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Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé aka An epic queer book featuring black characters about deep-seated racism and betrayal.

Ace of Spades cover

Book reviewed

Ace of Spades

🇳🇬 Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé · Nigeria/UK

13+ dark academia institutional racism secrets thriller

Two students at an elite private academy are targeted by an anonymous texter who threatens to expose their darkest secrets. This high-stakes thriller serves as a searing indictment of institutional racism and the lengths people go to for power.

Title: Ace of Spades

Author: Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Publisher: Usborne

Publication Date: 10th June, 2021.

Genre: Thriller & Young Adult Fiction

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

Opinion

Was it just me? Because even after I read the blurb I thought this book was fantasy? It’s not, but it’s an epic queer book featuring black characters about deep-seated racism and betrayal.

This book has everything suspense, drama & romance. From the onset, it’s easy to get clued in that something sinister is going on.

Dark academia and a school teeming with rich white people, using Gossip Girl & Get Out to give people a feel of what to expect is spot on, this book really gives off major white people can be very scary vibes.

I was disturbing @oyindalovesbooks cause the suspense can be too much but the plot twists were quite easy for me to figure out as time progressed but it didn’t take away from the story.

I have no qualms with the story but I do wish when it came to the final battle aka the revenge scene, more cosmic karma befell the racist two-faced assholes.

However, the epilogues were satisfying to read and once again I say kudos because Faridah did an amazing job with this book and you all should read it.

Thanks to @usborneya for gifting me an arc of this wonderful gem of a book, which was one of my two anticipated books releasing this year!

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