Sadly, I did not enjoy this book. While I did love that the main characters are all on the asexual spectrum, that was the only thing I truly liked. For me, the characters all felt flat, even Jack, the narrator. I kept waiting for the story to get exciting but it never did. I guess I was expecting an Ocean's Eleven type heist but instead it was Jack scrambling to come up with a plan and then failing to follow through. It was only through sheer luck that anything ended up being accomplished since Jack and the other characters were continually being thwarted by everything except an actual banana peel. This one gets 3 stars for the rep, both asexual and nonbinary.

ACES WILD was such a breath of fresh air. When Jack Shannon’s mother is arrested, he launches an operation to free her and get revenge on the person who put her in jail in the first place. He recruits his friends to help him—fellow asexual teenagers from all over the United States. Together, they hatch a plan to get dirt on the man who put Jack’s mother away and then eventually put him away instead. But they run into problems and plot twists along the way that threaten to halt them where they stand.

I have to admit, I’m conflicted on this book, so I’ll start with what I liked.

Jack as a character was full of life and depth, and I enjoyed getting to read his story through his eyes. The relationship he had with his friends genuinely brought smiles to my face as I read through the banter. Their friendship felt so real to me, and it was clear that they all loved one another. I loved their individual quirks that added to the group. Every time they joked with one another, I couldn’t help but smile and laugh along with them. It was so fun to read.

I loved the asexual aspect of it. The way they were all so sure in their identities and were perfectly fine with each other if that identity happened to change. It felt so real—and for someone who is questioning whether they’re aromantic, I really enjoyed Gabe’s portrayal of how it’s like to be both asexual and aromantic. It really spoke to me.

The plot seemed promising. And for the most part, I enjoyed it. The tension and humour resonating from each character allowed me to fly through the book and complete it within only a few days. I loved how each terse scene was accompanied by a breather afterwards, that allowed both the characters and the readers to sit back and think about what just happened.

The issues I have with this book are genuinely fairly minor and simply down to my own taste and expectations. So, you could probably say I expected too much from this book and got disappointed when it didn’t deliver. I don’t know. What I do know, is that for me, this felt anti-climactic. I got to the big reveal at the end, and I felt like there needed to be more. It felt complete, but in a smaller way than what I was expecting. This book is marketed as a heist book, and I don’t know if my knowledge of heists just isn’t as knowledgeable as I thought it was, but this didn’t really feel like a heist book to me. A heist, to me, feels more like a dramatized event where something is stolen. This didn’t deliver that. The thieving part of the heist mostly didn’t exist until a very small moment at the very end. And that made this book feel like it was missing something. Something more.

Regardless, this was definitely a book I enjoyed. The friendship and the banter were enough to sell it for me. Jack got his happily ever after, and I closed the book feeling at least somewhat content. I look forward to whatever DeWitt has planned for her next book.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much, Peachtree and Peachtree teen, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Jack Shannon is the son of a Las Vegas casino mogul and he runs a secret blackjack ring in his private school's basement. But when is mother is arrested for their family's ties to organized crime, everything changes. His sister Beth thinks it's the time to finally go straight, but Jack is certain his mom was sold out by Peter Carlevaro, a rival casino owner and her ex lover. So he decides to recruite a group of friends in order to discover what has Carlevaro on his mother. With his asexual group of friends, met through fandom groups, they decide to break in into a gambling club. All while navitigating what it means to be in love while asexual. What could possibly go wrong?

This book! This book! Not only is absolutely brilliant, funny, refreshing and full of twists, but also a brilliant and so relatable ace representation. I loved everything. A group of internet friends attempting to break into a gambling den? I'm absolutely in! In a book where there are so many diverse characters within the spectrum of asexuality, a truly refreshing and amazing representation, Jack grows up, fighting for himself, his family and the right thing to do. Not only he has to try to save his mother, what Calveraro could possibly hold over her head, but also navigate what means to be in love while asexual and what are his feelings for Remy, in a heartfelt and trueful narration, full of humor and intense moments and I did love everything.
A story not only about family and growing up, but also filled with diverse characters, how sexuality is fluid, self-love and self-acceptance in a thrilling story and debut.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. I mean, asexuals doing crimes in Las Vegas, what's not to love!

