I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.

Aces Wild is a YA book about main character Jack, a 17 year old, asexual boy, who is the son of a Las Vegas businesswoman. He gets news that his mom has been arrested and so he goes back home to Las Vegas to be with the rest of his family. He is convinced that Peter Carlevaro (his "uncle") is the root cause for his mom's arrest and he wants to find the dirt that it's actually Peter who should be arrested. Jack has some online friends, through an app called Hullabaloo, who are sort of his online "posse" of fellow asexual teens. Somehow he convinces them to come to Las Vegas under the guise of a teen conference for school, and they try to break into Peter's secret gambling ring, Avalon. Hijinks ensue, and some secrets get revealed in the process.

In the first 100 pages of this book I thought this would be a 4-5 star read. It is paced quickly, a little tongue-in-cheek, and Jack is an intelligent narrator. I like the posse of characters, though I do wish there was a little more description of them. I like Las Vegas, so having the book set there and the descriptions of the casinos and hotels was fun.

I do think that after the first 100 pages there is opportunity for a couple more editing passes. For example, the MC mentions needing to check if his health insurance covers therapists, and then about 15 pages later mentions his therapist would advise against something. In one part in the Avalon club, the MC sounds like he's going to sit down to play poker because playing blackjack would be too predicted for him, but then it talks about him playing blackjack. There are several continuity glitches like this throughout. Some of the text conversations were formatted strangely, but I think this was due to being an e-arc. I'm not sure I loved this being teens in Vegas. I would have liked it a little better if they were 17-20 instead of 14-18.

This was entertaining and I think that once it is in print it will be really fun for young adults to read. I like the "found family" trope/misfits solving a problem together. I like the Las Vegas setting. Definitely a fun back-to-school read.

Absolutely loved the representation, as asexuals do not have enough attention in literature. However, I feel like the strength of the plot and the extent of the heist failed. I still loved the characters and the attachments to them, but I feel like the action was a little flat.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

4 / 5 Stars

It's been a while since I've read this one, but I still wanted to give a short review, because it's a good book.

When I saw the title and the blurb I knew, that I had to read this book. A bunch of aces doing crime together? Hell yeah, sign me up. It wasn't exactly what I thought it would be, but I still had a great time.

The stakes are high from the very get go, without it feeling like we're just suddenly thrown into the action. We do get information and it does feel natural when the book provides it to us.
And yet, one should know that, while the stakes are real and times limited, the focus of the story lies more heavily on the relationships than the heist.

Most part of the book is spend assembling the team, meeting for the first time, learning to trust each other and growing closer. That doesn't just apply to our aces, but also, to our family. I'm very glad that we didn't just toss them to the side once the aces arrived. I'd even argue, that they are as much part of the success of the mission, as the main gang is.
The platonic aspects of this are done greatly, but so are the romantic ones. I did ship them and I did think they were cute, but they also weren't the main focus of the book.

The heist itself was great and the plot twist was one I didn't see coming. It makes a lot of the characters actions more logical. I'm not sure if and how much we forshadow the twist, but it still felt like one that made sense for the characters.

I could also tell you about how I enjoyed the group dynamic, how I loved the diverse cast or the strong character voice, but I think I'll just end my review here.

It's an exciting book, with great characters and beautiful bonds. And it's absolutly worth a read for sure.

'Aces Wild' is the kind of story that I've always loved, the kind of story that I always want...

Finding stories with asexual characters or characters in the asexual spectrum is something that don't happen very often, and more often than not... Those stories are contemporary story centered about self-discovery and identity (stories that are also really, really important and so necessary not just for ace spec people, but also for those who don't know anything about these identities...

But sometimes... as an ace spec person myself, I feel the need to find stories that show ace spec characters doing amazing things... having the most amazing adventures and being the heroes of their own stories.... If that makes any sense...

'Aces Wild' by Amanda DeWitt has given me all of this... A story with more than two ace spec characters in main roles.... Characters that are not perfect, but who are trying their best in these most unexpected circumstances... characters that can be the real heroes of their own stories.

