Twisty, dark and at times sad. It was hard to connect with Chiamaka at first - she’s ruthless and calculating but all with good reason. I enjoyed her character growth the most.

A great combination of dark academia meets mystery/thriller.

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is a bold, thrilling story that dives deep into issues of race, power, and betrayal. The book follows two Black students, Devon and Chiamaka, who are at an elite private school where they suddenly become the targets of a mysterious person called Aces. As the secrets and lies unravel, they both realize that their lives are being manipulated in dangerous ways.

What makes this book stand out is how it mixes suspense with a sharp commentary on systemic racism and privilege. Devon and Chiamaka are complex characters, and their struggles with identity, fear, and friendship make their journey all the more gripping. The twists and turns keep you on edge, and the ending hits hard, leaving a lasting impression.

It’s a powerful, thought-provoking book that challenges the reader to question what’s really going on behind closed doors.

This book is so so good. I love the Get Out mixed with Gossip Girl vibes and how I just knew things were going to keep getting twisty. I was shocked multiple times. The overall message of this book was so powerful, exploring what it’s like to be both queer and Black. I highly recommend this thriller - it’ll keep you guessing.

This was an amazing YA thriller that had me hooked all the way through, and touched on very important themes

Expertly plotted and shockingly twisted, Ace of Spades truly is "that book", that'll grab you and pull you in tight and not let go. Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé's writing is sharp and doesn't hold back, fitting for a story about two Black teens entangled in a system that already wants to see them fall from their pedestals or worse: dead. Ace of Spades blends a high-school thriller with all its teenage drama and clique dynamics with stinging commentary on the expectations and prejudices that are placed on Black kids and what it takes to succeed in a system that is stacked against you.

I was particularly fond of Chiamaka as a character. Few things are as engrossing to me as complex female characters whose edges aren't softened by the narrative to appeal to anyone. Chiamaka makes bad choices, has her own back first and foremost, and I love her all the more. She's powerful and that power comes to haunt her when her secrets are uncovered. Watching her navigate her choices and responsibilities throughout the book made me appreciate just how well Àbíké-Íyímídé knows her characters and knows just where to twist the knife.

Overall, I found that Ace of Spades absolutely deserves the heaps of hype it has gotten. It is an outstanding YA thriller from a writer to watch.

I thought it was a pretty interesting mystery-thriller that definitely had some Get Out vibes. Enjoyed the elite private school setting and it definitely had me guessing the whole time. I went down every rabbit hole! But it was long and got longer as the book went by. And it felt very over the top at times. Everything seemed to be a little extra which my realistic fiction heart doesn't really love and while it had good social commentary esp for a YA audience, it was a little messy too. Overall, strong start, long finish and worth picking up.

DNF - This isn't the book for me. The wealth and prep school is being pushed too much for me to find it enjoyable. I understand that the class difference will play a big role in this book, but I just feel it is being emphasized in ever line and became annoying to read.

This book was a fast paced thrill ride! While I found the plot predictable, I enjoyed the dual perspectives and constant twists. I found Devon to be more endearing than Chiamaka. I enjoyed Chi when she was vulnerable and let her guard down. I understand why she was written that way and appreciate it.

My main beef was with the last 100 pages. I felt excited because there was so much left and they already knew what was going on. But that 100 pages felt so rushed and didn’t seem complete. While the author had taken time to paint complete pictures in other parts of the novel, this felt like it just had to get done. Overall I know my students will love this book, especially because you are thrown right into the action.

This was a DNF for me. Despite the premise being great, I just couldn't get into this one and I think this has more to do with the fact that it's YA, than any real problem with the story.

I am cleaning up some outstanding NetGalley reviews and finally got around to reading this one. Unfortunately, I DNF’d at 11%. It’s too YA and so heavy handed that it’s not the best book for me.

This book was not for me. The plot was not my cup of tea. The writing style was too hard to get into. I could not even finish the book.

I passed this title along to our student book club and our group of 20 kids all purchased and read it!

Man I finished this in one day! Though it starts slow, once the action picks up it’s hard to not keep reading. Very stressful, very good, very timely. It still had a lot of standard YA thriller tropes, but the twists were good and I was on the edge of my seat. The finale is almost cinematic in its’ composition.

I could hardly put this book down. This was such a gripping story right from the start, but it got even more intense when the characters discover what’s really going on.
The conflict of the story really highlights the systemic racism that goes on in the world, and makes this such an important book.

Ace of Spades is told from the perspective of Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, the only two black students at the prestigious Niveus Private Academy. They are entering their senior year and have been selected to be senior prefects, the elite student leaders of the academy. This honor puts them in the running for valedictorian and opens doors for admission to, and scholarships from, Ivy League universities.
Soon after the prefect announcement is made, a cyberbully with the handle "Aces" starts sending anonymous text messages which reveal secrets about Devon and Chiamaka. These revelations sabotage their reputations and threaten their personal lives and future prospects.
Aces shows no sign of stopping and as the humiliation and stress escalates, Devon and Chiamaka decide to expose the identity and motivation of Aces. The answer is more chilling than they could have imagined.
Ace of Spades explores important societal issues such as poverty, racism, homophobia and white privilege.
The characters are well developed and their alternating POVs enhance the fast-paced plot. This book resulted in utter sleep deprivation for me. I could not put it down. I really enjoyed this well-written original, twisty YA thriller. Thank you to #FierceReads @FierceReads for an ARC of #AceOfSpades

This book was intense! I honestly could not put it down after getting to the halfway point. The storytelling was phenomenal, and I was so invested in seeing how things were going to end. However, I did want a bit more from the conclusion; it felt a bit rushed.

I really enjoyed this one! Chiamaka is the Bougie Black Mean Girl we all deserve, and Devon's story tore my heart to shreds. The comps for this one were spot on: Gossip Girls meets Get Out for teens. Highly recommend!

What an incredible masterpiece of a book. Absolutely flawless. I cannot wait to hear students gush over this story.

I'm a newbie to the genre of dark academia and thriller, and I'm glad that this was my introduction to it. It's an absolutely sensational story that will stay with me for a long time because of just how good it is. The characters, the plot, the setting - everything is extremely well thought out. It's so evenly paced and had me hooked right from the start to the end. The topics touched upon in the story were handled very well and it was such a treat to read this.

I will definitely be anticipating the next release by the author!

This was such a great book! A dark academia YA thriller, this book is described as Gossip Girl meets Get Out and I feel like that's totally accurate. Chiamaka and Devon are 2 of the best students in school.... and the only black kids. When everyone at school starts getting mysterious anonymous texts targeting the 2 of them and their secrets, they start to become suspicious of everyone.

The writing and pacing of this book was really good, I did not want to put it down! It's very fast paced and has some really wild and unexpected twists. I highly recommend reading this if it sounds like something that would interest you!