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Ace of Spades

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Goodreads Author)

4.45 · Rating details · 175 ratings · 111 reviews

An incendiary and utterly compelling thriller with a shocking twist that delves deep into the heart of institutionalized racism, from an exceptional new YA voice. 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. Talente ...more

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Paperback, 480 pages

Expected publication: June 10th 2021 by Usborne

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Average rating 4.45 ·

Rating details

· 175 ratings · 111 reviews

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Nov 01, 2018 Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Biased review - but I can 100% confirm that the author worked really hard on this!

flag 370 likes · Like · see review

Dec 13, 2020 Alice Oseman added it

I could not put this book down! Sex, lies, and fighting back against racism - this book is a wild ride, with an incredibly powerful message. A heart-racing and twisty thriller that grapples so much more than a simple mystery; ACE OF SPADES explores being both queer and Black, and the sinister, destructive nature of white supremacy and racism.

flag 168 likes · Like · see review

Jan 09, 2021 Melanie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Melanie by: Monte Price

Shelves: buddy-reads, maëlys, read-in-2021, young-adult, dark, lgbtqiap, arc, contemporary, own-voices, quarantine-reads

ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss

maybe the best debut i've ever read. this is going to make so many people's best of 2021 list. full review to come. <3

Blog | Instagram | Youtube | Ko-fi | Spotify | Twitch

Buddy read with Maëlys & Lea! ❤ ...more

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Dec 16, 2020 daph pink ♡ marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2021-tbr

Is there a thing like cover porn??? If yess then this book is one of the top contenders for it.

flag 113 likes · Like · see review

Feb 01, 2021 Aiden Thomas rated it it was amazing

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is an absolute artist of crafting tension and suspense. ACE OF SPADES will leave readers tearing through chapters, desperate to see what happens next. Packed with killer twists that gave me goosebumps, ACES OF SPADES is a phenomenal debut here to knock you off your feet and send your heart racing.

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Dec 13, 2018 Katie Zhao rated it it was amazing

I devoured Faridah's stunning debut in one breathless sitting. I love a good thriller, and this is one of the best I've ever read.

One thing I've noticed about thrillers is that for the most part, they don't tend to be very deep. (Possibly bc for the most part, they are *cough* about rich white kids and their non-problems *cough*) ACE OF SPADES does not have this problem. This book grapples with heavy, timely, important themes: institutionalized racism, educational gatekeeping, being LGBTQ in PO ...more

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Nov 28, 2020 Monte Price rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, favorites

I'm going to publish a full review closer to the actual release date... but you need to have this book on your list of things to preorder. The game has been changed, the bar has been raised, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is coming for the girlies. ...more

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Feb 13, 2021 Nicole rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, 2021, arc, ya, mystery-thriller-horror

This was a fun read with a powerful message. I can easily see why people are going to love it and I believe it’ll be a hit for this year. Overall a good book but I had some reservations on certain things which I’ll be mention later on my review (will post it close to release date).

Thanks to Netgally and publisher for sending me an arc for this book

flag 61 likes · Like · see review

Jan 10, 2021 Maëlys rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbtqia, arc, 2021-favourites, aoc, 2021-releases

☆ 5 / 5 ☆

“The world isn’t ideal. This world, our world, the one with houses as crooked as the people in them. Broken people, broken by the way the world works.”

This book left me stunned and speechless, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up as my favourite debut of 2021.

Chiamaka and Devon are the only two Black students attending Niveus Private Academy but their paths couldn’t be more different. Chiamaka loves the sciences, she’s climbed up to the top of the social ladder, and designer cl ...more

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Oct 16, 2020 Camryn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique

flag 30 likes · Like · see review

Jan 31, 2021 Marieke du Pré rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-netgalley-edelweiss, young-adult, mystery-thriller

This YA is so, so powerful! It’s Black, it’s queer, it’s uncomfortable, it’s dark, it’s twisted and so fucked up until the very end. There are so many secrets. Terrifying incomplete memories. Nasty messages that put Devon and Chiamaka in the spotlights and make them spiraling out of control.  This story is a real gem, messages sent by Aces, first ugly but then getting more and more dangerous. Devon and Chiamaka are the only Black students at Niveus. Devon is gay and doesn’t want to stand out, bu ...more

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Jul 20, 2019 nat marked it as 2021-publications

Shelves: tbr-anticipated, genre-contemporary, lgbtqiap-f-f, rep-of-lgbtqiap-plus, rep-of-poc, tbr-no-cover-yet, ownvoices, rep-of-black-characters, genre-mystery

A thriller featuring sapphic black protagonists? Yes hello where do I get this

flag 26 likes · Like · see review

Feb 21, 2021 CW (The Quiet Pond) ✨ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, thriller, young-adult, ownvoices, contemporary, mystery, has-lgbtqa-rep, 2021-favourites, realistic-fiction, 2021

This was AMAZING. I was utterly shook by the end and just kinda leaned back against my chair, staring at the ceiling wide-eyed, but wow. wow. wow! A phenomenal, nail-gnawing, and terrifying story about elitism, secrets, and racism.

