Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter, Aces, is bringing two students' dark secrets to light.
Talented musician Devon buries himself in rehearsals, but he can't escape the spotlight when his private photos go public. Head girl Chiamaka isn't afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power.
Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they're planning much more than a high-school game...
Book Rating: 4.9
Read: March 12-14
Book Review: Now before I get into the full review I want to make a disclaimer about how this book has really heavy trigger warnings which consist of Racism, Homophobia, Bullying, Suicide ideation, Suicide attempt, Gun violence, Murder, Sexism, Drug use, Implication of Sexual Assault (non-graphic, ch. 23, 27), ETC. There are so many more trigger warnings so be sure to check those out beforehand.
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions it made me feel uncomfortable and stressed but in a good way. Ace of Spades focuses on the only two black students in a high-class school, where it seems like someone is out to get them. Both students team up and discover what started off as a small seemingly harmless prank is so much bigger than they ever imagined.
This book had to be the most suspenseful book I've ever read. At every turn, I suspected different characters and never knew what to trust. Whenever I let my guard down something or someone would happen to make me pace around my room stressed out. I felt like I was in the book the entire time and the author did a great job at making the book such a compelling read.
As a black queer person, this book had such an impact on me, I could find myself relating to a lot of the situations happening. It also helped me connect with the characters in such a personal way, another reason why this book quickly became a personal favorite.
However, I was disappointed with the ending. I felt unsatisfied because the story had a time skip after the climax, leaving me with many unanswered questions. Despite this, I still appreciate the book for what it was. It was very well-paced and set up, and I plan to re-read it over and over again. I highly recommend this book to others.
