Ace of Spades

By Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

"One of 2021's biggest books." gal-dem

"This summer's hottest YA debut." Entertainment Weekly

An instant New York Times bestseller, ACE OF SPADES is Gossip Girl meets Get Out, with a shocking twist. Buried secrets come to light when two students are targeted by an anonymous bully with an explosive agenda.

Hello, Niveus High. It's me. Who am I? That's not important. All you need to know is...I'm here to divide and conquer. - Aces

Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter, Aces, is revealing the darkest secrets of two students.

Talented musician Devon buries himself in rehearsals, but he can't escape the spotlight when his private photos go public.

Head girl Chiamaka isn't afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power.

Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they're planning much more than a high-school game...

Unputdownable and utterly compulsive, this high-octane thriller takes a powerful look at institutionalized racism. As seen in Vogue, The Guardian, Marie Claire, The New York Times, Elle, Buzzfeed, Cosmo and Entertainment Weekly, and on BBC Front Row, perfect for fans of Karen McManus, Holly Jackson and Angie Thomas.

"ACE OF SPADES is the thought-provoking thriller we ALL need." Nic Stone, #1 NYT bestselling author

"A heart-racing and twisty thriller." Alice Oseman

"Strong Gossip Girl vibes and a whole lot of mystery." Buzzfeed

"Thunderous and terrifying. There's no way you're putting this down until you get to the last page." Maureen Johnson, NYT bestselling author

• Language: English
• Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd
• Release date: Jun 10, 2021
• ISBN: 9781474996358

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is the instant New York Times, internationally bestselling, & Award-winning author of Ace of Spades and Where Sleeping Girls Lie. She is an avid tea drinker, a collector of strange mugs, and a recent graduate from a university in the Scottish Highlands where she received a BA in English Literature. She is currently pursuing an MA in Shakespeare Studies from Kings College London. When she isn’t spinning dark tales, Faridah can be found examining the deeper meanings in Disney channel original movies.

Reviews for Ace of Spades

[kiaya40 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to the hype for me. It had good parts in it and some parts I liked, but there was a lot of the story that was a bit too predictable.
It is a lot like Gossip Girl and Get Out. It also reminded me of I Know What You Did Last Summer, which is where some of it being too predictable came from with the similarities there. It's a YA contemporary thriller with a private school with intrigue and everything. This does discuss and touch on some important topics like racism, prejudice, and such. There are also m/m and f/f relationships with the main characters in the story as well.
Also for trigger/content warnings, Profanity/Language, Sexual Content, Racism, Blackmail, Suicide, Death, and Violence.
If you're looking for a thriller and you liked Gossip Girl, Get Out, or I Know What You Did Last Summer then you might like to check this one out.

[adriennealair · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I probably should have known better because I'm just not a big fan of YA, but everyone kept raving about this book so I gave it a try. I...didn't like it. The whole premise was just so far-fetched (why would anyone go to such extreme lengths just to torment these kids?), the choices of the main characters didn't make sense to me (tell your parents what's going on!!!!), and I was left with a lot of unanswered questions at the end.

[sennebec · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An excellent and powerful story, one that will make white readers cringe and think. Neither of those are bad things. I very much like the complexity, the way the tormentor(s) are gradually exposed, the developing trust between Chiamaka and Devon, and the ending.

[IyshiaAlexMajors · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a well written book. I couldn't put it down

[Amarachi Agu · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book?. It's not just thrilling but also educative

[Iris · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely amazing read. But please do check trigger warnings, it gets uncomfortably horrifying.

[Raelie AD · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is absolutely amazing with thrills, twists and touching characters. The writing is fantastic and it is a great read for the Fall season!

[ruchi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is definitely one of my top books this year.

[Shana Sere · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Incredibly well crafted, amazing MC’s and a plot that will keep you up long after you finish it. A new fav and go-to recommendation from now on.

[Finaya · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow!!! Truly amazing, shocking, and brilliant. I cannot recommend this enough!

[hudson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Eu queria que todo mundo tivesse a chance de ler esse livro, pois o mesmo é incrível.

[Megan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. Please read this book. Such an important highlight of systemic racism within the academic industry. Wow.

[lee83-87336 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

OMG

Such a powerful book. Slow burning with a strong storyline - hard hitting and thoroughly engrossing. This is a book people need to read!!!

[librarianryan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This story, told in alternating viewpoint of Chamika and Devon, is a look at a high power, elite school, and what it will go through to remain that way. The beginning of this book is very reminiscent of other dark academia books like Stags by MA Bennett. Things happen similarly, except there are no guns involved.Chamika and Devon are the only two Black students at school. Chamika has wealthy immigrant parents, while Devon is from the poor side of town. Chamika has had it relatively easy to the casual observer, but only her and the reader know that she tries so hard to be perfect. She will not let anyone make her feel “less than” because of her skin color, or her “new money”. Devon is the smart gay nerd who barely survived his fist school, only to get a dream scholarship to this new one. But the nice school, doesn’t mean Devon’s life is nice. He still has to help mom pay the bills sometimes, watch out for the bullies, drug dealers, and even friends that will pound him into the ground with the least provocation. While books like Stags make class or society distinctions that cause the dark episodes, Ace of Spades, all comes down to race. “Social Eugenics”. This is not a topic that I was ever taught about in school, but find that this book opened a window to explore more in-depth and real life cases of this practice. Of people purposely being held up to get shot down. This book gave the readers a lot to think about, both in current and future actions. One thing the author really did well was set the story. They never come out and say where the school is, the reader just assumes. I assumed it was Chicago as I live in Illinois. However, the author purposely wrote so that anyone can see a place they recognize.This book was an interesting and entertaining read. It brings forth conversations on actions of people and their consequences, and opens doors to find ways to fight practices like illustrated within the pages of the book.TW: Racism, Sexism, homophobia

