Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide

Ace of Spades

by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Gossip Girl meets Get Out in Ace of Spades, a YA contemporary thriller by debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé about two students, Devon & Chiamaka, and their struggles against an anonymous bully.

All you need to know is . . . I’m here to divide and conquer. Like all great tyrants do. —Aces

When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too.

Shortly after the announcement is made, though, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures.

As Aces shows no sign of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly?

With heart-pounding suspense and relevant social commentary comes a high-octane thriller from debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

5 of 5 stars

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Ace of Spades is the debut novel of Faridah Abike-Iyimide, and holy cow! This novel is amazing! I never in a million years would have guessed that this was a debut, if you had simply handed it to me and provided no context. Faridah Abike-Iyimide's voice is so strong and so powerful already, and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Devon and Chiamaka have practically nothing in common. Other than that they attend the same high school (Niveus Private Academy), and they happen to be the only two kids targeted by a strange series of attacks.

All Devon wanted to do was focus on his music, but some random texter keeps bringing his secrets into the light. Meanwhile, it seems like suddenly the whole world is turning on Chiamaka, as the power she had worked so hard to build slips from her fingers.

There is somebody in this school who doesn't want them there, and they will stop at nothing to finish their goal.

"Hello Niveus High. It's me. Who am I? That's not important. All you need to know is... I'm here to divide and conquer. Like all great tyrants do. -Aces"

Holy cow. I'm not even sure that I have the words to express how Ace of Spades made me feel. It's brilliant and intense, terrifying and beautiful. The characters are so strong, showing the best and worst that humanity has to offer.

It's those contrasting sides that frequently made me want to put the book down and scream. Literally, Faridah Abike-Iyimide's words burrowed under my skin, forcing me to care about these two very different characters and the struggles they face.

“I stop myself from apologizing-because what would I even be sorry for? Existing too loud?”

I adored how different both characters were – their perspectives allowed for a completely different take on the same situation. One that got terrifyingly dark, especially towards the end. I'll admit that Devon created a special little soft spot in my heart, one that will probably never go away.

There are so many great things working together to make this novel what it is. Fantastic writing. Intense plot. Brilliant representation. The works. It's all there, and it made me fall in love with every little piece of it.

Frankly, I can see why people have been gushing about this novel SO much. I am officially on that train as well – so go out and read Ace of Spades! It's worth it. Plus, once you do, we can sit down and talk about it.

Thanks to Feiwel & Friends and #BookishFirst for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 28 June, 2021: Finished reading
  • 28 June, 2021: Reviewed