I really loved the ace rep in the book, but calling this the contemporary 'Six of Crows' is a very far stretch. There were a couple fun hijinks, but there's not much of a heist, at all. Plus, the cast were kinda bland and static, only given one or two defining character traits but are never explored much after that. Plus, the writing itself felt was awkward, especially the dialogue. Overall, very disappointing for me but the ace rep was still pretty good.

This was a ton of fun, and I love the variety of aro/ace spectrum representation here. I think the backstory about them meeting on a Star Wars message board and learning together that there was a word for asexuality and creating their own spinoff Discord is something that will really resonate with teens and I love that. I will say that this is pitched as "Six of Crows in Las Vegas" and like...sorryyyy but this doesn't quite live up to that, both because Six of Crows has such well-developed characters and also because Bardugo's heist is a few notches more elaborate than this one. Here the characters are a little flatter overall and the plot is a little sweatier. But like, it was a fun read and I think a lot of teens will love this and feel seen by it.

When his mother is arrested for their family’s ties to organised crime, Jack sets out to prove she has been sold out. Recruiting his closest friends - an all-asexual online support group - he heads to Vegas prove his theory.

I really got my hopes up for 'Aces Wild'. It was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, but I'm sad to sad it fell flat. With that title, cover, and premise, I was expecting something incredible, but unfortunately it left me disappointed. Maybe it was too much to hope for a contemporary Six of Crows with an all-ace cast in a Las Vegas caper, but when a novel is subtitled 'a heist', I would hope for the heist to be far more central to the plot. The pacing felt very off, and the story ran out of steam fairly quickly, before anything particularly exciting happened, and without more depth and development to the characters, I found myself less engaged in wanting to know how the story would end. By rights this story had everything it needed to be full of excitement, but the execution left much to be desired. Great to see a cast of ace spectrum characters.

I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of Aces Wild. These opinions are my own.

I began reading Aces Wild expecting a fast-paced, high stakes ya heist novel, and while the story ended not being what I was expecting, I did enjoy this book.

Aces Wild follows Jack Shannon, son of a high-profile casino owner in Las Vegas. When Jack''s mom is arrested and his life as he knows it begins to fall apart, he calls in his online friend group of asexual teenagers for support as he attempts to take down his mom's rival and return his life to the way it's always been.

I found Jack to be an interesting narrator, and I loved every character in his ensemble cast of friends. Jack's sisters created an interesting dynamic as well, however, I wish their characters had been more fleshed-out. I found Bethany in particular to come off a little bit one-dimensional. Overall, I really enjoyed and appreciated Jack's journey as a character, and all of the various relationships he has with the supporting characters.

As for the plot of the novel, I felt a little underwhelmed for a book that has " a heist" in its title. Most of what Jack and his friends do is reconnaissance, and the only part that I would actually consider a heist is limited to the last 20% or so of the book. While Jack's story is entertaining, heartwarming, and a bit stressful at times, it didn't give me the heart-pounding feeling that I expect from something marketed as a heist novel. That being said, I did enjoy this book overall, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in a ya contemporary novel about queer found family and self-discovery with lots of Vegas flair.

A whole cast of ace characters (that are well represented), crime, and chaos.
I love the way it’s written like a journal, and I love the way the characters interacted with eachother. Their interactions were so real you’d think you’re reading about, well, real people.
The humor was on point, the plot twists were really good, and the writing and formatting were very pretty 10/10 love that.
Did I mention that the whole cast is ace? And that they’re well-written? Oh. Ok
Did I say it’s in Las Vegas and that it involves crime?

aces wild is a fast-paced, original, adventure that is both exciting and unexpectedly heartwarming. it follows jack shannon, whose mother (a las vegas casino owner) has recently been arrested, and his all-asexual online friend group as they attempt to take down the shannon family’s longtime rival. look, was the writing in this lyrical and beautiful? no. were the characters perfectly developed? also no. and yeah, high-quality writing and well-developed characters are usually what i look for in books, so why did i like this one so much? i have utterly no idea.

