racism, homophobia, white supremacy and poverty. Heavy topics but so very well-done, I especially loved the Epilogue, even though I almost didn't want this one to end!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillian Children's Publishing Group and Feiwel & Friends for an advanced copy of this and the opportunity to share my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is is.... phenomenal. Thought provoking, thrilling, spine tingling goodness. I can already see this book on top of everyone's favorites list for 2021.

Read this for a crazy, wild and powerful read!!

Thank you to MacMillan Childrens publishing and netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo are entering their senior year of high school at Niveus Private Academy. It is a huge milestone for them, especially since they were selected to be senior prefects. Senior prefects are the elite of the Academy. A senior prefect is a prestigious position as it opens doors to college scholarships and acceptance into Ivy League universities. The senior prefect position is Devon’s and Chiamaka’s crowning achievement, especially since they are the only two black students at the Academy.

But being a prefect is not all sunshine and roses. A cyberbully that goes by the handle of Aces begins to harass Devon and Chiamaka by distributing compromising photos and texts to the other students at the Academy. Humiliated and stressed almost to their breaking point, Devon and Chiamaka take it upon themselves to uncover and expose the real identity of Aces in hopes that their reputations are restored.

Ace of Spades is a suspenseful Young Adult novel. There are, however, some aspects that may not appeal to some readers. These aspects include LGBTQ, attempted suicide, abuse, and racism themes. Just a reader beware that the novel contains some controversial issues.

The main characters of Devon and Chiamaka are well developed Each of them have a unique personality, with clear motives. The reader gets to be immersed in each character’s thoughts, and emotions. Their individual points of view certainly made for a smooth narrative.

The plot itself was a little slow and somehow Devon’s and Chiamaka’s decisions seemed far fetched. However, their decisions did make for an entertaining and suspenseful read.

Overall, those readers not averse to the controversial issues mentioned above will find Ace of Spades a fabulous read. Four satisfying stars for me.

I received a digital ARC from Feiwel Friends through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Could not put this book down. So amazing. I am not eloquent enough to express all of the amazing things about this book. The author tackles very sensitive matter in an amazing way.

Ace of Spades is told from the perspective of the only two black kids at a private school. Someone is anonymously leaking their secrets. For what though?

So well written, a beautiful debut novel from Faridah Abikah-Iyimide. Characters are incredible, they felt like real people. It was like watching a move, I can definitely see this getting a film or tv adaptation.

I was a little bit disappointed when I first realized who Aces was, but as I finished the story, it definitely made sense why it needed to be that way. That's all I can say about that without giving spoilers.

Amazing. A must read.

*Thank you to the publisher for this eARC.

The comparison of Gossip Girl meets Get Out is spot on! Take one expensive, privileged private school that's predominately white and mix in a mission to take down the two black students by sharing their biggest secrets and trying to ruin their lives. This is more than your typical mystery and grapples with larger issues . It's twisty and sinister and you won't be able to put it down.

Someone calling themselves Aces is targeting two students at the top of their class. Why are their secrets exposed to the school instead of others who are also in a position to be seen? Told in alternating perspectives, we read this inclusive story that turns into a mystery/thriller, as Devon and Chiamaka work to figure out who is exposing things they would rather keep secret.

This review has to be vague, so I don’t spoil anything for other readers. Àbíké-Íyímídé included serious, real-world issues including racism, bullying, homophobia, and so much more. The pacing, characters, and storyline are addicting. Ace of Spades is a book that will appeal to YA and adult readers alike; an enjoyable read. Thank you, MacMillan Children’s, for sending this along!

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé has crafted a superb mystery thriller. (AND ITS HER DEBUT NOVEL!)

Devon is a scholarship student dedicated to music. Chiamaka rules the school halls. The two have almost nothing in common. When they both get elected to be a part of this year's perfects, the two find themselves the target of Aces, an entity that leaks Devon and Chiamaka's secrets to the school body. The secrets threaten their futures and the present, as Aces raises the stakes and the danger. And the two find out that they really do have something in common: they're the only non-white students at Niveus Private Academy.

Overall, I really liked this! Yes, it took a little to warm up to Chiamaka, but by the end I liked both Devon & Chiamaka. Ace of Spades had me flipping the page to the very ending trying to figure out who Aces was and wondering if Chiamaka and Devon would stop Aces. (Also it's refreshing to get a dual POV that is not ROMANTIC). All in all, I can't wait to see what Àbíké-Íyímídé writes next!