- Follows Nigerian-Italian teen Chiamaka, head girl, popular, and unapologetic in what she will do to stay in power, and Devon, a Black American teen and talented musician who just wants to keep his head down and get into a college for his music.
- When an anonymous tex ...more

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Feb 11, 2021 Anniek rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2-ya, author-of-colour, bi-mc, black-mc, mc-of-colour, 1-2021-releases, lgbtq, 3-mystery-thriller, black-author, sapphic

Ace of Spades was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and a 5 star prediction that ended up being correct. This book was tense and unsettling from the get-go, but things especially got intense in the second half, and I could not put it down. This is what dark academia should be - challenging systemic oppression and the white supremacy embedded in academia.

CWs: racism, murder, car accident, homophobia, public outing, stalking (invasions of privacy), violence, death of a parent

flag 22 likes · Like · see review

Nov 20, 2020 Althea | themoonwholistens ☾ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: rep-lgbtq, rep-bipoc, author-bipoc, school-and-academy, 2021-releases

ATTENTION: WE GOT A COVER!! and I am in love

...more

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Nov 22, 2018 Adiba Jaigirdar rated it it was amazing

I was lucky enough to read an early draft of this brilliant book and let me just say...wow! It's a powerful look at how systematic racism can affect Black teens even in this day and age. Plus, it has some of my favourite characters of all time! Chiamaka and Devon are two compelling characters who don't always do the "right" thing but are even more relatable for it. I am excited that soon I will have this book in my hands! ...more

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Nov 19, 2020 jenny✨ marked it as to-read

Shelves: author-of-colour, black-authors, poc-reppin, ya-contemporary, ownvoices, mystery-crime, coverlust, 2021, thriller

that COVER!!!!!!

...more

flag 15 likes · Like · see review

Feb 16, 2021 birdie marked it as anticipating · review of another edition

Shelves: preview-read, bipoc, mystery-thriller, lgbtqiap

you'd think that i wouldn't make the same mistake twice (in the same week, might i add), but here we are: i read another preview of a book that isn't even out yet and now i'm invested.

from what i've read i think this is gonna be such an interesting read. it starts off really well and you immediately get a feel of the writing style, which i really enjoyed. it's written very easily and i could see everything happening immediately. the author found the perfect balance between a lighter and more mys ...more

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Nov 18, 2019 Brigid marked it as to-read

The author described this book as Gossip Girl and Get Out but gay. It sounds soooooo wonderful and feminist and beautifully gay. I am so excite.

"The queer people massively outnumber the cishets, there’s secrets, murder, and a gay girl MC who takes down the white patriarchy while dressed in designer heels"

description

...more

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Feb 26, 2021 Oyinda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: black-author, race, arc, black-protagonist, netgalley-arc, read-2021-feb

Book 71 of 2021

Full review:
Ace of Spades is a YA Thriller/Dark Academia novel by debut author Faridah Abike-Iyimide. It is such an amazing book and I love EVERYTHING about this book! Set in and around Niveus Academy, an elite school with a mostly white student body, it is marketed as “Gossip Girl meets Get Out” and boy, is that apt?

Students at Niveus are on a set path to top colleges and sterling career. The book revolves around Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, the only black students at NA, Book 71 of 2021

Full review:
Ace of Spades is a YA Thriller/Dark Academia novel by debut author Faridah Abike-Iyimide. It is such an amazing book and I love EVERYTHING about this book! Set in and around Niveus Academy, an elite school with a mostly white student body, it is marketed as “Gossip Girl meets Get Out” and boy, is that apt?

Students at Niveus are on a set path to top colleges and sterling career. The book revolves around Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, the only black students at NA, and the story is told from their alternating first-person perspectives. The book kicks off on the first day of their senior year, and what starts out as the perfect year soon comes crashing down. An anonymous texter only known as “Aces” starts spilling secrets about the student body, targeting Dev and Chi.

A black boy from the poor side of town and only at NA thanks to a scholarship, Devon has plans of going on to Julliard to study music. He’s a recluse at school and his only friend is his childhood friend Jack, a white boy who’s also a scholarship recipient. He has many secrets that Aces is quick to spill, and that not only messes up his school life, but his home and romantic life as well. Dev is one of my favorite characters in this book, and I love how he was used by the author to represent black boyhood and resilience in the midst of adversity.

Queen bee and total badass, Chiamaka knows what she wants and does whatever is needed to get it! She is my absolute favorite and I love everything about her. She’s the daughter of a Nigerian mom and an Italian dad and she’s loaded, with hella designer items in her wardrobe. I love that she is not a damsel in distress or a perfect girl with a squeaky-clean background. She is mean and she is devious and she is cut-throat, and she is not sorry about it. She’s also very sweet and amazing to the people in her corner so there’s that. She has the most plastic friends and she knows it, but as long as she’s on top and they know who the HBIC is, she’s Gucci. She has the deepest and darkest secrets of all, and she’s not ready to let them get out.

Circumstances force Dev and Chi together, and an unlikely friendship is formed as they come together to try and take down Aces. Towards the end, the book takes on a very dark turn and the mystery gets super scary. I had a lot of guesses about what was going on, and while I was right about most of them, I was so unprepared for what was actually going on in this book.

I loved the topics brought up in this book. As a YA novel set in a school, there’s a lot of teenage drama, which is not overdone or cringeworthy. The book takes a deep dive into race and racism, and just how wide the network of white supremacy is. Other issues like life in the hood, changing yourself to fit in, toxic friendships and relationships, and incarceration are discussed in this book.

This book is amazing and I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone. It’s out in June, so you know what to do!

Initial reaction upon completion :
It is a couple of minutes to 4am where I live right now and I just finished this perfection of a book. Whoa. I loved this book s damn much yo! I was not able to put it down.

I need to sleep now and will try to write something close to a review in the morning. ...more

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Jan 21, 2021 Lea (drumsofautumn) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: to-be-released, read-2021

This was such a powerful read.. so much to unpack and process about it. This book had so many layers.. it did so much and it did it all so right. The fact that this was a debut has me absolutely in awe!

Buddy Read with Melanie ♥

Instagram | Blog | Booktube Channel | Twitter

I received an ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review! ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jan 28, 2021 Lex rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2021

Brilliantly twisty, characters I could believe in and a couple of moments that actually gave me CHILLS which so rarely happens these days. Gripping YA about status, sexuality, legacy and the creeping stranglehold of white supremacy.

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Jan 13, 2021 Benjamin marked it as to-read

Shelves: cant-wait-to-read

It’s been a long time since I felt this excited for a YA book.

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Nov 17, 2020 Chloe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

*Spoiler free*

I feel like this book has been on my radar for awhile. I'm not sure when it sold, but I feel like I've been hearing about it for forever, which means I've been looking forward to it for a long time. I knew it sounded like something I was interested in, but for some reason I was convinced that it was a fantasy, not a thriller. I dunno, it's weird, I guess this book just gives off vibes that demand you pay attention to it. And I'm not complaining at all. Trigger warnings: racism, blo *Spoiler free*

I feel like this book has been on my radar for awhile. I'm not sure when it sold, but I feel like I've been hearing about it for forever, which means I've been looking forward to it for a long time. I knew it sounded like something I was interested in, but for some reason I was convinced that it was a fantasy, not a thriller. I dunno, it's weird, I guess this book just gives off vibes that demand you pay attention to it. And I'm not complaining at all. Trigger warnings: racism, blood, homophobia

Dang, this book was good. This book was the kind of good that I wanted to be plastered everywhere. There's a reason this book gives off vibes that made me want to stop and take it in. It's because this book is GOOD. It's classic material, honestly.

This book grapples with racism, white supremacy, gatekeeping, being queer and a person of color, and socioeconomic status. I am not qualified to talk about most of them, but it is important to mention that they are at the heart of the book. This book deals with real, painful truths and it looks at them head on.

Just thinking about what this book did makes my jaw want to drop. Seriously, I became so distraught over a scene that my dog became concerned and started whining.

I feel like I've seen a lot of stories, and a lot of thrillers, with this basic concept. High achieving academic students are terrorized by a mystery person for unknown reasons. I've liked very few of them. But this one. Wow, this one turns that concept completely on its head. It takes everything to a whole new level of messed up. It's horrifying, disturbing, bone-chilling, and terrifying. Everything unravels slowly, and when everything is revealed, the genius of this book, and this author, is all that's left to stare you in the face.

So many thrillers don't come through for me in the character department. That is not the case for this one. Chiamaka and Devon are so different. One who'd like to fade into the background, and one who hungers to be on top. But both of them are being targeted, and they are thrust together to try and figure out the mystery. They way their stories intertwine is wonderfully done. They parallel each other, but they are also so uniquely their own person.

This book was also so much more queer than I thought it was going to be! Which is obviously a super good thing haha.

The writing also was also incredible. I know I've already gushed about how this story was put together, but I feel like the writing deserves to be mentioned on it's own. It's rich, and it hold this story together and boosts it up to make it as amazing as it is. The way it feels adds to the horror running through the book, and just makes it all the better.

