Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - As de picas

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I could hardly put it down. It is spine-chilling. But it is reality for Black people in a world that holds whiteness above anything.

I had my theories but what came about in the end was much more horrifying. Àbíké-Íyímídé weaved such an intense storyline that just stays with you.

I felt so strongly for Devon and Chiamaka. The psychological torture that they were going through was unreal (something I’d never experience as a white person).

Just an amazing book from start to finish. It had me hooked. Can’t wait to read more from Faridah in the near future!!!

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living_for_the_hope_of_it_all's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny informative inspiring 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

3.5

this had me HOOKED literally ate it up, made up theories and speculated about everything
justice for my boy von he did nothing wrong!!!!
also Dre. i fucking love dre come home babe the kids miss you
3* because a few characters were left which i would have loved to see more of

belle, dre, jack, even ruby like cmon where did they gooo

got a few good laughs out of it, almost made me cry once

that reveal about von's dad being on death roll the last time von ever saw him??? like stfu i was gonna THROW. UP.

overall i enjoyed it thoroughly, got my mind moving and all that, very quick to read and the writing was pretty easy to read too so!
great one!!

~a month later~
taking the rating down a notch bcz not that in hindsight i think the book is bad, it's just that i always forget i even read it😭

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kryptidnerd's review against another edition

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dark informative mysterious 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

4.75

The way my eyes were opened while reading this book. It gave me Get Out vibes and I couldn’t put it down. I consumed this book in one sitting and was white knuckling gripping it the whole time.

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stuckinatimeloop's review against another edition

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challenging dark hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

interesting story. i think it was a bit longer than it should have been though but still good overall

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chris_reads's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

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sahramahtab's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

In 'Ace of Spades,' Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé paints an emotional masterpiece, pulling you into the raw reality of BiPOCs. It's not just a book; it's a journey that makes your heart ache with the characters' pain and frustration. You find yourself cheering for their strength amid adversities, and the beautifully crafted ending is like a warm hug after a storm, leaving you with a sense of hope and understanding. Àbíké-Íyímídé doesn't just tell a story; she invites you to feel it deeply.
What sets this book apart is its ability to not only shed light on the challenges but also to portray resilience and strength. The beautifully crafted ending serves as a ray of hope, offering a poignant counterbalance to the earlier tension and hardship. Overall, 'Ace of Spades' is a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant work that leaves a lasting impact on its readers.

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sup3r_xn0va_maya's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Wow. I really enjoyed this! It was fear and anxiety inducing, like a thriller should be!

Ace of Spades is the story of Chiamaka and Devon, the only two Black students at an almost all white prestigious high school in America. Someone named Aces stars revealing the two student's secrets and more to the whole school. Aces is out to get Devon and Chiamaka, but who are they? and why?

My only complaint was that the "WHO DID IT?" was spoiled for me thanks to the marketing team and book listing on Amazon! I went to buy this book from Amazon (as it was on sale) and the synopsis on their website spoiled the big reveal for me.

I sometimes hate when the synopsis says, "this novel is X show and Y book/movie put together!", because there's either hardly a comparison or it's spot on and then the story is no longer a surprise. In this case, the examples were the film "Get Out" and the show "Gossip Girl". The comparisons were spot on and because of that, there were few surprises left to figure out on my own.

Overall, I really liked this novel, I'm giving this 4.5 stars out of 5, I'm knocking off .5 stars because I guessed some of the ending on my own. I'm also knocking a star off because Chiamaka was a jerk and unpleasant, and half the book was from her point of view so I couldn't avoid her annoying personality.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I listened to this for free on libbyapp.com

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