Content Warnings: https://www.faridahabikeiyimide.com/ace-of-spades-content-warnings

Special thanks to YALLWest and Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan Children's Publishing Group) for this eARC through NetGalley! I really appreciated the opportunity to read this!

ACE OF SPADES by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Chiamaka and Devon are both students at the prestigious Niveus Academy and total opposites. Devon is a nobody, a scholarship kid who spends all his time working on music composition, only noticed by his friend Jack. Chiamaka is the definition of Queen Bee, working hard to be noticed and celebrated. She is a brilliant science student with designs on Yale.

Chiamaka and Devon have three things in common, though: they are both prefects at their school this year, they are the only Black students at Niveus, and they are both victims of an anonymous texter calling themselves "Aces" and sharing Chi and Von's secrets with the whole school.

⚠️: Author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé provided [an extensive list of content warnings](https://www.faridahabikeiyimide.com/ace-of-spades-content-warnings) for the book on her website. Chief among them are racism and homophobia but this thriller is full of potential triggers so I definitely recommend reviewing the list before reading.

The promotional materials call this book "Gossip Girl meets Get Out" and that description is spot-on. If I get too specific I'll spoil more than I'd like, but it has the anonymous gossip and deep secrets, especially around personal relationships, of Gossip Girl and the "Oh no seriously get out of there" of Get Out. Multiple times revelations made me gasp and think "OHHHH!" There is some exposition at the beginning to introduce you to the characters and the setting, but as soon as Aces's first message comes out, the pacing picks up and things get and stay intense.

The book also reminds me of Veronica Mars, with its focus on intrigue, detailed depiction of class differences, and teenagers managing their own affairs without much adult interference.

I definitely recommend this to readers who love gossip, mystery, or thrillers. Author Àbíké-Íyímídé says she has "has dreamt of writing books about black kids saving (or destroying) the world all her life" (lack of capitalization in the bio on her website). She has succeeded beautifully here.

Pre-order ACE OF SPADES now, out June 1 in the US and June 10 in the UK. Àbíké-Íyímídé offers some pre-order incentives [on her website](https://www.faridahabikeiyimide.com/ace-of-spades-content-warnings), so be sure to check those out!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for the e-ARC of this book!

Oh my goodness. Get Out x Pretty Little Liars is NOT a combination I ever thought I needed. But it is.
This was a really good book with so many plot twists and surprises! I 100% recommend this to y'all!

Look out for my tiktok review on May 26th!

This is for fans of "Get Out", "When No One is Watching", basically any story that deals with the creepiness of gentrification or eugenics in combination with race. But it also really reminded me of Gossip Girl... always waiting for the message from "Aces"!
I think what was really done well in this story was that I really didn't know who to trust. It felt like everyone at some point was against Devon and Chiamaka. And you didn't want to think it was about race, until I saw them having similar experiences as me.
I absolutely adored Devon. I just really felt for him and the internal and external conflicts he was going through. I felt through the entire time, he never lost sight of who is was and his love for his Ma.
Àbíké-Íyímídé did a phenomenal job with this story. She was about to make it relevant for a young audience but captivating to keep the older ones engaged. For this to be her debut, I am so impressed and am so excited for what she does next!
Highly recommend!

Ace of Spades kept me hooked from the beginning! Lots of twists and turns, some expected and others not! An excellent debut, I'll be keeping my eye out for future work!

This book had me HOOKED! It was a bit of a slow start but once I got into it I couldn't stop -- I stayed up until 5am trying to finish it last night. Just an extremely gripping, original, well-written book. I do have a couple of minor complaints about a few small things but nothing big enough to affect the star rating. Can't wait until the book comes out and I can get a hard copy in my hands!

The premise of this story was unique and intriguing, but it fell flat in execution. The pacing of the writing was off, and the ending felt implausible. I would still recommend it because of the excellent diverse character representation and the important themes it addresses, but it wasn't as strong of a story as I was hoping for based on the description.

Ace of Spades hade me at Gossip Girl meets Get Out and let me tell you this book did not disappoint.

CW: Racism, public outing, Death of a parent, Murder, Car accident, Stalking

Ace of Spades is a thriller that is full of lies and is racially motivated. It is a dark academia book with queer Black main characters. This has a powerful message and I couldn't put it down. It's hard to believe that this is Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé's debut. It was twisty and explores the way that white supremacy and racism are destructive and institutional.