Jack Shannon, the leader of this unexpected crew, is the kind of YA character that could be friends with other YA legends like Kaz Brekker (from the 'Six of Crows' duology by Leigh Bardugo). He's smart, resourceful and have this inherited need to protect those around him... Which more often than not means that he's carrying the weight of the world over his shoulders.

When his mom, the director of one of Las Vegas' biggest casinos, he will end up enlisting the help of his closest friends, four other ace spec teenagers he met online, to bring down the man who went after his family.

'Aces Wild' is funny, exciting, and one of those stories that can bring you an exciting time. It's a story that shows how important internet friendships can be in this day and age, and how, sometimes, we can't do things on our own...

The heart of this story lives in its characters. Amanda DeWitt wrote an interesting group that brings different voices to the table, different perspective that make this group better, maybe not perfect, but the best version they can be!

'Aces Wild' is a fun story full of heart, an exciting plans, a story that will be hard to forget and that I'm exciting more people can find. Totally recommended!!

The title is misleading, there is no heist in this book. The Six of Crows comparison makes no sense, the characters aren't even morally grey. I lost interest for the plot in the middle and was just there for the characters. The ace and aro rep was great and that's mostly what I was here for anyway.

The cover and synopsis were phenomenal but unfortunately everything else about the mystery, plot, and characters fell flat.

To be honest- I was not sure what to expect. I saw an author I like recommend and rave about Aces Wild and said it was on Netgalley- so I figured I would give it a read. It did take some time for me to actually get started and to sit and read the book.
We follow Jack as he tries to save his mom from prison, as he met his asexual online friends and as his world was turned upside down.
This book is filled with shenanigans and some twists that did not become clear until the end, which made me want to keep reading. I needed to finish and see what happened. I felt like I was a part of the group and getting into trouble with them.
While I did enjoy the book- I feel like it took some time for it to really get started and grab my attention. I do also feel like it was a rushed conclusion and it left me wanting more.

A fast-paced, thrilling journey through the seedy streets and lush gambling parlors of Vegas, featuring some of the most delightful characters I've come across in ages, Ace's Wild may hit some rote beats but always plays a catchy tune. At its best when we're let loose with this ragtag team of best friends, some of the funniest moments stem from how these larger-than-life figures interact, in particular the precocious Lucky and the loveable lug Gabe. Though some obvious twists litter the last third, by the end it's an invigorating ride, with people I would love to spend more time with.

A fun read with an engaging voice, an amazing sense of humor, internet friends, and ace representation! Components that make me very happy. I was on board for the premise of this story and the way that everything was set up. Unfortunately, I felt it lacked a solid and compelling plot. I'm happy to read more character-driven slice of life stories, but this was supposed to be centered on a heist, and the heist itself had very little depth to it.

I would be interested to read more by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

wonderful characters and plot, i was so happy with the asexual rep and I'm really looking forward to getting the physical copy of this book

Honestly, I was really hyped up for this book because of the cover and the synopsis but it fell rather flat to me. I admired the fact that the author made it an all-asexual character cast but their actual character/personality was non-existent. I barely remember their names and it seemed like the book was trying more to appease to tropes and executed the rest badly. The "heist" was rather unrealistic - and a ton of heist books are - but this one just felt so juvenile that it felt like reading a middle-grade book, simply with aged-up characters and more cuss words. Despite all of that I did like the bit of found family (though I wish we had more insight rather than them instantly being trusting in each other) and the book's pacing was pretty well done. So while it wasn't horrible I was definitely expecting more.

I have a lot of conflicting emotions about this one. I enjoyed the story, but it was missing something.

I felt the characters were flat at times. In my opinion, the story would fluctuate in pacing.

It wasn’t horrible. It wasn’t amazing though either. It was a middle of the road kind of read.

Aces Wild by Amanda DeWitt releases September 6, 2022.

Thank you NetGalley and Peachtree for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Amanda DeWitt and Peachtree for the gifted advanced copy, exchanged in return for a free and honest review.

