Ace of Spades
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4.5 • 155 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Gossip Girl meets Get Out in Ace of Spades, a YA contemporary thriller by debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé about two students, Devon & Chiamaka, and their struggles against an anonymous bully.
All you need to know is . . . I’m here to divide and conquer. Like all great tyrants do. —Aces
When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too.
Shortly after the announcement is made, though, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures.
As Aces shows no sign of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly?
With heart-pounding suspense and relevant social commentary comes a high-octane thriller from debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
An anonymous texter known as Aces reveals secrets about an elite private school's only two Black students in this bracing debut that hauntingly explores systemic oppression in predominantly white institutions. On the first day of senior year, Devon Richards, an unpopular scholarship student from "the side of town... where people can't afford food or health care," is stunned to suddenly be named a Niveus Academy Senior Prefect. Less surprising is the Head Prefect selection: popular, wealthy queen bee Chiamaka Adebayo. Chi works hard to stay at the top of the high school social hierarchy, but when another girl thwarts Chi's plan to establish the perfect high school power couple with best friend Jamie, it becomes the talk of the school. Musician Devon's aim to perfect his Juilliard audition piece is disrupted, meanwhile, when a picture of him kissing another male student begins to circulate, outing both without warning. Àbíké-Íyímídé excels in portraying the conflict of characters who exist in two worlds, one of white privilege and one in which Black-ness is not a disadvantage but a point of pride. The story feels slightly overlong, but Devon and Chiamaka are dynamic and multifaceted, deeply human in the face of Aces' treatment. Ages 14–up.
Customer Reviews
Great Book!
Crazy plot twist! This book kept me on my toes the entire time.
I have questions
This book had a great plot, the writing was decent but it surely needs to be a movie! This is in the vein of Get Out!!! If has a few delicious plot twists….but we were left hanging….I needed a final confrontation with Chiamaka, Belle and Jamie!!!! Was Belle really interested in Chi, or was it all part of the master plan???? Were only the legacy students involved in the plot or was it a school wide terror project?
I enjoyed this book
Finished in a day
I loved this book, it felt real to me and voiced many of my worries and fears in life. I also think it was a great ending.
In the end, I was left with a lot more questions than answers. The treatment of the male character was vastly different than the female character and I wish she could’ve had a little more character development.
All in all this book was great and I paused all outside activities until I could finish it which is saying something.