I did like most of the characters (with the exception of Lucky) and I liked the variety of the asexual experience with a nonbinary asexual, an aromantic asexual and a sapphic asexual. But it did have two things that turned me off. First of all, I didn't feel like the marketing for the book was accurate, it was pitched to six of crows in vegas a lot which to me at least implies one of the following: morally gray characters, multiple character POVs and a heist. And if you think I'm wrong for assuming those things I would love to hear if there was ANYTHING in this book except crimes on a minor scale and multiple characters that was similar to six of crows. But the characters did not feel like an ensemble like in six of crows, Jack was the main character, Remy was the love interest and everyone else were just sidecharacters. So what was it the book was similar to six of crows? Though i admit that is just a nitpick coming from a Six Of Crows fan, My real issue with the marketing was that it hyped it up as this great heist or crime story and it wasn't. At all. There were illegal things, sure, but not a heist and nothing more than you would see a detective doing in a middle grade mystery book. It was just about Jack getting back at his mom's ex for putting her in prison. I can see how people would consider my fault for not looking up what it was about properly, but it still affected my enjoyment of it.

My next issue is much bigger though. I did not like the writing. This is YA but read like MG, and I usually like middle grade but I couldn't get behind this. The book felt rushed, there was a reveal that made me roll my eyes, the characters were lucky if they got a single little quirk to them and that was all they were and I just couldn't stand how the internal monolouge was written at times. I felt very pretentious and wasn't effective.

This was totally personal preferencre though, I could see some people loving this I'm just not one of them which makes me sad because I was convinced I would love this book.

This was a fun book. It's a little bit misleading because I don't really think it's that much of a heist book, but I had heard that before going in, which I think helped with expectations. There were some predictable moments, and some things that were a bit too far-fetched, but overall, I really did like this book. While the characters overall could have used more depth, I really did appreciate all of them, and I loved the representation - it was so nice to get a book with so much ace rep (and different kinds of ace rep), so I loved that. I also think the overall plot could have been a little stronger, but it was such a fun book from Jack's perspective, that sometimes I forgot that not much was really happening. Overall, I enjoyed this and recommend it.

8/10.
The concept of Aces Wild by Amanda DeWitt hooked me from the start. Poker? A heist? Asexual representation? Sign me up. As an asexual person myself I could really connect to a lot of aspects about the characters and was really glad to finally get some good representation instead of stereotypes. The story itself was really cool and nicely executed.

3.5*

I'm conflicted on this one. I really liked the idea of the story, but it was also a little lackluster in execution. It wasn't quite the Ocean's 11 heist for the teen set that I was hoping for, it was more of a coming of age story for Jack, with a side of family drama and a dash of intrigue. Which I actually didn't mind at all- the story's just not presented that way and gives the reader higher expectations than what it delivers. I felt like things wrapped up at the end a little too quickly- there were issues I wish had been addressed more in depth.

I wish we had gotten to know Jack's friends a little better. It feels like they were just on the periphery of things, when they were meant to play a bigger part in this story. They were there for him when he needed them most, but we really only knew them on the surface.

I thought the representation in the book was great- I think it will make a lot of young adults feel seen, which is so needed in this day and age.

While there are things I wish had been done/written a little differently, I did enjoy the story. I liked Jack and how close he and his friends were, and that they didn't hesitate when they needed him. The epilogue was sweet!

Truly fun, eye opening book for a younger YA set unfamiliar with asexuality. The representation in this story was a joy to read.

The actual heist part was totally convoluted, but in the best way possible. Throwing teens into an adventure against the odds is a trope I can get behind.

Please share the book with others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree for providing an eARC for a honest review.

I was very excited to read this book because of the asexual representation. Overall I think the book was fun to read. I do think the heist itself was unrealistic, but I was here for the relationships between the characters and the ace representation.

Adorably diverse, creatively modern, and a glorious window into the asexual experience. I would go on a heist with this group any day! First Act was a little slow, but once the team united in person, the action picked up perfectly.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were so great and the friendships were so cute. I think asexuality needs more representation and I LOVE that DeWitt had so many asexual characters. For me, I enjoyed the characters and their relationships more than the plot line. I think the "heist" novel is difficult to write--just because it dosen't have that visual aspect that heist movies do. But overall, I think the characters could've been developed a bit more, but the friendships and camaraderie really bumped this book up to 4 stars!