As soon as I saw the premise for Aces Wild, I was so excited to read it. A heist story with an all asexual cast? Sign me up. And Aces Wild did not disappoint! The heist plot was interesting and I enjoyed the narration from our protagonist Jack, who was quite humorous and well-fleshed out, but the shining part of this book for me was the asexual represention. Admittedly, I think the heist itself could've been more high stakes, but the ace rep was what made this book for me. Having not just one asexual character, but a whole cast of asexual characters (who are already so rare in fiction) was fantastic, and I can't thank DeWitt enough for the inclusion. I wish there was more mention of aromanticism, especially with the number of asexual characters.

Overall, I really enjoyed Aces Wild. It was a fun, refreshing YA heist book with a lot of asexual representation, which is great to see. Thank you for the advanced copy.

4.25 ⭐️

I don't know what I was expecting when I requested this book on NetGalley, but I don't think it was... that.

In the best way, of course.

ACES WILD: AN HEIST is told in 1rst person, past tense and reads like the main-character is directly telling you a story. It breaks the fourth wall multiple times, is absolutely over-the-top and WILL get you addicted.

I absolutely loved Jack, the narrator. Not only was he hilarious, but he was realistically flawed and felt like an actual existing teenager somewhere. Well, minus the gambling crimes and such, maybe.

The group of friends was excellent, and for sure the best part about this book. I've read a little bit about internet friendships in the past, but I don't think I've ever seen them be executed so well before. The fact that they were all asexual too was such an important touch (because it is more than realistic in 2022 to have teenagers be in internet friend groups because they all have an identity in common) and obviously made a 10/10 word-play for the title. It was also interesting since their asexuality didn't really play any part in the plot! They just happened to be.

Lastly, this book does have a heist, but I'd recommend going into this for the found family trope, lots of laughs, and stelar friendships first. That's why the first thing I would critique is that the plot could've taken more space. I love character-driven works, but it was too much, even for me. Also, it was a bit repetitive sometimes. I would've loved the stakes to get a little higher as we went foward. It felt like everytime they went up, they came right back down.

Still, please pre-order this so I can talk with someone about it! I loved these characters so much, and I can't wait for more people to meet them!

What a fun ride it was! So many aces, morally gray characters, more aces, complex family relations... So many of my fave things!

Two things to get your expectations to the right place. Yes, it's a heist book. But it's set in contemporary world, no one has any magic/superpowers and the MC is 16. So don't expect it to be anything like Six of Crows, we're talking a super rich white kid trying to get his mum out of prison. And she really does belong in prison. That was perhaps the weirdest part of the book for me - I didn't want Jack to succeed in his mission. I understood his motivations, his character is done really well, but thorough the whole book I hoped he'll figure out that his mum isn't a great person but a criminal.

Once you have that in mind, it's a really fun book. Even though there are some serious topics brought up, it's light and fast-paced - I'd say it's a lot like Riordan's books but written for slightly older audience.

The ace rep is definitely a highlight of the book and it's amazing to see so many aspecs in one book. It's a real tribute to how our communities form and it wad amaxing. Though I definitely didn't miss the one time when asexuality was defined as "lack of sexual attraction" - and I believe as a community we've moved away from the definition using "lack" a long time ago. We don't lack anything, we "experience little to no sexual attraction." I hope it's cleared ip for the final version of the book. Also, I felt like it wasn't stressed enough that sexual and romantic attractions are separate and exist on a spectrum. In fact, the topic of romantic attraction and aromanticism was sorta dismissed. It's a real shame and a huge missed opportunity with so many aspecs identifying all over the spectrum in one book. And especially since one of the subplots was the MC trying to figure out if it's possible to have a relationship at all as allo ace (yes, of course it is, though it's never really stated and I really wish it was built upon more, especially since it was one of my fave parts of the book).

I was also a bit weirded out by how much against "missing people you've only met through the internet" the book was. It's 2022, don't most of us know the best of our friends through the internet? I know it's aimed at teenagers but still, it's really normal nowadays to meet your internet friends.

I definitely recommend this one. We always need more aspec books that aren't romances!

I would recommend buying this book If you could do it. Aces Wild, is interesting and has a lot of good characters. Although I dont like some parts, I know that this is a debut novel. Therefore, Im not being too rush about it.
Aces Wild gives us the story it promises and you would not be disappointed.

