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Ace of Hearts
Everyone around Alvin seems to be obsessed with one thing -- sex. Alvin finds it uncomfortable to think and talk about it and he knows he isn't ready and may never be. His friends, however, think that all Alvin needs is to hook up with the right guy, so they identify three of the most eligible guys in school and start a plan to set Alvin up with each one. First there's Allistair, a boy with strong ambitions to become a gay leader in politics. Second is Rowan, a trans boy who mysteriously misses classes. Third is Jesse, the popular rich kid known for wild parties and breaking hearts. But the closer Alvin gets to being physical with someone, the more he's uncertain that this is for him and he begins to wonder if he's asexual. Can Alvin find the love that's right for him?
160 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 31, 2021
4.5 stars
Trigger warning: mentions of bullying, ace-erasure, aphobia
This little book is wonderful for its ace rep, but it's also anxiety-inducing for somebody who is on the aro/ace spectrum.
Lorimer publishes pretty good hi-lo books that pack a punch while educating teens on LGBTQ+ issues. I remember reading Romeo for Real (gay rep) a few years ago and wishing there was more to it because it's just so good! And it's the same with Ace of Hearts. I wish the characters were more developped and that the love triangle (it's not a square because Jesse downright sounds like a predator at times) had been more fleshed out. But for its purpose it works magnificently.
And the rep... I LOVED IT! I say it's anxiety-inducing, but that's because many challenges asexual people face are shown. People saying it's just a phase, or that you haven't found the right person yet, or that it's okay to take your time. I cringed and felt bad for Alvin, but what he goes through is pretty standard for an ace person.
The romance was easily resolved (I know whom he'd end up with from the get go), but Alvin's journey to that point is what many of us go through. A hundred bonus point for including a reference to The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality and LGBT Youth Line.
My only slight critic is that, since this book came out early 2020, Elliot Page wasn't out and he's referenced by their deadname. I cringed when I saw it and I hope Lorimer change it if they run another print.
Also I know that Daniel character is supposed to represent the gatekeepers in general, but I really wanted to punch him when he went on about other orientations taking space away from gay/lesbian people.
In conclusion, I may not love the cover (the book lead me to believe Alvin was a Carribean kid, but the cover shows a kid of East Asian descent?) but the story is well-worth it.
Trigger warning: mentions of bullying, ace-erasure, aphobia
This little book is wonderful for its ace rep, but it's also anxiety-inducing for somebody who is on the aro/ace spectrum.
Lorimer publishes pretty good hi-lo books that pack a punch while educating teens on LGBTQ+ issues. I remember reading Romeo for Real (gay rep) a few years ago and wishing there was more to it because it's just so good! And it's the same with Ace of Hearts. I wish the characters were more developped and that the love triangle (it's not a square because Jesse downright sounds like a predator at times) had been more fleshed out. But for its purpose it works magnificently.
And the rep... I LOVED IT! I say it's anxiety-inducing, but that's because many challenges asexual people face are shown. People saying it's just a phase, or that you haven't found the right person yet, or that it's okay to take your time. I cringed and felt bad for Alvin, but what he goes through is pretty standard for an ace person.
The romance was easily resolved (I know whom he'd end up with from the get go), but Alvin's journey to that point is what many of us go through. A hundred bonus point for including a reference to The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality and LGBT Youth Line.
My only slight critic is that, since this book came out early 2020, Elliot Page wasn't out and he's referenced by their deadname. I cringed when I saw it and I hope Lorimer change it if they run another print.
Also I know that Daniel character is supposed to represent the gatekeepers in general, but I really wanted to punch him when he went on about other orientations taking space away from gay/lesbian people.
In conclusion, I may not love the cover (the book lead me to believe Alvin was a Carribean kid, but the cover shows a kid of East Asian descent?) but the story is well-worth it.
August 3, 2025
The library was giving away a copy of this book in its lobby. I thought it was really cool that this is a short, accessible book about a young Canadian boy coming to terms with his sexuality and learning about the term ace sexual and what that means for him. Yay representation! I also thought it was pretty cool and realistic that he has the trauma response of feeling overwhelmed and breaking down crying several times during this book. The book was published in 2020 and readers to Elliot Page as Ellen Page at one point (which is maybe why the library got rid of it?). The book also describes the main character Alvin as being Caribbean but the cover photo is of a person who looks more East Asian. So I found that a bit confusing. Part of me cringed at all of Alvin’s awkward moments…but maybe that’s just being a teenager and figuring out what’s going on.
April 26, 2026
Very easy read. I think it's an important story to tell about asexuality and finding people and community in your life who understand and accept you for who you are.
July 20, 2022
(3.5)
The cover and the length of this book (less than 200 pages—making it a novella) were why I checked it out from my library. The MC, Alvin, having 3 love interests with how short the book is had me setting my expectations low, which I’m glad for.
