tl;dr gossip girl meets get out - get your hands on this one immediately
Premise
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.
Talented musician Devon buries himself in rehearsals, but he can't escape the spotlight when his private photos go public. Head girl Chiamaka isn't afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power.
Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they're planning much more than a high-school game...
Rating
5/5 stars
Review
I'm sorry this book was brilliant and I'm so excited to never shut up about it. I don't think my brain can fully comprehend everything that just happened (given that I predicted only a few plot points/twists out of...many).
I think Ace of Spades did a wonderful job tackling institutionalized racism and educational barriers. It's pitched as Gossip Girl meets Get Out and I will say, that is very much true.
Another great part of how this book deals with people who are complicit in racist behavior and how they're still culpable, which is really important. This book did not sugarcoat anything.
Chiamaka and Devon were both such interesting characters, and I loved them both as narrators. They stood on their own with their own voice, and I think they were both well-crafted and complex. They're both Black and queer, and the book also discussed issues like homophobia, which I think was well done and of course, very important. The side characters definitely added something to the storyline (I say "something" because a lot of them are really shitty people), and I was constantly being surprised.
My only critiques:
1. I feel like the ending was a bit rushed, and I wish there was some more fleshing out of the individual details because a lot happened in a very short period of time. The epilogue was great, though.
2. A spoiler lol but if you read the book just ask me about it
Everyone please go read this immediately thank you very much.
Other Info
Standalone
14+
Rep: Black sapphic MC, Black gay MC, bisexual side character
CW: racism, homophobia, flashbacks of death (car accident), murder, blackmailing, stalking, forced outing, physical violence, drugs, alcohol consumption, attempted suicide/suicidal ideation (mentioned)
Buy link: https://amzn.to/3qwoSl0
Would I Recommend?
100% without a doubt. I think this is the thriller of the year.
Similar Books
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