This sneak peak teaser is truest a TEASER! I got all swept away by the story and then the book ends 😩😩😩 I can’t wait for this to be published in its entirety!

The sneak peek sounds promising and so intriguing!
I like the atmosphere already and the fact that we got two narratives is really something I enjoy.
Can't wait to read this one!!!

The beginning was a bit slow and it felt a little too long before getting into hinting at what the actual plot of the book is. That being said, right where the sneek peek cuts off is where I got intrigue, which was the point I guess lol. I will definitely be reading this book when it comes out. I will reserve further thoughts on it until then.

Definitely an intriguing start! Characters Devon and Chiamaka are clearly very different, and it'll be interesting to see their secrets exposed!

With only a couple of chapters in this sneak peek, it's hard to say a lot about the story so far but I already have so many questions! I am drawn into both Devon and Chimaka as characters, the writing style is pacy and enticing and I can't wait to read more based off these first couple of chapters. Althought not too far into the plot yet, there are already hints and questions arising and I really want to read more.

i loved this! The characters and plot are so engaging and I'm so excited for the entire book to be released!

It was only a sneak peak but I was interested! The story is engaging and can't wait for the book to come out.

I am so excited for this dark academia YA release and really enjoyed this sneak peek! Told in two perspectives from different ends of the social spectrum, it looks like not only will the book have poverty representation but will also explore the minds of the popular.

"Sometimes, being around all of that makes me feel like my insides are collapsing, cracking and breaking. I know no good comes from comparing what i have to what they have, but seeing all that money and privilege, and having none, hurts. I try to convince myself that being a scholarship kid doesn't matter."

From what I read, it's fast-paced with a conversational narrative voice. I like the mystery of how Devon was chosen as a prefect and if there really is something weird going on that no one else notices. Looking forward to reading the full book when it releases!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free sneak peek of the first three chapters!

2/11/2021 review based on ARC preview: 2 stars

Y'all, I've seen the hype for this book. It's all over the book review journals. It ticks a lot of relevant YA boxes: BIPOC author and characters, LGBTQ+ representation, high school drama, own voices... but right now all I have to say is "meh." But I understand that I don't have much to go on, so I will post an updated review once I have read more!

The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Devon and Chiamaka, two of the few BIPOC students at a prestigious private high school. Devon is the invisible, poor, scholarship student with dreams of going to Julliard while Chiamaka is the ruthless, intelligent, most popular girl in school who will do anything to succeed. Their stories are intertwined when Chiamaka is made Head Prefect and Devon, unexpectedly, is made one of the Senior Prefects.

We know from the synopsis a bully who goes by Ace will be revealing secrets about these two, secrets which are already alluded to in the first 20 pages.

Devon
"He's the guy that came out last year at Junior Prom, walking in holding his date's hand. His guy-date's hand. And it wasn't that big a deal. People were happy for him. But all I remember was looking at him and his date, hand in hand, and feeling this overwhelming sense of jealousy."

Chiamaka:
"... making people self-conscious, feeding off their envy, destroying anyone who gets in your way--but I learned early on it's either kill or be killed. And if I had to stop and feel bad for every instance I've had to step on someone's toes to keep the crown, I'd be very bored."

These little insights are just enough to make me want to know more. I honestly can't say I'm excited about the book based on this preview. However, I am excited about the potential of this book in dealing with topics like racism, acceptance, LGBTQ+, privilege, and bullying.

Sneak peek provided by netgalley for an honest review

From the sneak peek of Ace of Spades, I am already intrigued. This is a book about Devon, a fairly unknown student who was made senior prefect, and Chiamaka, the popular head girl) two students who have become victims of an anonymous texter and has exposed their dark secrets.

I am really excited to be able to read this book later on and highly anticipate that this will be one of my favourite reads of the year. I would recommend this to fans of Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars or anyone interested in thrillers and upperclass high school drama and anonymous exposers.

this sneak peek has me so excited to read the whole book. I can't wait to meet Chiamaka and Devon and read their story!

This sneak peek was intriguing but I'm not sure if its supposed to read as a bunch of run-on sentences. Chi is a character I would love to get to know more of. What makes her tick and why is she such an ugh! Devon has a hard life it seems and secrets to boot. I would definitely read the rest of this story. It seems like it has the drama I crave

I love how the small portion of this book that I've read is told from an own voices point of view. It is hard to find something that feels and reads so authentically and as a person of color myself, it is so refreshing and beautiful to read. I cannot wait to read the rest of this novel once it's published and I am honored to have been able to start it this early. The writing style is addicting and this author has a way of story telling that we need more of in modern publishing. Personally, I believe people of color have some of the best stories to tell and Faridah Abike-Iyimide proves my stance.

Smart, fresh, and mysterious. This book seems like a fast-paced mystery novel that delves deep into institutional racism and the challenges black kids have to face. This sneak peek was amazing! Looking forward to reading more of it.

Feedback for Ace of Spades – Sneak Peak!
Did the author have to do this to me? Nope, not at all. I knew that this was only going to be an excerpt. But the ending left me craving for more. I loved the characters, especially Devon. I am hoping that my request for an arc of the entire book gets accepted so that I can leave a more detailed review! The excerpt itself really gripped me. Can’t wait!

I got the sample for this and... maybe my taste in YA has changed or maybe this just isn't for me because I found myself bored with the story. It felt too "watching 25 yo people play 16yo kids". Yes, the world building sounds interesting but to a point. Again maybe this it just isn't the book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This review is only for the sneak peek of Ace of Spades, but the few chapters I read are so promising and well written. It hooked me immediately! Complex characters, race and power struggles in a rich private school, and some exposed secrets make for an intriguing plot. I will definitely be reading the whole story when it comes out!

This sneak peek was the perfect bait to hook me in!
I have sent in a request but boy I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy, the two characters are already so interesting in how they react and think and I know this game of cat & mouse that they will have to play is going to be amazing!

I was able to read the first three chapters of the book and even though I could tell on the spot I am not the intended audience for this one anymore, I see my preteen-self gaining some interest.

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The positive:
Not gonna lie, in my teenage and high-school years I read my fair share of YA books surrounding this type of high school drama/mystery, and it was fun, although they always focused on (surprise surprise) mostly white, mostly straight and mostly upper-middle-class students. Reading the sneak peek for this one - which automatically gave me Elite meets Pretty Little Liars vibes - made me think that hey, it is really cool to see representation in this genre (black and queer characters!!).

The negative:
Maybe it's because I'm to old, maybe it's because I have become a fan of very pretty words, maybe because my standards for writing in YA have improved after reading Acevedo or Courtney Summers, but the writing for this one felt to simple and "commercial" sometimes even repetitive.

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I don't think I might be diving into this one. Like I sad, the plot and writing are not something that attracts me anymore, but I can see it being an exciting read for younger teens discovering the genre!

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Thanks again to NetGalley and Macmillan for the Sneak Peek!

damn i read the sneak peek and i want the ARC this instant... i just know it's gonna be a wild thrilling ride. black, queer, mysterious and twisted, what more could you want?