Still, there were little things that personally bugged me (i.e. the really spaced out/bigger lettering than normal books, the suggestion of a third love interest that really wasn’t present or necessary, the choice of font on the title and chapter headings). I also didn’t care for the cover much. However, I did intentionally pick it up despite that because of how thin the book was.
I liked Alvin as a character and his struggles felt real. They feel a lot like how I’ve felt regrding relationships, which has me thinking about my sexuality yet again (not a bad thing). Alistair and Rowan were good love interests too.
Overall, it was a nice story that did surprise me, but it didn’t blow me away. If it had been fleshed out into a full novel with room for character building and lots of inner conflict, I think I would’ve enjoyed it more.
The cover and the length of this book (less than 200 pages—making it a novella) were why I checked it out from my library. The MC, Alvin, having 3 love interests with how short the book is had me setting my expectations low, which I’m glad for.
Still, there were little things that personally bugged me (i.e. the really spaced out/bigger lettering than normal books, the suggestion of a third love interest that really wasn’t present or necessary, the choice of font on the title and chapter headings). I also didn’t care for the cover much. However, I did intentionally pick it up despite that because of how thin the book was.
I liked Alvin as a character and his struggles felt real. They feel a lot like how I’ve felt regrding relationships, which has me thinking about my sexuality yet again (not a bad thing). Alistair and Rowan were good love interests too.
Overall, it was a nice story that did surprise me, but it didn’t blow me away. If it had been fleshed out into a full novel with room for character building and lots of inner conflict, I think I would’ve enjoyed it more.
July 25, 2022
After moving to a new town, Alvin is hoping to be more "out" than he was at his old school. He finds a group of LGBTQ+ friends, and they agree to help him find a boyfriend between jock Jesse, outgoing Alistair, and reclusive Rowan. But Alvin begins to realize that he feels uncomfortable talking about sex and especially when things progress to more than kissing and hand-holding.
This was a quick read that might have had a bit too much telling and not enough showing, but Alvin's journey toward discovering that he's asexual and what that means for a relationship felt very realistic. Also interesting was how prejudice among the LGBTQ community was presented, without being overt about it (except for one scene at the end), not only in how sex is considering a defining factor of a relationship but also in another scene as a trans character is seen as not being "gay" after transition (e.g. a transgirl can't be a lesbian). Alvin did seem a little slow on the pickup but it did allow the reader to learn along with him.
This was a quick read that might have had a bit too much telling and not enough showing, but Alvin's journey toward discovering that he's asexual and what that means for a relationship felt very realistic. Also interesting was how prejudice among the LGBTQ community was presented, without being overt about it (except for one scene at the end), not only in how sex is considering a defining factor of a relationship but also in another scene as a trans character is seen as not being "gay" after transition (e.g. a transgirl can't be a lesbian). Alvin did seem a little slow on the pickup but it did allow the reader to learn along with him.
January 20, 2022
I found this on display at the library and couldn’t not check it out. It’s so rare to find any ace representation.
The story itself was OK and oversimplified, but sweet overall. It mostly made me happy to see an openly asexual character.
The story itself was OK and oversimplified, but sweet overall. It mostly made me happy to see an openly asexual character.
November 19, 2022
A novella about a boy who is discovering that in addition to being gay, he's also somewhere on the ace spectrum. I'm rating it 4 stars because I don't think there are enough queer stories for reluctant readers.
March 8, 2020
Totally a fun and sweet novel, perfect for young people figuring themselves out... Really, a worthwhile read for anyone who's ever struggled to find a name for who they are and how they love.
May 14, 2021
I started reading this today because I needed some fluff, and it was so good! Light yes, but also with substance, and as someone who is ace/demi, very validating. A really great YA read.
June 5, 2021
When this first came across my YA desk, I showed my ace friend and they laughed. An ace love quadrangle?! What?? But upon reading, it was actually quite a sweet story.
June 15, 2021
A short read about a teen starting at a new school without his best friend and feeling out of place: he knows he's gay, but doesn't feel as knowledgeable about LGBT+ stuff as the queer friend-group that adopts him, and doesn't understand why their very sexually-charged social culture (and their new focus on getting him laid, once they find out he hasn't had sex) makes him so anxious and uncomfortable. The focus was on the protagonist's discomfort, anxiety, and alienation with this group who he *should* feel at home with, but whose emphasis on and pressure for sexual activity makes him feel isolated and as if there's something wrong with him. After all that, his discovery of asexuality is a little too understated, in my opinion--almost an afterthought, and not well explained for those who don't already know about it, but the message of finding the right friends and that those right friends may not be the people you think they will be was nice.
Content warning: teen drinking and marijuana use at parties; frank discussion of teen sex (not detailed play-by-plays, but lots of who-slept-with-who conversations and innuendo)
Content warning: teen drinking and marijuana use at parties; frank discussion of teen sex (not detailed play-by-plays, but lots of who-slept-with-who conversations and innuendo)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews