When I heard that this book was "Get me out" meets "Gossip Girls" all I could think about was sign me the f up! But, oh lord, I did not expect all of THAT. I couldn't put the book down and devoured the story, page after page, line after line, and character after character with an insatiable hunger. The lies, the sex, and the drama were what I went into the book for, but I came out of it with a twisted, beautiful, and important tale about being black and queer in a white supremacist elitist society. A splendid debut, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé easily entered into my "I will give you all my money, just keep writing!!" category of authors.

Very intriguing sneak peek.. just got the full book in the mail, and am excited to start! Thank you netgalley!

“Even though I know I shouldn’t care, it annoys me that when girls know what they want and how they’re going to get it, they’re seen as cocky. But guys who know what they want? They’re confident or strong.”

We open with Chiamaka at the height of her high school career—and what a career it has been with her having being been prefect 3 years in a row—when she’s finally ‘crowned’ as Head Prefect. She has poise, finesse, she’s cunning, calculating and driven. An apex predator with her kingdom in check.

On the flip side, there’s Devon who’s somewhat happily staying off anyone’s radar, a scholarship kid who’s simply pouring his heart into his music. He’s hoping to keep his head down for his senior year and just make it into a prestigious college. But then he’s suddenly thrown into the spotlight when his private photos go public.

I received a little glimpse into this book and it already delivered major Gossip Girl energy. There’s a food chain, wealth and privilege, and a certain malice that tends to accompany these kinds of private schools—and Niveus is no exception.

My preview ended on a cliffhanger and I’m thirsting to see how Chi’s power plays pan out, how Devon handles the fallout of his exposure, and who Aces is. I’m also hoping to see any themes about castes/classism, racism to see how it ties in with Get Out.

Àbíké-Íyímídé’s writing is fluid and easy to read. This early on in the book, the characters seem a bit one-dimensional and stereotypical: the cliquey, dismissive mean girl and the overlooked consumed artist. I’m hoping that with the rest of the book, they flesh out a bit more, show some versatility and depth.

Pick it up if you like:
🏫 POC Protagonists
🏫 Queer Rep
🏫 Elite private school drama (featuring anonymous texters that spill tea)
🏫 Unlikely alliance
🏫 Dual POV

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this sneak peak.

I'm actually quite excited about this one. However, I can't give a full review for a book except.

Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC.

I was able to read a sneak peak of this book. What I read so far was really interesting. I liked that it’s centered around high school and doing whatever it takes to be the best. I will definitely read this book when it is available.

These are a few teaser chapters and it delivered exactly what the book's description has promised! I cant wait to get my hands on the book!

The first three chapters offered through NetGalley's sneak peak of ACE OF SPACES by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé were more than enough to hook me. Billed as "Gossip Girl" meets "Get Out," ACE OF SPACES is sure to be a page-turning #OwnVoices debut. I can't wait to get my hands on the full copy!

Loved the preview! Brilliant concept and can't wait to see how it pans out.
Super excited for it and looking forward to more of Faridah's books!

This seems like it’s going to be an interesting—if not juicy--read. I can tell, even though I only received access to a preview, and not the full novel.

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s writing is taut and engaging. Two of the main characters serve as narrators, and have strong, believable voices. My version of the book ends all too soon with a cliffhanger. It feels as though things were just heating up. Overall, well done!

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2021, I’m incredibly excited to gave gotten a glimpse at the first few chapters. The opening is tense, ominous, and captures exactly the right amount of GOSSIP GIRL-esque prep school vibes, while also setting up to tackle more serious social issues. I’m also just really loving the sharp but subtle mystery running through this. So, I’ve been shouting about this book, I am going to continue shouting about it, and I really can’t wait to see this one take off!

So this was a sneak peek that I read and here are the reasons why you need to read this book:

🌻Set in a competitive private school
🌻The perfect dark-academia setting
🌻POC rep
🌻The consumed artist trope

That is to say, I loved the short bit I could read. Now I am only hoping that I get accepted for the full NetGalley ebook though!! Do check it out!

Ughh I was so mad this was just a sneak peek and not the full book
I almost forgot about it and when I went to the next chapter it SUDDENLY ENDED AND NOW I'M TOO BROKE TO ACTUALLY BUY IT? I guess I'll wait then
Anyway, I really liked the book's sneak peek! I'm not into mysteries/thrillers that much but this one caught my attention and rightfully so even if it was just 25 pages I can tell that the story will keep me up at night to finish it
The 4 stars because I haven't read the entire thing yet ✨✨

I'm so beyond excited for this book to come out. I need more!
I'm loving both perspectives so far and there's already been plenty of mystery and reveals.
The writing style has been incredible and super easy to read (plus hella engaging).

