Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

As de picas by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

43 reviews

matidareads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Drug use, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury

charlx_otte's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I wish I could give this more than 5 stars 🥲

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Drug use, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Death, Gun violence, and Suicide attempt

I have no words. I cannot believe this was a debut.

eihdlidhd's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: Sexual content and Police brutality

shubooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Forced institutionalization

evelynyle_88's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

WHAT A HELLA RIDE.... 5⭐

First, I wanna say thank you to Miss Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé for creating the world about Niveus Private Academy. This book is beyond perfect! Well, at the start... it feels usual, but after you read about 40 pages of the story, the chills started. I can imagine myself; there... being Chiamaka Adebayo. I positioned myself as her as I read the whole story.

Ace of Spades simply stole my heart! This book is a brilliant book. Disturbing, giving so many chills, brutally-emotional, scary at some points.. but this book is brilliant. Even scarier even there's no ghosts in this story. 

This book is the one to read and I hella can't put the book down even for only five minutes. The story, the characters, the settings, the plots... are perfect and sickeningly good! 

I never find the thriller-mystery book that left chills so much; even now.. when I write this review and finished reading this already. This book leaves a gasp for me and makes me smirk at the end; the epilogue.

What a perfect of twisted 'oh' ending. All hail, Ace of Spades! ♠️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Stalking, Car accident, Outing, and Alcohol

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Drug use, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Forced institutionalization

motz_stick's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book is perfect. It’s harrowingly realistic as the beginning lulls you into a sense of safety and familiarity before suddenly ripping it all away. Honestly, at the beginning I hated Chiamaka,

from her willingness to justify Jamie’s convoluted behavior to being an accomplice to murder,

but seeing the change she underwent was phenomenal. I left this book feeling so proud of the characters and like I had been there with them living it. The puzzles in this book are perfect too. Some are easy to solve so you feel like you know what’s happening just for it to all twist into a distressing finale. I was left so amazed by this book I feel like my definition of 5 stars is forever changed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, and Grief

Minor: Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Classism

ismildlypoetic's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

5 stars are typically reserved for books that changed my life or I hyperfixated on them

While I don't know if Ace of Spades fits those qualifications, its resemblance to media (that very much did have some core memories) and the importance of its message, plus the way it had me turning pages, I very much feel that this book deserves the 5 stars anyway.

For fans of Pretty Little Liars, this book gives that horrendous cyberbullying experience we're familiar with, plus the added twist of

systematic racism.

There were multiple times I wrote in my reading app that I was terrified to turn the page, knowing that whatever was coming wouldn't be good for our two title characters.

Now time for my infodump:

As for the characters, Devon, I loved. I loved him from the first page. I think he has a genuine care for people, even those who've wronged him. He shoots high, but he does what is right to get to them, and I truly admire that.
As for Chiamaka, my love-hate relationship with her was strong. There are very few people in this world she cared for besides herself, and she didn't give a shit who fell as long as she didn't fall with them. However, I am very happy she got a happy ending. And I hope she kept on her journey of self-growth in those sixteen years after Niveus burned.

I highly recommend this book, especially for those who see themselves, like me, relating to some of the other characters at Niveus. We could all use a lesson in seeing others from a different point of view.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Car accident, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Death of parent, Outing, and Alcohol

Minor: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual assault, Blood, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

inklunars's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I was stressed the entire time, going on entire rants with my brother who got just as worked up as I told him the story. Chi’s gullibility really bugged me the most, especially pit against the persona she liked to display.. but she pulled through in the end :).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Car accident, Outing, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Vomit, and Death of parent

yourariesbby's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Outing

spooderman's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Eating disorder and Pregnancy