Ace of Spades
Ratings175
Average rating4.1
4.75/5
It had a slow start but it picked up. Very Gossip Girl and Get Out vibes. Love the ending and definitely should become a film.
this book makes me feel like i can never trust anyone again. i honestly suspected all of them... the whole “aces” thing was so fucked up to the point i felt sick. i think it's so so important (esp for white ppl) to understand what poc go through everyday; i definitely think i learnt a lot from this book. also??? i loved how it had both mlm and wlw rep!!!! like i've never seen both in a book before, well, nothing that i've read, so i loved it. there's nothing to criticise about this book, really, apart from chi being a BITCH at times
I think books like this are super important to show how ingrained racism can be in institutions, but for me, the execution was lacking. The beginning reads like a gossip girl rip-off with nothing new. Then you move on in Part 2 of the story and the inconsistencies and plot changes just give you whiplash. I also think there are some issues with how the book ends. The epilogue gave some good insight into the future, but also had added details that just seemed ridiculous to me.
Overall, this book had potential but lacked the proper execution for me.
Dark academia– mad creepy. Went in knowing that it had “Gossip Girl meets Get Out but make it Black and queer” vibes and I was all for it. Had me screaming at some points, loved the twists and turns. After this rollercoaster of a book, I really needed that epilogue.
Wow, wow, wow! The tension in this book is non-stop. I loved the dual narrative, was totally enthralled with the mystery and both of the audiobook narrators were fantastic. Loved seeing the LGBTQ+ rep.
Gossip Girl meets Get Out is an apt description for this, and I would highly recommend checking it out.
***Thank you to Macmillan audio for providing me with a copy of the audiobook for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.
Sometimes a book screams at me to read it and so I hype it up so much in my own head. You can imagine that can end very badly if I end up not liking the book because the crash back down to earth hurts. Such was not the case here. NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT.
One private school. Two Black teenagers from the opposite sides of society's tracks. Devon's mom has sacrificed much so the musical protege can lead them to a better life. Chiamaka wants for nothing. One anonymous texter exposing their darkest secrets.
This book is very difficult to review because it is, amongst other things, a thriller. And I'm don't want to give anything away as that really would ruin the book for you. I will say it is twisty and dark. I went in kind of blind and don't regret that at all. It was a Bookish First win and once I saw the cover I knew I had to have it. BOOKWORM INTUITION IS REAL.
This was a wild ride of a high school thriller about two students who are targeted by a mysterious figure who seems to know everything about them. The first half was a little too slow for me, but the second half knocked my socks off. The twists were great, the character voices were fun, and I liked the ending.
I had straight anxiety reading this. With that being said... I loved this book so much!
I have complex feelings about this book. I may revise my review later. I think it was well written and tackles some complicated and deep topics. There was so much “hooking up” in this book it really overwhelms the story.