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A review by literaryprincess
Aces Wild: A Heist by Amanda DeWitt
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If nothing else, I'm a sucker for a good pun, and the title and concept of this book alone was enough to delight me. 17-year-old Arthur "Jack" Shannon, asexual blackjack dealer and son of a rich casino owner teams up with his ragtag group of online-turned-IRL friends to commit just enough small-scale crime to be entertaining.
Of course, I picked up this book for the promise of asexual rep, and while there wasn't a lot of deep thought and discussion on the topic, I loved how it was handled in this book. It's a simple fact of life, like anyone else's sexual identity, as well as the commonality that bonded our main cast of characters as friends. It's sweet and simple and Jack's internal monologuing about his lack of knowledge and experience when it comes to crushes and romance is hilariously relatable. There's also the bonus of having aromantic, sapphic, and nonbinary rep as well.
The actual "heist" itself is more of a mystery-solving adventure, and it gave me Scooby Doo gang vibes. Each of our characters falls into a certain archetype role that they play, which makes the unfolding plot a bit predictable, but doesn't subtract from the fun of it all if you aren't taking it too seriously. I guessed each plot twist before they happened, but the writing style and Jack's voice still made it enjoyable to read the reveals.
Overall I'm very happy that this book exists. It's a fun ride all around and I'd love for more out-there concepts like this to be put out into the world!
Of course, I picked up this book for the promise of asexual rep, and while there wasn't a lot of deep thought and discussion on the topic, I loved how it was handled in this book. It's a simple fact of life, like anyone else's sexual identity, as well as the commonality that bonded our main cast of characters as friends. It's sweet and simple and Jack's internal monologuing about his lack of knowledge and experience when it comes to crushes and romance is hilariously relatable. There's also the bonus of having aromantic, sapphic, and nonbinary rep as well.
The actual "heist" itself is more of a mystery-solving adventure, and it gave me Scooby Doo gang vibes. Each of our characters falls into a certain archetype role that they play, which makes the unfolding plot a bit predictable, but doesn't subtract from the fun of it all if you aren't taking it too seriously. I guessed each plot twist before they happened, but the writing style and Jack's voice still made it enjoyable to read the reveals.
Overall I'm very happy that this book exists. It's a fun ride all around and I'd love for more out-there concepts like this to be put out into the world!