You do not want to miss out on this book!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

The cover for Ace of Spades is what first drew my attention, having a dark allure to it that intrigued me. And the promise of a thriller delving into the lives of two Black students at an otherwise all-white prep school, who are targeted by an anonymous bully only further piqued my interest.

Ultimately, this blew my expectations out of the water. It was incredibly twisty, while simultaneously including commentary about racism and homophobia, as both Devon and Chiamaka are harassed by this unknown entity Aces. As the story went on, I was shocked to find out how deep these acts of bigotry went, with there being a history of Black students being admitted to the school, and then ousted in one manner or another in a campaign of social eugenics.

Devon and Chiamaka are also very compelling leads to follow, and I like that neither is perfect. And while their similar backgrounds lead to them both being tangled in the situation with Aces, I love that both are distinct characters. Devon is a scholarship student whose mother is working several jobs to make ends meet, and he tends to try to keep out of trouble and avoid notice. Chiamaka, meanwhile, is Head Prefect for the third year in a row, and Senior Prefect for their final year, and excels in science.

This book is briskly paced, and kept me constantly engaged. It’s a compelling thriller with the deeper themes surrounding systemic racism and bullying that everyone should read.

I am obsessed with the emotional roller coaster Àbíké-Íyímídé put me through in Ace of Spades. This dual POV story is full of intrigue, suspense, and action. The narration style of both Devon and Chiamaka is unique and compelling. I immediately empathized with the way Devon felt like a side character. At the same time, I loved how driven Chiamaka is from the beginning. Àbíké-Íyímídé is able to balance character development and detail with a story line that will captivate you.

As soon as the pace begins to increase, I could not stop reading. I read Ace of Spades in two days because I was enthralled. All secrets will slither to the surface. And what other secrets are lying in wait? Not only did Chiamaka's drive resonate with me, but her experiences as a biracial POC really got to me. While I'm not biracial, there were so many twinges, so many moments, where I thought, "oofff that gets me". Ace of Spades is not only about intrigue and thrills, it's also about racism and power. About the ability of rumors and what people will do to those out of cruelty.

What a great debut! Despite some minor complaints about the pacing, this was a very enjoyable read full of engaging characters, tons of tension, and some genuinely surprising twists and turns. Although written for a young adult audience, this read has all the thrills and suspense of any adult thriller on the market.

One of my favorite things about this read are the characters. Àbíké-Íyímídé writes very believable teenagers, perfectly capturing the humor and colloquial expressions that young audiences can relate to. I also appreciate that she chose to confront her characters with so many real world issues that readers of all ages can identify with, such as coping with expectations, discovering one's sexual identity, growing up in poverty, living in non-traditional households, having incarcerated loved ones, dealing with prejudiced relatives, and so much more. These layers add a ton of value to this book without ever feeling heavy handed or like it is taking away from the main story. We just get to experience these two protagonists dealing with the primary drama at school while also having very complicated lives at home - a pretty realistic set up for many teens and I love that Àbíké-Íyímídé didn't shy away from including these elements.

In fact, there aren't many bits that this author DOES shy away from. In addition to crafting her characters around some really tough stuff, the entire storyline confronts institutionalized racism head on. Like out loud, in your face, no nuances to be overlooked or blind eyes to be turned. And I loved that about this read. Sure it will probably make some people uncomfortable... but probably only the kind of people who need to be made a little uncomfortable. And just like all the other real world issues Àbíké-Íyímídé unpacks in these pages, she handles it all tactfully and fittingly within the scope of the story.

The aspects of the story that make it a thriller really help achieve this balance. I won't say too much for fear of spoiling, but there were so many times when the tension ramped up so high that I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I'm also not ashamed to admit that some of the scenes were downright creepy! I'm a grownass woman and I found myself almost regretting reading this in the dark at night.

While the tension and the drama made this read very exciting and difficult to put down, I do wish the pacing were a bit more level throughout the read. I feel like the beginning took some time to get rolling, then the middle hovered while the text messages piled up, and then the final third of the book really escalated quickly and raced through the end. I wanted more of that high energy excitement a bit earlier on rather than piled up right before the conclusion. And although it was very exciting and incredibly dramatic, I wasn't a huge fan of the conclusion itself. It felt a bit convenient and I wish things had wrapped up differently, but that's more of a personal preference thing than any fault of the book or its author.

