What a ride! The plain language and characters that start out almost stock—the overachiever, the closeted gay black teen—are the first trick the author plays on the readers, because quickly the characters deepen into real people with real problems who find themselves in an increasingly tense and horrifying web of more than just deceit. This book taps into so much for how fast-paced it is, but to delve into it would be giving all of it away.

This is a thriller so pulse-pounding I had to spoil myself on Goodreads just to calm myself down enough to get to the satisfying end.

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.

Absolutely loved this one. Such a good YA thriller. There is this creeping sense of dread and then when it starts to become clear what's happening, it just takes your breath away. I get that this is kind of a Gossip Girl x Get Out, but I saw it more of a Pretty Little Liars x Dear White People. I felt like Chiamaka was who Coco Conners was in high school, and I loved her character so much. As thrilling as it is, I loved the triumphant end, top to bottom a very satisfying read.

Wow, what a book, but one that I found to be flooded with real messages that our society needs to definitely get! Well written and intense, to the point it was almost scary, but definitely was chilling! Character development was phenomenal, as was the unique storyline! I think that not only will thriller lovers get some amazing tense moments, thrills, chills, twist and turns, and shocks, but also some great knowledge that many lack today! I would highly recommend( when to those who are not into thrillers, but love stories with underlying social themes! Not one to miss!

Will make sure to buzz around and use low Amazon reviewer number!

I loved this book particularly because the subject matter is important--the message of Black community being vital to the safety, success, and security of Black kids in institutions like the education system and how the system is not built with us in mind, but the story manages to be captivating and entertaining without cheapening the impact. It was beautifully done, relatable, and something students need a safe avenue to discuss in.

I liked this book a lot! The characters were super fun and relatable and I thought the plot was extremely interesting! I hope there will be a sequel!

I really liked this book! I thought the contemporary elements to this book made it really fun and I liked how this book took place in a academy. I just think the events were confusing to understand. The writing was really fun to read about but describing it towards the plot was very confusing. I liked the characters and each character was intricate and done well. I just think my only thing would be the confusion but other than that the story was great!!

Thank you to Fierce Reads & NetGalley for sending me this eARC!!
I recommend this book to absolutely EVERYONE, but ESPECIALLY if you love Gossip Girl, the movie Get Out, and dark academia. It has some of the best social commentary I've ever read. It is extremely well-paced and easy to follow. It's hard to say much about the plot itself without spoilers, but basically there's this anonymous entity called Aces who sends mass texts to the student body about our main characters' deepest darkest secrets (hence, Gossip Girl). The part that relates to Get Out, however, you're going to have to read to find out. The reveals are so well done, and they had me shocked, gasping, screaming, and utterly shook throughout the entire novel. This one is DEFINITELY going to be in my top 10 of 2021, hands down.

I don't even know if I can write proper words about how amazing this book was without sounding like a mess. I didn't want to put the book down! I haven't been this scared and stressed while reading a book in a very long time (if ever!). Everything about this from the characters to the plot to the social commentary was phenomenal!

This is one book I don't think I'll stop thinking about for a while. I actually was yelling at the book especially when things started to come together and the plot went from normal creepy to insane levels of stress for these two characters. I truly just don't even have words to describe what a wild and intense and fast paced ride this was.

Arc provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

“Ace of Spades” is a dark academia thriller that follows the story of Chiamaka and Devon, two black students in a predominantly white private school from polar opposite groups. As the school year at Niveus Private Academy begins, Chiamaka is named Head Prefect (to no one’s surprise) and Devon is named a Senior Prefect (much to his shock) and an anonymous stalker named Aces attempts to ruin their carefully planned lives by revealing their secrets.

This book has been described as Gossip Girl/Pretty Little Liars dark academia which I believe fit the description quite well, I was hooked pretty early on and as every new revelation got darker and darker, it became harder to put the book down. There was a great deal of foreshadowing which was very interesting to see it play out, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé wrote in so many different layouts that it felt as though there were several plot lines coming in at once only for you to realise how they were all intertwined.

As you got further into the book you begin to see how fucked up Aces is and how so many people are complicit in the harassment and racism that Chiamaka and Devon were forced to endure. If you’re expecting this book to be a fun read and easy read, this would not be the book for you. While in the beginning many of the things that happened may have seemed more trivial, they never were it was the system of the school, Aces, and institution as a whole that had people feeling in that sort of safety net. You can see this in the way that their white friends reacted to Aces vs how Chiamaka and Devon’s reacted to their lives and future careers being almost ruined.