I really liked the start of this story, but my enthusiasm faded after a few chapters. The writing was okay, Jack was okay, Remy was nice, the asexual friends' group was nice, the rep was okay, but furthermore?

I had a couple of issues with the story. At times, the writing was action-packed, but nothing really happened. There was a lot of (ridiculous) spying, but that’s it. Somehow the book felt more MG than YA to me.

Furthermore, I really loved to read a story with mainly asexual teens (I’m more and more accepting that I’m demi/graysexual). And then ace gets explained as ‘the lack of sexual attraction’. And that’s it. What about demi or gray? What about the teen’s journeys in finding out they were ace?

Last but not least, I felt that I didn’t really get to know the friends' group. They were ace, aro-ace, or non-binary, or …, I knew their age, where they came from, and that was … it? It just felt very one-dimensional to me.

Other people might feel different. Therefore, please check out other reviews if you’re thinking of reading this story.

In the end, I rounded up my rating to three stars because of the diverse rep and because I liked the writing.

every time i read a queer book that's this chaotically campy i swear ten years are added to my lifespan

ACES WILD was just SO MUCH FUN. it was an effortlessly easy ride, with snappy prose and a voice that seemed to spill out from every page. seventeen-year-old arthur "jack" shannon (no one calls him arthur, except for his crime lord fake-uncle peter carlevaro, which is a perfect name for a fake-uncle crime lord btw) is an asexual teenager, the son of a casino mogul mother with ties to the mob who, like, is sort of immediately arrested without bail once said mob ties are exposed at the beginning of the book. whoops.

anyways, jack is (understandably) very upset about this. the shannons have been doing dicey, shady things concerning the LA casino strip business for A While Now, which means the only way someone could have gotten enough evidence to actually PUT jack's mom in jail is if someone ratted her out. re-enter fake-uncle crime lord peter carlevaro, a bald man who has the hots for jack's mom and the anger about the fact she didn't have kids with him to actually do something about it. nice.

a (not-really) classic heist ensues, one that's hilariously YA and stars the most wonderful gen-z, chaotic, queer friend group (ft. on-page ace, aro, & non-binary representation, with passing mentions of a previous wlw relationship), and i am just. yeah. this is a great book.

usually, it's hard for me to get through books in one sitting, but i was flying through the pages of this one (and laughing hysterically at certain moments along the way.) from the way the asexual rep was handled (it was so great! in so many different ways!) to what the actual book taught me about card-counting, planning heists, and sneaking around casinos, this is one of my favorite reads this year and a highly-anticipated release for me once it actually publishes (i NEED this on my shelf!)

one small note: despite what jack shannon claims in the very first chapter of the book, ACES WILD... is kind of a love story. there is a light romantic subplot between jack and one of his friends, which is important to note if you go into this book expecting ace and aro rep from the main character. there IS an explicitly aroace side character, but jack is not one, and there are (very light) romantic scenes and mentions of romantic feelings, specifically multiple mentions of being in love with someone in a romantic way, from him throughout the book. i actually really loved the way this was handled in the book, because sexual and romantic attraction are not the same thing and figuring out where you lie on the spectrum of the two can be a challenging process! but again, jack is not an aroace character.

anyways i am now, very officially, an amanda dewitt stan for life. 10/10 stars for ACES WILD, and a whole lot of love for the great squad of chaotic ace characters.

Aces Wild was such a charming little book that I’m going to hold close to my heart! Loved the cast - they were fun, quirky, an asexual pack without it being weird. It’s nice to have a cast of asexual teens bonding, because I needed that. I needed someone to remind me I wasn’t abnormal. And to show they can have a romance if they want! So lovely. Each character was distinctive and honestly hilarious - I was laughing the whole time.

I also enjoyed the heist plot - love a crew of sneaky teens breaking into places. However, I would say this isn’t a “heist” so much as it is “revenge sneaking around”. That’s why I lower it to a 4.5 - if you’re expecting a full blown heist Six of Crows style, you may be disappointed. However, I really enjoyed it and will be watching out for this author in the future.

I really enjoyed the setting of Vegas in this book. I think this is a fantastic read for pupils who are navigating their teenage years and perhaps struggling with identity and belonging. The book deals with family drama, the law, friendship and sexuality.