Aces Wild has a great found family dynamic between some great friends.

I enjoyed the friendships more than the actual "heist" part.

Great asexuality reps.

This book was so fun!!

I found myself rooting for this rag tag team of teenagers on their wild escapades through Las Vegas and I know other readers will as well! The conversations about asexuality and the whole ace spectrum were really interesting and enlightening while remaining true to the story and never really feeling like it was a randomly thrown in conversation.

The target audience definitely seems like younger YA to me, but it is still a lovely read for those who enjoy YA fiction.

3.5 stars rounded up

(3.5/10)
I was very much looking forward to a group of Aces who go on a heist (as the description would suggest) but this book really isn't about that at all. It's more of a family drama with a main character who is ace and a few side characters who are ace who try to help him save his mother from prison. This would have been okay if it was described as what it actually is instead of an "action packed thriller" type of book, which it's definitely not. I could have even overlooked most of that if it wasn't so flat. I was just kind of bored, especially since the bulk of the "heist" stuff doesn't even start until 40% and at 75% still not that much has been accomplished. On top of that, what they were doing wasn't believable. There are too many characters and I didn't care about any of them that much (I can only remember Jack, Remy, and Lucky's names) and the writing overall was honestly average at best. This took me a few weeks to get through. 2 other aces in my book club who also got this ARC mentioned they were disappointed with it as well.

Thanks to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

When I saw that Aces Wild follows a group of asexual people partaking in a heist, I just knew I had to read it. The amount of books I’ve read with asexual representation is still much lower than I would like, so I’m always looking to read more. And how could anyone resist that gorgeous cover? While Aces Wild might not have been exactly what I was expecting, I did still enjoy it!

I thought the plot of Aces Wild was entertaining and made for a quick and fun read. I hadn’t read many stories with a family quite like Jack’s before, so I thought it was interesting to see how all of that drama played out. The heist itself was more a gathering of information to help prove Jack’s mom had been set up, but regardless, I was always curious about what would happen or which clue would be revealed next.

The author did a great job of describing the scenery. I had a clear picture of Las Vegas and each casino the crew ventured to. I’ve never been to a casino or Las Vegas before, but I could practically hear the sounds of the slot machines and the card tables as the characters described their surroundings. The writing itself was also clean and effective, so I had no issues with that.

My biggest complaint is about the characters. I was so, so excited to see an all-ace cast of characters, but unfortunately, most of them fell flat. Each of the characters were very surface level, and we never actually learned all that much about them aside from a few facts about their time together online or where they’re from. Even the relationship between Jack and Remy, which was the most developed connection in the book, still lacked depth.

I also wish asexuality had been discussed more. It was stated several times that each member of the group was ace and that it’s a spectrum, but we were never really shown that. I know this wasn’t a book designed to educate people on asexuality, but this would have been the perfect opportunity to showcase just how varied asexuality can be. With so few books that shine a lot on the different parts of the ace spectrum, I had high hopes that this one would really demonstrate that.

One positive note about the asexual representation was Jack’s point of view. In a lot of the ace books I’ve seen, the characters are always repulsed by sex and make it seem like all asexual people are. I like that Jack didn’t have that mentality. Instead, he simply seemed uninterested in it himself. This is the kind of variation I want to see more of. I just wish it had gone even further than that, especially in regards to the other characters.

Even so, I have to give this book props for including the representation that it did. We had all of the asexual characters of course, an aro-ace character, a non-binary character, and more. I think Aces Wild is definitely a great starting point for more asexual representation, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

While I did have some issues with Aces Wild, I will definitely check out what the author does next, because her writing was solid, and I enjoyed the plot. Honestly, I flew through this book in one or two sittings, so it was definitely engaging.

I would still recommend Aces Wild, especially if you’re aware going in that the story is more focused on plot and less on developing the characters. If I had known that, I feel I definitely would have liked it more. All in all though, I’m not disappointed I read it and I did enjoy it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Jack Shannon is already trying to step into his mother's footsteps: running a blackjack with real money at his school is just the start. When he finds out she was arrested on criminal charges, he flies back home to Las Vegas to investigate the one person he knows is behind this all: Peter Carlevaro. With the help of his friends, he starts investigating the rival casino and gets into a few more shenanigans before the book is over.