Trigger Warnings: Homophobia, Racism, Drug Use, Violence

Wow! A twisty thriller packed with tension and suspense. The author explores institutionalized racism, LGBTQ themes and packs everything into a wild ride.

Ace of Spades reminded me of Selah and the Spades, if you've seen it. I love this concept so much, and the idea where it plays with Black characters in an elite school, which is super rare, is fantastic. I always love this concept because it is rarely done. We need more of it and more of it in this space. The suspense was incredible, it kept your eyes glued, and I read this one very swiftly. This is a magnificent addition to the thriller genre -- also, while it is Teens & YA, it was not written as though the reader is super young. I did expect it to be written childishly since it was a thriller in the Teen & YA genre, but it was super impressive. The prose was phenomenal! I really enjoyed this one, and it is perfect for really all ages. I enjoyed it, and I am past 25!

I need more books set in this universe. I LOVED the setup of this story as well as the go-between of the two major characters. The way Abike-Iyimide creates this suspense and has you as the reader questioning which character you can trust had me devouring the book. My only issue is I felt that the point between the climax and resolution of the story was too short. I wanted more from the ending but don't let that dissuade you from picking up this book and reading it. I plan on purchasing it and rereading it again as well as recommending it to everyone I know.

Ace of Spades is a YA contemporary thriller that follows the story of Chiamaka and Devon, two students who attend a private school called Niveus Private Academy, as someone named Aces attempts to ruin their lives by revealing all their secrets. Make sure to look up trigger warnings, as this book deals with some heavy topics!

This book was spectacular! First of all, Ace of Spades is described as Gossip Girl meets Get Out, an LGBTQ, own-voices, dark academia thriller! I can confirm that this description is 100% accurate and that this book is 100% worth the read!

I personally haven't read many thriller books, but this one had me hooked! Once I got into it, I could not put it down! This plot simultaneously scared me, stressed me out, excited me and had me on the edge of my seat. It was beautifully written and well-thought-out, I did not see the plot twists coming. It also did an incredible job of exploring themes of racism and homophobia! I wouldn't change a thing about the plot, I loved it from start to finish! I also liked the romance in this book and how it took a backseat to the main plot!

As for the characters, I found them very compelling. Chiamaka and Devon had very different personalities, yet they were both interesting, flawed and relatable. I especially related to Chiamaka, as she was someone who knew her worth and worked so hard to be on top, even if the odds were stacked against her by something she couldn't even control. She was a bad bitch who was willing to do anything to get to the top and I loved her for that! I also enjoyed reading from Devon's perspective! He saw the world for what it was, a place that was not always good, especially to people of colour. His realist point of view was refreshing to read, he never sugarcoated his reality, no matter how harsh it was

I have nothing but good things to say, I would most definitely recommend this amazing book!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. This was the best YA book I have read in ages! I read it in less than a day as I could not put it down. I will be recommending this to everyone once it comes out. The comparison to the movie Get Out is spot on, so anyone who thought that movie was brilliant will love this book. Faridah is such a talented writer. She created two unforgettable main characters in Chiamaka and Devon and a supporting cast of truly evil, despicable, and terrifying people. I will be thinking about this one for a long time.

E-ARC provided by Fierce Reads

Going into this, I was so excited. Get Out is one of those movies that I could watch over and over due to the simple fact that it sends chills down my spine every single time that I watch that movie. Of course, Gossip Girl is one of those shows that I watched when I was younger, and while I was watching the question of who Gossip Girl was running through my head throughout all my days and then we found out who it was… and let me tell you that Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide is one thousand percent worth the read. This book is a YA thriller that follows two black students (the only black students in the entire school) that attend Niveus Academy and begin to receive harassment messages from someone that calls themselves Aces. The two students are Chiamaka and Devon and let me tell you that I absolutely loved both of these characters deeply. I found myself relating to both of them so deeply because I was able to resonate with a lot of the internal struggles that these two encountered throughout the story. Faridah did an excellent job building well-rounded characters that really did come off the page and I felt as though I actually knew them and was going to school with them. When I do read books of this genre I tend to feel that these kinds of stories come off as rushed with not as much character building, but this book did not run into any of those issues. I think that while this book did have a great mix of storyline correlations from Get Out and Gossip Girl the story didn’t feel as though I could piece everything together if I had already viewed the other media which I absolutely loved and going through it at the rate that I was I found myself guessing how all of this was going to end up (Big shocker, I was dead wrong.) This book had me going through all of the emotions where I was on the edge of my seat and being angry alongside the characters, for how crazy some of the people in the story actually are. As a BIPOC that grew up in a lot of schools that were mainly white domination I absolutely found myself relating to both of the characters and the different thoughts that would run through their head while they were at this school. I would have to say that the definite highlight of this book for me would be the two main characters and just the journey that they both go on throughout this story, it was everything that I as the reader could have asked for. Both Chiamaka and Devon have a special place in my heart. This piece of art will keep you engaged all the way up until the final page when you sadly have to say goodbye. This is Faridah’s debut book and I can’t WAIT to see what else she has in store because I will absolutely be picking up anything that she puts out in the future. There is no doubt in my mind that this absolutely a 5 star read!