[carolesrandomlife · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book! I didn’t really know what to think of this book when I decided to pick it up. It is described as a YA thriller so I thought it would be a good bet for me. I found this book to be both thrilling and thought-provoking. This was quite an impressive debut novel!Chiamaka and Devon are planning on having a great senior year. Chiamaka rules the school and knows that she is well on her way to Yale next year then med school. Devon is busy working on his music with dreams of making it into Julliard. Things look great until Aces strike. Chiamaka and Devon are not in the same circle and don’t seem to have too much in common but they are both clearly being targeted by Aces. Someone who is calling themselves Aces is sending text messages to everyone at the school which reveals Devon’s and Chiamaka’s deepest and darkest secrets.I was not only curious about who Aces might be and what their motivation was but also couldn’t help but wonder what might be revealed next about Chiamaka and Devon. As pieces of the puzzle started to come together, I was even more confused until everything clicked and then I was angry on their behalf. Devon and Chiamaka proved to be very resilient characters and I thought that they should a lot of growth during this story.I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to others. This is one of those books that is best to go in as blindly as possible. I am so glad that I decided to pick it up and hope to read more of this author’s work in the future.I received a digital review copy of this book from Feiwel & Friends via NetGalley.

[deslivres5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Whew! This one was quite a ride! What started out as a private school bullying story turned into something so much more. Bullying rooted in racism? sexual orientation bias? The needle pointing at the potential bully oscillates between so many suspects, the suspense grows and grows and keeps you engaged. The main two characters past traumas are brought up and give you insight into their lives.I'm all for a suspenseful thriller, but I really didn't enjoy seeing teens put in peril/putting themselves in peril. Painful. Just like in a slasher movie, I just wanted to help and yell: STOP, DON'T DO THAT:-)But experiencing the horror of the teens' lives so easily being uprooted by outside forces is the lesson here.

[renee581 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I would HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone who reads. Literally, this book is so good and it really needs to be shared!First, the setting of this book is gorgeous! We start at an elite school where the year is wrapping up and the senior class has to begin their projects. The world-building here is gorgeous and really lends a lot of the overall feel of the story. I loved this setting so much!! Eventually, someone starts to send strange text messages but a secret code name. These messages begin to reveal secrets that are very confidential and threaten the order of things. This prank seems to be something that will not end and so to help those being affected, Chiamaka and Devon decide to try to find a way to stop the rogue Aces from sending more messages and causing more chaos before something worse happens.I loved the action in this story and how it kept me on the edge of my seat; I literally did not want to stop reading because this story is so good!

[alliepascal-876024 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Devon and Chiamaka are the only two black kids in a prestigious private academy, opposites in terms of social status but brought together when they're both targeted by an anonymous person digging up and spreading their secrets around to everyone in the school."Ace of Spades" was one of my most anticipated reads this year. After reading an excerpt I was a little less excited, but I still knew I wanted to read it. That is to say the writing isn't really to my tastes. But both the main characters being queer and the promise of the plot was too good to pass up. I'm glad I read it; it was such an addictive page-turner and I really came to love both Devon and Chiamaka.I won't give any of the twists away, as I think it's best to go in blind. I read some other opinions on how things play out, though, and... I just want to say that exaggeration, no matter how unbelievable, can sometimes play an important role in storytelling.

[fastforward-46127 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I usually don't put too much stock into a publisher's description of a book, but in this case it is spot on. This YA thriller really does feel like a combination of Gossip Girl and Get Out which totally made for a fascinating read.Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo are students at Niveus Private Academy. They have been selected as senior class prefects and are in the running for valedictorian. Someone going by the name Aces starts sending anonymous text messages revealing secrets about Devon and Chiamaka. With their futures in jeopardy, the two students vow to take Aces down. On the surface the text messages might seem like a silly prank but deep down the truth is horrifying.The mystery of Aces and why the two Black students were being targeted easily held my interest. Devon was a character I felt invested in from the start as he's kinda in that underdog type role and you feel protective over him. Chiamaka on the other hand reads like a caricature at first but eventually the author finds a good groove with her and I began to understand and appreciate the character more. At some point I ended up switching gears and became more interested in her scenes rather than the ones only involving Devon.The big reveal for the mystery is something that I have been contemplating since I read this book a few weeks ago and I just have mixed feelings. I'm trying not to venture into spoiler territory but the direction the story takes is a lot but at the same time it is not enough. I would have loved it if the big reveal took place earlier on so the rest of the novel could have explored the author's ideas more in depth.I recommend this book to anyone who appreciates diverse and thought-provoking reads.Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance digital copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.