okay, maybe i have some idea and it’s called asexuality. i don’t want to call the ace rep in aces wild “casual” because the characters’ asexuality is a big part of the book, but the book’s definitely not about asexuality. and honestly, i think that’s good! queer stories outside of coming out stories are so important, and even more so for aspec identities. yeah, i do wish that maybe romantic attraction (or lack thereof, in some characters’ cases) was touched on a bit more, or that asexuality had been part of the plot as well as the characters, but considering how little ace rep there is, an all-asexual cast of characters is definitely enough.

and that’s my general conclusion on aces wild: it isn’t all that much, but it is enough. it isn’t anywhere near perfect, but it still made me laugh and grin at the pages and clench my heart in a few places. (and i do think it would lend itself quite nicely to a sequel — lots of characters that could be developed on and there were a few plot points that were never quite wrapped up.) it isn’t gorgeously written, but maybe it doesn’t have to be.

I really wanted to like this book. I really really did, especially because I am asexual/fall under the asexuality spectrum.

The book, about a group of people who are all part of the asexual spectrum, team up to form a heist at a casino to try and save the main character's mom from a criminal case in the sphere of gambling.

DNF at 44%

The start of the book was SO STRONG integrating a diverse group of characters. It was incredibly promising. However and the climax of the tension of the group tension peaked at the 40% mark before the plot could even happen. That tension also elicited some aphobic comments. Although it is something that people (such as myself) do experience, it really put off and wish it wasn't included. Or at least had a trigger warning. I mean, it was bound to come up due to the nature of conversations of asexuality and young adults but it put me off especially since it was so early in the novel. I really couldn't get past that idea. I wish the climax of the tension of the group came later. Maybe a sensitivity reader, or there should have been one, if the author is not asexual, should have payed closer attention.

In a sense, I'm out of the targeted demographic - I am 28 years old, but only figured out that I was part of the asexual spectrum when I was 24. I wish I had this book when I was younger, as this could be an incredibly important book for those trying to figure themselves out early in life. There's so many good ideas that come out of it about someone understanding asexuality as a sexual orientation vs the belief that it's all out the desire to have sex in which could be so useful to older adults trying to figure out they they could fall into the spectrum. It's just me not liking the book. This is for the targeted audience, and I am outside of that demographic. I hope that other adults who are outside of the targeted demographic can love this book more than I can.

Aphobia is a constant issue, but especially if the reader is looking for a book should be fun about a specific group, having certain comments out of the novel. Although it could be useful in terms of "team building" , who are ace and have had those experiences need to be aware prior to reading. I am not sure if the author is under the asexual spectrum, or had any sensitivity readers, but a TW or CW would have been useful for those who have had (and or continue to have) issues with aphobia .

Okay. So friendship vibes 10/10. Actual plot 4/10.

I absolutely adored the friendship dynamics of the book, I felt very seen in them. And they all felt very relatable. Especially the line:
But sometimes the people on the other side of the screen are who you need to figure out who you are in the first place.

The plot however. I didn’t like the pacing. It was hard to follow at times. And I agree with most other readers. The heist part of the title wasn’t really a heist.

DNF at 80%. This book has absolutely amazing ace representation, but markets itself as the next Six of Crows, which I feel is false. For me, it lacked the sinister air I was lead to believe it would have, and it felt like something was missing. It has amazing representation, but I felt that I couldn’t connect with the characters in a way that made me interested to hear more and get to the ending.

I've said this before and I'll say it again: I hate the beginning of books. I always have to read them slowly to truly get into them and get hooked into the story, but not this one. I think I knew around page 5 that I was going to love this book. SOO what did I love? The characters, the main character most of all, the ace rep that was SO GOOD, the HEIST, the Arthurian-esque developments, the setting, EVERYTHING.

I kept waiting for this book to do something I didn't like, but it simply didn't. I truly have no notes on this one. The MC, Jack Shannon is simply one of the best MCs I've ever read. His narration and inner thoughts were so much fun to read. I loved getting to witness this story through his eyes and also understand some of his actions a little more. His character made sense and he was flawed but I adored him. This story was already great, but getting to experience it through Jack made it all so much better. The rest of the friend group is amazing. They're all a bunch of disaster asexuals trying to pull off some ridiculous heist and it's just the fun story that I think everyone needs. NO NOTES. SO GOOD.