This YA thriller was truly an excellent new addition to the genre. It combines compelling characters with relevant themes regarding race, queer identity, and class in the kind of elite prep school environment that is reminiscent of Gossip Girl and other teen shows. The book is plotted really well, and by the time I was catching on to the major twists, I was invested in seeing how things turned out.

I don't want to say too much about plot because it's always best to go in knowing less, but I found this every bit as excellently paced as books like "one of us is lying" and "a good girl's guide to murder" but with vastly more compelling themes.

I definitely recommend this book to others and will likely buy a copy for my classroom library.

4.5 stars

The book wasn't without its flaws but one thing is certain, which is that I just couldn't put it down, and it ruined my sleep schedule. Once the story picked up, I wanted to keep reading. Sometimes, I had to pause and take breaks because what I was reading made me feel rage, frustration, horror, and anxiety over what is going to happen next.

I don't read a lot of YA thrillers, but I know Ace of Spades would be considered one of the strong ones in the genre. I love how much mystery there was, and not only in the general plot but with the main characters and their own lives. Several times, I felt like we didn't even know them well even while reading in their POV - there were so many secrets. A couple twists made me put down the book and contemplate for a few moments. However, towards the very end, I thought there were just one too many betrayal twists, which after numerous ones, felt a little predictable.

Overall, it's an amazing debut with an intense story and a powerful message. Some content warnings include racism, homophobia, outing of a queer character, physical abuse, mentioning of suicide.

𝐼𝑛 𝑎 𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑙:
Two teens are at war with a villain dead-set on destroying them

𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤:
Niveus Private Academy is home of the rich and the fake-perfects. Where Devon, a talent musician, and Chiamaka, a girl who fights to get her way to the top, go to school. All is seemingly perfect until an anonymous texter known as Aces leaks things they would rather keep hidden- and Aces will stop at nothing to see them fall.

Holy crap. I have no words for this book.
There is absolutely so much to love: the characters, the plot, the writing.
But my favorite thing?
The author shattered the idea of social norms and bias’s and instead let the characters be real people who don’t shy away from their feelings and ideas.
Yes, you have the threatening aura of Chiamaka- who uses whoever she can to get to the top- but that doesn’t stop her from kicking butt. Chi loves dresses and heels and taking the world by storm- never shying away from taking what she wants.
Devon is the more quiet one. Wanting to focus on his music and getting the best scholarship he can to attend his dream school and make his Ma happy. He’s kind and does what he can, even if it’s not the best idea, to make ends meet. He doesn’t shy away from emotion and appreciates a good heartfelt hug when he can get one. Though he is tough in his own way, I wanted to just wrap him up in a bubble and protect Devon from the world.

For the plot- it was nothing short but incredible. The main focus is on the hidden villain, one who always seems to be a couple steps ahead. Different instances happen, and you keep thinking you have the right guy- only to be introduced to another potential suspect. It’s a giant mystery, with more and more danger unfolding with every page. Once you stop, you won’t be able to put it down.

This is an amazing read, that focuses heavily on topics of racism. Other trigger warnings for it include; forced outings, manipulative relationships, homophobia, murder, gangs and a few other things. But it’s also a book that makes you open your eyes at the hardships that so many POC have to face and deal with on a day-to-day basis.

𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛: if you’re wanting a deep and dark thriller, with mystery and intrigue- then this the perfect book for you!

This book honestly left me with goosebumps. I loved reading it and I promise you will as well. This book will have you up at night gasping, crying, and rooting for characters. I don't want to give away too much but make sure this is on your TBR list.