ace of spades (preview)
faride àbiké-Íyímídé

pros: i love the characters, devon and chiamaka are super interesting characters with depth and intrigue surrounding them! the writing style of this book is incredible, laid-back yet detailed, fast paced but not overwhelming. i really enjoyed reading this short extract!

cons: from this i honestly can't think of any!

overall thoughts: i can't wait to get my hands on a full copy to read more! the type of book to read under the covers with a torch late at night, desperate to unravel the mysteries that will surely unfold.

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As described on the blurb, the book truly is a mixture of Gossip Girl and Get Out. Even though only the first two chapters are available I could tell it will be a book I easily get lost it too. The characters seem quite interesting and I'm looking forward to see where this story takes them.

It's a first person POV, and both narrators are stablished in the first two chapters of the book. Devon and Chiamaka, are very different but they are both attending a prestigious school. Devon appears to be more of a low tones person, while Chiamaka is short of a queen be, and she leads a clique of girls. Even though I couldn't quite bring myself to like her, I'm interested to know more about her. In the blurb it is indicated that an anonymous bully (Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl style) will torment them and slowly reveal all of their secrets.

Even though it was short, I cannot wait for the release day. It appears to be a very intriguing book that will be quite a hit.

I have been highly anticipating the release of this book ever since the synopsis was revealed. The author's writing style definitely set the mood in these few pages and I'm very intrigued about the mystery and the development of the characters.

Thought this was a great sample piece of a new book and I from what I read so far I think I will be picking up this book in the near future. I think so far the characters and plot sound like something I would love to read more about.

Loved the 25-paged sneak peak. Her writing is captivating and so easy to read. I literally breezed through it in minutes. The dark academia trope is extremely intriguing. I would love to read this book.

I read the 25 page sneak peek in no time at all.
I really like the idea of the book and the characters are well written because, I was already disliking the Chimaka and the whole queen bee thing. Devon was a much more likeable character and I am interested in how it will all turn out.

I think I may pick this one up for myself just to see how everything turns out.

With a 25-paged sneak peak, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé managed to establish impressively strong voices for the characters. Her writing flows well and is so easy to read. I literally breezed through it in minutes. The switching perspectives is a refreshing quality I will never tire of. I am so excited for the release so I can finally read and experience the world through the eyes of Devon, our main character who is a queer, introverted, rightfully-discontented Black American boy who happens to be a music-lover as well! The representation 😍?! I think this dark academia trope is extremely intriguing and I seriously cannot wait to finally get my hands on a real, physical copy.

An intriguing start to what promises to be the thriller of the summer. This sampler includes the first two chapters and a portion of the third; these chapters set up the first-person POVs of both narrators. Devon's conflict is quick and clearly present from his first pages, while Chiamaka's first chapter does more to establish the school structure rather than her character's conflict.

But even with so few pages, it's clear that these characters are being set up for crisis. The blurb indicates an anonymous bully is about to wreak havoc upon their lives. As two teens at a prestigious private school, their appearances are cultivated and a breath away from shattering. This alone is fascinating enough to keep reading - the concept is relatable to any teen or former young adult. As the fragility of Devon and Chiamaka's public personas are established in the sampler, it's clear that the anonymous bully mentioned in the blurb is going to carefully pull apart each of their secrets and leave them defenseless. I can't wait to read the rest of the story!

Just from the initial excerpt chapters I can tell I am going to devour this book and the dark magic exuding from its pages. Captivating and deeply compelling from the very beginning, this is a book not to miss if you enjoy contemporary fantasy.

I've started to read this and I'm loving how it is so far. Will dive into the main book soonest. I can't wait to see what Faridah has planned
All the reviews I have seen are so great

This is one of the best books ever , I can assure this to you even though I read only a couple of the initial chapters . I was so invested in every character in this story . The dark academia vibes are on point . The ritting style of this story is soemthing inreally enjoyed and the pacing of this story deserves praise . I have seen a lot of hype around this book lately and i must say that it deserves every bit of the hype because it is simply amazing .

I received the sneak peek version of this book, and while I liked it, it just didn't hook me the way I hoped. The writing was done well, but I personally was not a fan of the main character, Devon, and his inner monologue. I also didn't like how clique-y Chiamaka and her "friends" were. The last page is where I started to get interested, but not enough to make me want to go and buy the book to find out. I believe that if I read the entire book instead of just the sneak peek, I would've enjoyed it more and would've been able to get hooked into the story. but for now, I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars! Thank you very much to the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this sneak peek!

This book is going to be the next big thing. 100% assured. It has deep intrigue, drama and it melds into a perfect story. Chiamaka has a do whatever it takes mentality to stay at the top of the social hierarchy, and it can get ugly. I can't wait for everyone to read this one. Part gossip girl, part get out, is really an accurate description of this book and to tell you more would be a shame.

I just read the first three chapters of this book and oh my god I can’t get enough! I’m adding this to my tbr immediately! I’m so intrigued by the characters and where the story is going to go. I already know the representation in this book is going to be AMAZING. I can’t wait for the release date!

This three-chapter sneak peek introduced me to our two main characters, Devon and Chiamaka, as they attend the first day of their senior year as a senior prefect and head senior prefect, respectively. After the end of the third chapter, I cannot wait to find out what happens!

I am so excited for this book. I've only read 3 chapters and I'm hooked and can already tell it's going to be one of my absolute favorites

The ARC that I received was only an exclusive sneak peek of the book so I haven't really read the whole thing but I ALREADY LOVE IT! It's intriguing and I'm so invested in this story! It's about the Aces who are revealing two students' darkest secrets to the public. A game of cards that they have to play. I believe that this book will be eye-opening to everyone as it is dark and talks about racism. I can't wait to get my own copy of this book!! *squeals* And go get yours now! Faridah really just drop a debut bomb and I stan!!!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan's Children Publishing for this sneak peek of Ace of Spades! I've been eyeing this one for a while now! I definitely got dark vibes, and I can't wait to read the full book in June!

Thank you to Netgalley for this limited sneak peek. But I want more! What got me with this book was the wit and side remarks that, right off the bat, added some snap and depth to the characters. I'm already so intrigued by the two narrators and I just know that there is A LOT under the surface. So far, there is Devon and Chiamaka, 2 seniors at Niveus, a fancy prep school with prefects and headmasters (HP much?). I always root for the under dog, so I'm all about Devon, the scholarship kid, and his humble beginnings-he's into music, has one friend, and is usually the invisible one on campus. But he has secrets, too (this teaser sneak peek ends on a sweet cliff hanger)! Then there's Chiamaka, who is basically the school queen (Head Prefect, more precisely) and knows just how to get what she wants, usually. She just dropped some hints that she is more complex that you might think and that she's got an interesting history as well. Please, I want the VIP pass into the rich, high school drams that this book is sure to deliver!

"Ace of Spade" immediately gives off dark prep school vibes, much like a twisted Gossip Girl. The characters are cutthroat and superficial (in the most entertaining way) and immediately there is intrigue from the new and secretive headmaster.