Aces Wild is a fun time if you are looking for a fun time, a Las Vegas setting, and ace rep. It's less of a fun time if you want a true heist novel with a large cast and an interesting mystery to solve. Sadly, I was hoping for more of the latter than the former.
This review is into the 3 most common things I have heard about this book before it came out and how it holds up.

A heist?
The probably biggest selling point - and its subtitle - is a misnomer. There is little planning, there is never really one plan to execute and aside from Jack and Lucky, no one contributes anything important.
It wouldn't bother me so much if the pitch had focused more on Jack and the stressful time he is going through, absentee parents with one now in prison, the casino legacy and he and his siblings deal with that, figuring out your sexuality while young. All those aspects were interesting, layered and well-written. The "heist" part is overplayed - it tries for comedy but fails for me in every moment. DeWitt tries for Jack to have a smooth, suave, authorial voice, almost addressing the reader at times, when instead, he is an awkward, angry kid clearly crossing boundaries. It's still wild to me that he is somehow not wrong in the end.

The plot in general is predictable and the hints given throughout are obvious.

A cast of ace characters?
Not really, we have one ace main character and four underdeveloped side characters.
Jack is a well-done character. I might not enjoy his humour but he has flaws and by the end of the book we have a solid character arc. The rest are just a chance to bring more diversity into the cast. I wanted more friendship moments, I wanted to see on-page that they've known each other online for forever, I wanted actual characters.
I did like some of the discussions around romance, dating and outing when you are asexual.


Ableism?
The book has been edited to remove the plot point about hearing aids and replaced it with airpods. Except for one confusing line in the audiobook, it has been replaced in there as well. I am very happy that this change was made since it did not have to be there in the first place.

I was glad to get an arc from NetGalley and wasn’t disappointed. I’m not big on first person but I thought the characters and their interactions were fleshed out perfectly through jacks commentary. As an ace myself I never felt more represented and a nonbinary ace, Remy has my heart as a nonbinary ace as well. I’ve never read a heist book so it was new to me but I loved it. It had me on the edge of my seat each time and I loved it so much. It was a bit slow for me but when I got into the story I couldn’t put it down. It had me laughing and on the edge worrying about them. Definitely can’t wait to get me hands on a hard copy, I was so excited to read it and not disappointed I loved it all the way through.

When Jack Shannon’s casino-owner mom gets put in prison, Jack vows vengeance on Peter Carlevaro, the rival casino owner who ratted her out. Helped by the friends he met on an online asexual support group, Jack must find Carlevaro’s secrets and take him down.

This book was pitched as “modern asexual Kaz Brekker runs a Las Vegas heist,” and that’s a tough comp to live up to. It’s arguable whether the book actually contains a heist, but there was some fun espionage and gambling shenanigans. It annoyed me that much of the plot was made possible by one character being almost magically good at hacking, but that didn’t ruin the story for me.

Aces Wild has a focus on family and friendship, which was lovely to see! Jack and his friends disagree and make mistakes, but care deeply for each other. Jack also gains a newfound love for his complicated family. And there’s a cute subplot of Jack having a crush on his friend Remy, and having to navigate what that means as an asexual person.

I think it does Jack a disservice to describe him as Kaz Brekker — he has a very different past to Kaz, and more of a moral compass and empathy. I liked his arc, though. If you want to see an analytical, introverted kid struggling with his emotions realistically, this book is great! If you want a ruthless criminal who cares only about profit and one (1) stabby Wraith, that’s not what you’ll get here.

If a YA Ocean’s Eleven with an all-asexual heist crew sounds cool to you, you might want to check out Aces Wild!

In closing, a quote I loved: “Sexuality can be fluid, or at the very least a journey, not to mention personal. If someone said they were ace or gay or whatever, you believed them. Assuming that you were straight until you ‘know for sure’ only implied that it was better to be straight until you had no other choice.”

A fun book that shares insight into the world of people identifying as asexual. A bit unrealistic at times, but a fun read that had me intrigued to find out what happens next.

I was more stoked for the idea of this book than the execution of it, I think. I liked the characters and wish we had gotten more time to develop them further and spend more time just hanging out with them, because their group dynamic was really interesting to me. Unfortunately, the heist premise of it was not believable nor all that captivating.