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A review by phantasmaboo
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé tells the story of two African American students Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, who go to a predominantly white private high school. It is their senior year and it is announced that they are both in the running for valedictorian. Soon after the announcement, and anonymous individual that goes by Aces starts using text messages sent to the whole school to out their most hidden secrets. Each text message escalates the situation until their safety and futures are threatened.
This book, to say the absolute least, was fantastic, and it is a must read. I believe that this is the author's first book and I cannot wait for more from them. I honestly cannot say enough good things about this book, but these were the highlights for me:
The Social Commentary
Àbíké-Íyímídé's portrayal of racist, misogynistic, homophobic, and classist social issues was masterful. I was so surprised when this worked for both characters equally, despite their differences in social class. I particularly liked how the intersectionality of these issues was handled, and how Àbíké-Íyímídé combined a use of show and tell when it came to how it affected these characters.
I truly felt a sense of terror for these characters as the book progressed and they realized how abandoned and betrayed they really were. Even now, my heart hurts for them: Chiamaka, who seemed to believe that her closeness to whiteness would save her and Devon, who firmly believed that he would not find acceptance. And make no mistake, this story is not about two students who happen to be Black, but rather a story that places their Blackness front and center and that is what increases the suspense. At times, when Chiamaka would express hope by saying something like "that would never happen" or "they can't do that", I would literally put my hand on my heart knowing that they would because they could because it was unlikely that the system (or white individuals) would care enough to stop them .
Compelling Characters
The character development in this book is so, so good. In this case, I mean both the character creation and the character development throughout the plot of the book. I don't want to give too much away, but within true Young Adult fashion, there is an examination of intimate relationships, community relationships, and familial relationships that expand past what we usually see within the genre. This is, again, a tribute to Àbíké-Íyímídé's incredible writing.
Finally, the Plot Itself...
...was amazing. It was well-developed and clearly well-thought out for the majority of the book. This isn't always easy with balancing two different characters, but I thought that there was a good, steady pace to the book that equalized the building of the characters and the advancement of the plot.
My only issue with the book -- and I stress that this is literally the only one I have -- was the ending. The ending to me felt very rushed. Once the plot twists were over and it was time to take action, I felt like the everything moved so fast, so much faster than the pace of the rest of the book. That being said, the ending was unsatisfying, it was just fast and I wish more time had been spent on this portion of the book
Overall, this book was simply amazing and it is a must-read. I will note here, however, that you should definitely read the trigger warnings, as this book does not lightly tread around some very serious social issues that can definitely be triggering to people who have experienced similar traumas. I would also say that it is incredibly hard to "skip over" those portions of the book, because they are fundamental to the lives of the characters.
This book, to say the absolute least, was fantastic, and it is a must read. I believe that this is the author's first book and I cannot wait for more from them. I honestly cannot say enough good things about this book, but these were the highlights for me:
The Social Commentary
Àbíké-Íyímídé's portrayal of racist, misogynistic, homophobic, and classist social issues was masterful. I was so surprised when this worked for both characters equally, despite their differences in social class. I particularly liked how the intersectionality of these issues was handled, and how Àbíké-Íyímídé combined a use of show and tell when it came to how it affected these characters.
I truly felt a sense of terror for these characters as the book progressed and they realized how abandoned and betrayed they really were. Even now, my heart hurts for them: Chiamaka, who seemed to believe that her closeness to whiteness would save her and Devon, who firmly believed that he would not find acceptance. And make no mistake, this story is not about two students who happen to be Black, but rather a story that places their Blackness front and center and that is what increases the suspense.
Compelling Characters
The character development in this book is so, so good. In this case, I mean both the character creation and the character development throughout the plot of the book. I don't want to give too much away, but within true Young Adult fashion, there is an examination of intimate relationships, community relationships, and familial relationships that expand past what we usually see within the genre. This is, again, a tribute to Àbíké-Íyímídé's incredible writing.
Finally, the Plot Itself...
...was amazing. It was well-developed and clearly well-thought out for the majority of the book. This isn't always easy with balancing two different characters, but I thought that there was a good, steady pace to the book that equalized the building of the characters and the advancement of the plot.
My only issue with the book -- and I stress that this is literally the only one I have -- was the ending. The ending to me felt very rushed. Once the plot twists were over and it was time to take action, I felt like the everything moved so fast, so much faster than the pace of the rest of the book. That being said, the ending was unsatisfying, it was just fast and I wish more time had been spent on this portion of the book
Overall, this book was simply amazing and it is a must-read. I will note here, however, that you should definitely read the trigger warnings, as this book does not lightly tread around some very serious social issues that can definitely be triggering to people who have experienced similar traumas. I would also say that it is incredibly hard to "skip over" those portions of the book, because they are fundamental to the lives of the characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Car accident, and Lesbophobia