In Aces WIld we follow Jack Shannon's story as he is faced with his new reality - his mum, the fearless owner of one of the most popular casinos on the Las Vegas strip was charged with fraud and sent to jail, which sent ripples through Jack's entire family. Now he is determined to get revenge on her behalf, and he knows the culprit for the terrible betrayal that ruined his mum - a rival casino owner and her mother's old flame, Peter Calevaro. And there is only one team he can count on for help, the friends he made online over their shared sexuality - his asexul "Aces wild".

Aces Wild was an epic story of friendship (and, oh, how I adored reading about Jack and Remy, Georgia, Lucky and Gabe - they were a great squad and I wish I could read more books about them. Don't even get me started on their banter and endless loyalty and gentleness they showed to each other), fighting for your family (even if it's far from a "perfect" one), heisting (even if you are only 16 and you need to improvise quite a bit - until those secret skills of your friends make themselves known), and, in the end, deciding to do better and stick to things that will bring you that brighter future (aka your friends and family). The pacing of the story was just right, revealing things as we went along - I actually gasped out loud with that one fateful final reveal! I had my suspicions but they never veered quite as off track as the story did in the end and I LOVED it. Plus I loved Morgan. What a little queen who just wanted to be loved and have friends. Jack was, in the end, my favourite character and I loved his relationships with all the other characters as well - specifically Remy, of course, who was a joy to read about with their humor and semi-awkwardness when it came to Jack (also can we talk about the "WE ARE STILL ASEXUAL OKAY" chat after their kiss? I loved it!). Just a really well-rounded and fun friend group to read about and I loved it!

Aces Wild was a joy to read from beginning to end and I would easily recommend it to anyone looking for a fast paced heist story centered on online friendships that can sometimes mean the world to us. I absolutely adored reading about Jack and his Aces Wild and I wouldn't mind a couple more books set in this universe, following Jack's future - but I am also more than hyped to see DeWitt's other projects!

aces wild: a heist, is possibly one of the best books i’ve read this year and dare i say of all time.. i truly loved reading about asexual characters and an added bonus a non-binary character! i love seeing my community represented since so many think we don’t exist or that we’re broken.

i felt like the character remy was plucked from my head and soul and put into this book. i wish i had this book when i was a teenager and struggling so much with who i was. heck even in my early 20s this book would have meant so much to me. and reading it now as i’m nearing 30 it still made an impact.

i will never stop thinking about this story and the characters that i wished i had when i was younger. truly such a beautiful book!!!

I loved this book so, so, so much! I fell in love with the main characters! The sisters were funny. I’m a sucker for casino heist movies so I was incredibly excited to read this! This book makes my heart so happy and I just love the representation in this book. Ugh. It was perfect. Highly recommend this book to anyone who loves casino heist movies, and representation in books.

This book drew me in from the first page, and I absolutely adored it! The concept, the inclusion of romance without it, everything was just chefs kisses. I would note though that I wish there was more suspense and build up in the actual action. He and his friends spend so much time planning out a successful heist but other then the plot twist with her father, there is little that puts more than a momentary pause in their plan. Everything seems to fall in line, and the storylines are not developed fully to make this book hold my attention for more than a bit at a time.

Thanks NetGalley and Peachtree for proving a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I just didn’t vibe with this at all. It ticks all my boxes for a food book in theory, but something was off and I can’t even put my finger off.

It should have been exciting and fun and heartwarming and instead I was apathetic the whole time.

I can imagine plenty of people enjoying this one so much, though, so I feel bad about giving this such a low rating.

I won’t be sharing this review on my instagram.

I am absolutely in love with this book. I loved each and every character and the heist was so well done. It’s so rare to find an asexual main character, and finding an entire cast felt like a dream. I already know that this will become a very important book for other ace teenagers.

Jack and Remy have my heart, I loved them so much. I loved every character but Gabe was my favorite because he was aromantic and hilarious.

Overall I can’t wait until this book comes out because I will be insufferable.

I loved everything about this book. It was a fun read, with lots of characters I liked and gave a damn about. I am a little conflicted on whether I like the big plot twist in the ending, but I'm not mad at it. It adds an intriguing twist. No part of this book got boring. Usually, when teens make bad decisions, I cringe my way through it and roll my eyes, but I thoroughly enjoyed Jack's decision-making and was rooting for his team to the end. And of course, I enjoy the representation and the lack of a true love story, because I've read more than enough of those.

