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!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

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!

This was a novel th at focused on racism! It brought up many important issues in today’s society! I also love the characters. They were strong and very relatable! The mystery itself was very compelling! It was filled with suspense. The novel is very well-written and filled with vivid descriptions! Overall, this was a fast-paced page-Turner that focused on important contemporary topics!

I'm a little torn on how I feel about this book. I enjoyed the story, but had a hard time finding it believable. Or maybe I just want it to not be something that could actually happen. Obviously racism exists, but for schools to be able to pull off something like this seems far fetched.

3.5 stars
This was a really solid debut!

The novel follows two students, Chiamaka and Devon, at the prestigious private school Niveus Academy. The novel begins when they suddenly become the targets of an anonymous texter named Aces who gradually exposes their secrets to the school (a la Pretty Little Liars). For the most part, this book read very similarly to a contemporary novel until the details of people's histories and motivations are slowly revealed, and it becomes quite a thriller.

While the hype really emphasizes the thriller aspect of the story, I think the strength truly lies in the development of our two protagonists. I really liked them; they come from vastly different socioeconomic backgrounds and yet share in their experiences as the only Black kids at their school. The way their friendship developed was very interesting to watch as they navigated this dynamic.

I will say it is best to read this book not expecting a hyperrealistic narrative; much of the book is based in allegory and I think its strength lies in that. Not say it is not realistic at all—it is achingly so at times (especially with what Devon has to go through). There is substantial commentary on the insidious of systemic racism and the ways it is propagated within institutions. While many of the actual events in the plot required suspension of disbelief, the story was rooted in this commentary.

I was on pins and needles through this whole audiobook- what a stellar debut! One of the only things that irked me was the end but overall, this was incredible and I highly recommend.