I have only one complaint, and it's a small one! The ending felt a bit rushed to me. I don't think I would have wanted anything to have happened differently, I think I just felt like things were wrapped up way to fast. I would have liked for the aftermath to have dragged on a bit more.

Though, the very ending of the book, the epilogue, was pure brilliance. Of course, I must be vague, but holy WOW, is it good. It finishes this book off with a horrifying bang, one last shot of adrenaline before "the end". It encompasses everything that this book is, and everything it was trying to do.

Overall, this book is one to watch out for. I think it's going to take the world by storm, I certainly hope it does (I will certainly be there helping it along the way), and it's going to be amazing to watch. It's GOOD. The kind of good that has to be portrayed through caps lock. Just, I love it so much. ...more

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Feb 03, 2021 AJ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Thank you to the publishers at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

”I can’t have Aces taking any more from me—the deeper they dig, the harder it will be to come back. And I refuse to let them bury me.”

Let me start by saying bravo to the author! For this to be a debut novel is amazing and I loved everything! This is the way a twisted thriller is supposed to be written!

The characters were intriguing and you will easily feel ...more

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Dec 26, 2020 Lena marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Wow, just when I thought I've been over my unhealthy obsession with Gossip Girl... ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Nov 06, 2020 Ellie Beadle rated it it was amazing

I honestly am not kidding, when I say I just read this in one sitting. I literally have been reading for 6 hours. I haven't weed at all and I am a bit dehydrated but it was so good and so addictive!!!!! I LOVE YA thrillers they are literally my favourite thing ever and Àbíké-Íyímídé has just smashed it.

Ace of Spades follows Devon and Chiamaka, the only two black students at a very white, elite school. When malicious gossip starts being spread about them by anonymous texter 'Aces' they soon real ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Aug 04, 2020 ☀︎El In Oz☀︎ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: 2021-anticipated-releases, black-authors

Edit November 19: When I tell you I gasped out loud when I saw that cover-
IT’S SO FREAKING STUNNING OMG I ADORE IT AHHH
LIKE WOW

Omg here for this!! Yes please!!

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Feb 17, 2021 bhoomi ♡ rated it it was amazing

I got so invested so fast. Within five chapters I was fuming and firmly ready to punch a bitch and defend the two protagonists with my life, which is exactly why I’m telling you guys that you need to read Ace of Spades by @faridahlikestea when it comes out June 1st 2021

I’ve been having a real obsession since fall of mysteries that happen in private schools, and holy fucking shit was this... a little different? But I’m the best way possible. Ace of Spades is of Gossip Girl met Get Out.

I sat my as I got so invested so fast. Within five chapters I was fuming and firmly ready to punch a bitch and defend the two protagonists with my life, which is exactly why I’m telling you guys that you need to read Ace of Spades by @faridahlikestea when it comes out June 1st 2021

I’ve been having a real obsession since fall of mysteries that happen in private schools, and holy fucking shit was this... a little different? But I’m the best way possible. Ace of Spades is of Gossip Girl met Get Out.

I sat my ass down in English, opened the eARC that NetGalley had very kindly given me, and read it in one sitting. The only time I ever looked up was to write this review, part by part.

The story is horrifying. One read through gave me so much stress and fear and anger, although I’m sure it is only a fraction of what black people go through everyday living in America.

I cannot find the words to tell you how important it is that you read this book. It may be a work of fiction, but I highly doubt that it is not rooted in the truth. A little like the Handmaiden’s Tale, I suppose, in the sense that the story is terrible but wonderfully told and incredibly intense and cruel but never untrue. Never really wrong. I’ll stop it here before I start to cry of frustration, because I don’t know if I’m making sense anymore. I’m trying to summarize this book without giving away the brilliant plot. It’s something you want to believe is far fetched but know with the state of the world might be the truest thing.

Chiamaka is a brilliant and clever girl, and I love that she’s portrayed as beautiful, intelligent and popular. Devon is so talented and resourceful and so full of heart. And I’m so so glad for the LQBTQ rep hand in hand with BIPOC rep. We’ve seen enough of the white gay boy coming out trope. And this is a story about hate, systemic racism and classism so well told, by a black female author. Look at the news. Look at the world. You need to read this book. It’s even a contemporary fiction, to make the lessons easier to swallow. I’m so grateful for NetGalley and US Macmillan for giving me an eARC of this book, and guys please please get your hands on this as soon as you can. ...more

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Jun 21, 2020 Vee marked it as want-to-read-new

trying to recapture my point horror fueled youth but specifically nightmare hall

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About Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

209 followers

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is a writer from South London who has dreamt of writing books about black kids saving (or destroying) the world all her life. She is an avid tea drinker, and a collector of strange mugs. Faridah currently studies English Literature at a university in the Scottish Highlands.

Her debut novel ACE OF SPADES will be published by Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan in the US (1st June 2021) ...more