4 sparkling stars. This is a book about five aces wilding for 350 pages straight. And i ate that shit up.

Gabe is my spirit animal. In fact, I am oositive I’m a messy mix of Jack and Gabe. If you haven’t read the book, trust me, it is very messy.

Anyway.
I love this book.

From the first page, meeting the words “disclaimer: this isn’t a love story”, the author and their beautiful story had me in a chokehold. Spoiler alert: it really isn’t one of THOSE love stories. But then, there is so much love; just not the type that is shoved down our throats as the meaning of life.

This is a character-driven book and therefore: the characters. Jack, the main character, is so. So. Lovable! I know he would hate to read this, but I would literally hug him and just tell him everything will be okay (see how my Gabe side just shows up out of nowhere?). Jack is so clever, morally grey, and very sweet. The card up his sleeve. OH GOD. What an icon. His perspective is so interesting, just as amazing as the flow of the choice of words.

I live for Gabe and his every interaction. Gabe. Just so…cute! If i had a friend like Gabe in my life, I would probably be a little more mentally stable. He kind of reminds me of Tao, which is always positive. He loves hugs, is affectionate and funny.

All the other characters are just as great, but I literally have no time to describe each one of them that deeply.

The writing is great, we only get Jack’s POV, as i mentioned, i love the narration and the flow of the story through the writing. it was witty, fun to read and serious when it needed to be.

The plot, however, is not the strongest aspect. I think some parts were kind of forced, the plot twist didn’t have the impact it could have. Additionally, i think the resolution was a bit rushed. I would have loved to see more of jack’s family relationships in their complexity, which is kind of also ignored throughout the book. Jack’s dad could have been explored more, we could hear more about his mother’s youth and initial ambitions.
But still, without all the pieces i think are absent, this book is a comfort one for me.

First off, I wish publishers would stop marketing books as like Six of Crows, this is the second one this year i've read that was compared to SOC and ended up being a very different type of story, and I feel like it unfairly impacts the reviews of the book. This is set up to be a heist book, but ultimately, it's not. The heist is not really a heist, and doesn't really serve much purpose beyond character motivation for Jack. If you're looking for that SOC vibe, you won't find it here. But, if you take the book as is, it's a good story. Jack Shannon, son of a slightly corrupt hotel and casino owner in Las Vegas, finds himself suddenly back home for the summer after his mom is arrested. He soon finds out that his mom's rival (and ex-boyfriend? ex-friend with benefits?) was the one who got her arrested in an attempt to create a monopoly on the strip, and Jack plots revenge. But, his overbearing sister is on to him, so he needs a cover, and invites his internet friends-all of whom met in an asexual support group-as a cover, only for them to get involved as well. The friend group dynamic was pretty good, and while I generally don't like chat text in books, I felt that the group chat dialogue was done fairly well. The plot does drag a bit as it gets mired in character dynamics and development, but overall it's a quick read with an interesting set up. I also appreciated the ace rep, the whole main friend group are some flavor of ace, and it's nice to see the diversity of that label being represented. It wasn't the book I was expecting to get, but it was still good and I enjoyed it.

I had really high hopes for this book when I read the review that it was similar to Six of Crows. It is the story of Jack Shannon, the heir to a Las Vegas casino empire. When his mom ends up in jail, Jack calls his friends to Vegas to help him plot and scheme to get her out. My favourite part of this book was the found family that Jack makes with his friends, who he met online in an asexual support group. The anonymity seemed to be what solidified their friendship. While this is good representation, it feels superfluous to the plot of the story. The characters are interesting, though I wish we could have gotten more information about Jack's friends. They each are given one character trait and are static. The narration of the story felt a little off putting in the beginning and wasn't completely consistent - for example - it started off very much like a journal which it was intended to be but moved more into third person narration writing style. The plot itself was more family drama than heist. In order to be a heist novel, it would have to have more scheming and adventures. The actions that they do take are often repetitive and take place in the same setting. In saying all this, I do know that I have students who would enjoy this book and would very much appreciate the asexual representation, so it is one that I would from time to time recommend.