Overall, I need to know more!! Already obsessed.

"in this kingdom, the queen doesn't inherit the crown. to get to the top, she destroys whoever she needs to.'

As a sneak peek of three chapters, I could not be more excited for this book and I will most definitely be sprinting to the bookstore. Honestly, I knew I was going to love it from the first sentence alone and these twenty five pages pretty much prove such. The diversity is already popping out and I literally cannot wait to get further into it, as someone who values diversity. And from these three chapters, I'm already in love with Chiamaka. I can already tell that she is going to be a strong female lead, and I love that with everything in me. Conclusion? I am so excited for this book ahh.

I read a lot of praises on how good Ace of Spades which made me ​want to read it ASAP. This sampler is short, 25 pages only! But I really enjoyed the story and got cut on such a cliffhanger that I can't wait to get my hands on a copy to read more! Adding it to my TBR pile and will definitely pick it up on its publication date.

Will not read the rest of the book. All Devon did in his chapter was complain and Chiamaka was just toxic with some good old internalized misogyny sprinkled in. Not my thing and cannot see myself rooting for these characters. However... I do have to admit that that bit is intriguing so in a pinch I'd pick it up for a bit of entertainment.
Also, that cover art is absolutely gorgeous!

Interesting start to a book. I can't wait to read all of it !

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing this sneak peak.

Would it be overdramatic to say I finished this sneak peek with my palm clasped over my mouth and a whisper of "oh my effing God" leaving my lips? Because that is exactly what happened!

I cannot emphasise how brilliant this book already is! It's drawn me in and I'm not even trying to resist the appeal! I mean, a Nigerian Queen Bee as a main character, a closeted queer guy as another main, and the dark academia scandals to arise when a picture he'd rather no one saw surfaces at the very end? A clear recipe for drama!

It is perfect for every YA thriller fan who is seeking a diverse twist to cliché tropes. What makes 'Ace of Spades' even more enthralling is the fact that it's a debut novel, and it splays out a deck of cards to give you every reason to root for the characters!

I'm definitely counting the hours to its release!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC. The version I read was a 25 page, sneak peek.
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Senior year has started at Niveus Private Academy. Chiamaka -- popular and star student, is picked as head prefect for her third year in a row. Devon -- music student with a scholarship, is very surprised he was chosen for a prefect role. But both are happy, since being a prefect makes you stand out on college applications and helps your chances in the running for valedictorian. Someone starts exposing their secrets though. Secrets that may have an impact on their plans for the future.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Even though this sneak peek was only 25 pages, I really enjoyed the story. I can tell it's going to have a lot of mystery as to who the person behind the leaks is, and I can imagine that it will be a suspenseful story as well. This ARC ended with Devon finding out about his first exposed secret. It left on such a cliff hanger that I just am dying to read more!

This was my first Dark Academia book and HOLY MOLY SMOKES!!

I can’t even begin to articulate exactly what EXACTLY happened in this brilliant dark academia book!

Chiamaka is a planner - she is; on the top of the school and she is finally on the verge of getting her best friend to understand that they are meant to be together. Devon, on the other hand, comes from the wrong part of the town, is a talented musician and while he is out in the school, he is not out to his own mother.

Both Chiamaka and Devon have one thing in common - they are both the only black students in the Niveus Private Academy, an all white privileged private school.

It’s their senior year - Chi’s need to shine, to be the best while Devon just wants to put his head down, get into Julliard and make the sacrifices his mother makes, all worth it.

Everything is going relatively smoothly until an anonymous person slowly starts unravelling each secret that Chi and Devon have to the entire school; one by one.

I would tell you more, but trust me, you have got to go in blind - the anxiety, the nail biting tension that starts off from the first page and doesn’t let you go, not for a second while you are reading it.

The Dark Academia is a recently popularised genre - and it’s certainly a new one for me - however this debut, the way it handles the topics of social eugenics and institutionalised white supremacy had me in awe. It questions everything from privilege to racism to ingrained white supremacy in established institutions through the eyes of not just marginalised community of Color but also from the Queer lens!

If you are a fan of this genre, then you should know Ace of Spades is a *MUST* read book. And if you are a newbie like yours truly; pick this one up, I would bet half my library that you wouldn’t be disappointed!