In summary, super entertaining, very exciting read that is packed with tension, mystery, and a surprising amount of heart. Would definitely recommend, especially for its target audience, and I'm eager to see what Àbíké-Íyímídé writes next cuz goddamn is she talented.

While there's a lot going for this book, including a main character that you desperately want to root for, there's ultimately too many questions for the whole story to work, though there's still a very satisfying ending.

The main characters are Devon and Chiamaka, and as the only two Black students at a private school, you feel for them immediately. But as their takedowns progress it's still hard to understand some of Chiamaka's choices. Her dedication to standards of perfection that have been created by white culture as her biggest form of defense makes sense- but her not telling at least her mother what's going on always felt confusing. Though her disillusionment about being able to trust adults in power does make sense in the context of the book.
With Devon however, it's clear again and again how boxed in he is by not only the color of his skin and the work-twice-as-hard standard, but his sexuality, his socioeconomic status, his family obligations, and generational trauma, so when he chooses to hide or avoid, it feels like an understandable choice.
I also can understand that as a white person, I don't have to deal with the same kind of daily fear and social fear that these characters do. And I don't have to worry about people in power (police officers, journalists, etc.) are going to treat me like a criminal, but in this day and age there are so many organizations and online platforms dedicated to social justice that I felt like Devon and Chiamaka had more tools at their disposal than they realized.

Story aside I have to address the Americanisms/Britishisms mashup. Sometimes it's explained as a preference by the school to seem more prestigious, but it creeps in with some of the characters too. It feels like the story takes place in the US in order to reference the still deeply rooted racism that's a horrible part of the culture, and a point of pride for some people with confederate history.

More info/spoilers on Goodreads review.

Ace of Spades is Gossip Girl meets Get Out, a YA thriller packed with unsettling fear and emotional punches. Split between the POVs of Devon and Chiamaka-- the only two black students at Niveus Private Academy-- Ace of Spades follows each through the school year as the anonymous Aces begins to spread rumors throughout the school via mass text messages.

It can be difficult to discuss the contents of a thriller, as just about anything can be considered a spoiler. I'm going to do my best, but here's where I tell you to just go read it. Right now. I promise you this book is important, and you don't need to know anything more before delving in. I genuinely believe upon the release of Ace of Spades, this will rightfully become one of the most talked-about books of 2021.

Want a little more? Ace of Spades is going to give you Queer rep and a thrilling investigation that will often keep you on the edge of your seat. It will also give you heavy discussions of racism and the systematic crossover between racism and poverty. This book is not meant to be comfortable-- it's meant to make you think and reflect. It is meant to horrify.

All of that said, I don't think Ace of Spades was entirely without any faults. My main criticism is that at times, it felt like the genre was splitting a little too widely. Chapters I would consider more hard-hitting contemporary were tossed in smack between chapters that were trying to build up a tense reveal, and I found it made the book fall a little flat because some of that tension was lost. Maybe there is a readership that doesn't mind this, but as a big thriller fan, it was just a little jarring.

Overall, 5 stars. I absolutely loved this book. I would read anything Faridah publishes in the future-- what a strong way to debut!

Thank you to Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan for providing me with an eARC of “Ace of Spades” by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé for me to review through NetGalley

Real Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

“Gossip Girl” meets “Get Out” is the perfect description of Àbíké-Íyímídé’s debut novel “Ace of Spades”. At first, I did feel as though the beginning dragged on and for a good chunk I felt as though nothing really enticed me enough to keep reading, HOWEVER, I am so so so glad I stuck it out because this was an incredible story with two very incredible main characters. Devon and Chiamaka were the main reason I kept reading this book--I loved them so much and really wanted them both to succeed and fulfill the dreams they each yearned for. The themes and social commentary that are addressed in this story are so important to bring to light as they are still relevant in today’s society. It is horrifying to think that events that take place in this book are things that Black students have to face, never knowing who to trust and who is being genuine. I also really liked the LGBTQ+ representation throughout the story and within each character’s arc. It added a whole other level of adversity one might face, not only in the wider world but also within their already marginalized communities. The overall message of this story was so great, even if I had some issues with the execution as a suspense novel--it got there eventually even if it was almost 60-70% into the story.