It starts with two characters struggling to get to their respective colleges: Julliard for Devon and Yale for Chiamaka.

The book itself is quick and mean - sharp in a way that I liked. It’s a book I’ll read once and likely not again, because so much of its appeal is in its massive twist (an attitude I have for most thrillers.) It was good. Different interpretations, identities, and meanings add new life to “dead” genres and deserve to be given the same attention as the ones we read at the peak of their “trendiness.” That was a great argument that reminded me I should give Ace of Spades a chance, even with the Gossip Girl comparison, despite being so overly bored by books like They Wish They Were Us.Īce of Spades fit the mood of what I wanted to read: a dark, twisty, tense thriller that I flew through because I simply wanted to know what happened. I’ve been reading a lot of discourse online about how genres and tropes aren’t dead because they haven’t been traditionally published as often by writers of color. That’s not to say I still can’t get wrapped up in a storyline centered around a secret society or mystery (or else the preppy school murder genre would be oversaturated by now) but it’s familiar enough to recognize the textures of it. I’ll be honest in that I’m pretty sick of the anonymous messaging secret reveal as a story structure, especially when set at a classically preppy school. Can you say dark academia? Bonus points for a stunning cover and LGBT rep. “Incendiary” is an excellent word for this book. With heart-pounding suspense and relevant social commentary comes a high-octane thriller from debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly? Shortly after the announcement is made, though, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures.Īs Aces shows no sign of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too. When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. Gossip Girl meets Get Out in Ace of Spades, a YA contemporary thriller by debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé about two students, Devon & Chiamaka, and their struggles against an anonymous bully. Novel: Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé | Goodreads

Ace of spades books