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.
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.
Reviews-
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Starred review from April 12, 2021
An anonymous texter known as Aces reveals secrets about an elite private school’s only two Black students in this bracing debut that hauntingly explores systemic oppression in predominantly white institutions. On the first day of senior year, Devon Richards, an unpopular scholarship student from “the side of town... where people can’t afford food or health care,” is stunned to suddenly be named a Niveus Academy Senior Prefect. Less surprising is the Head Prefect selection: popular, wealthy queen bee Chiamaka Adebayo. Chi works hard to stay at the top of the high school social hierarchy, but when another girl thwarts Chi’s plan to establish the perfect high school power couple with best friend Jamie, it becomes the talk of the school. Musician Devon’s aim to perfect his Juilliard audition piece is disrupted, meanwhile, when a picture of him kissing another male student begins to circulate, outing both without warning. Àbíké-Íyímídé excels in portraying the conflict of characters who exist in two worlds, one of white privilege and one in which Black-ness is not a disadvantage but a point of pride. The story feels slightly overlong, but Devon and Chiamaka are dynamic and multifaceted, deeply human in the face of Aces’ treatment. Ages 14–up. Agent: Molly Ker Hawn, the Bent Agency, on behalf of Zoë Plant, the Bent Agency. -
May 1, 2021
Grades 9-12 When the newest prefects are announced at Niveus Private Academy, certain choices just make sense--like the promotion of popular and perfect Chiamaka Adebayo to head prefect--but when Devon is announced as prefect, a role he neither expected nor feels deserving of, he suspects something is afoot. The narrative escalates as Devon and Chiamaka begin receiving suspicious texts from someone known as Aces, who threatens to expose their secrets to the public, endangering their chances of becoming valedictorian--and their lives. Told in alternating chapters that capture each character's unique voice and personality, �b�k�-�y�m�d�'s adeptly crafted debut brings to life an unforgettable thriller that fuses intricate world building with compelling character development. The unexpected allyship between Devon and Chiamaka shines as the two attempt to survive Aces together, with what originally seemed like a cruel prank becoming more and more sinister. This fast-paced novel takes place over the course of a week, but the repercussions of Aces' handiwork will affect Devon and Chiamaka for years to come.COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Starred review from July 1, 2021
Gr 9 Up-Chiamaka Adebayo and Devon Richards are selected Senior Prefects during their final year at the elite Niveus Academy. Chiamaka is ambitious, unapologetic, and social climbing. She sets her sights on the Snowflake Ball, a Yale acceptance letter, and legacy rich boy Jamie Fitzjohn. Devon is low-key, inhibited, and reserved. He does not want to make waves with his music, Juilliard aspirations, and homosexuality. Chiamaka and Devon are surprisingly linked when a shady figure known as Aces exposes their secrets and lies to Niveus and Devon's impoverished neighborhood through harassing texts. They slowly discover their friends, classmates, and faculty as fairweather and realize they are not only targeted because of the secrets and lies: Their status as the only Black students poses a threat to a secret white supremacist network at Niveus. Chiamaka and Devon must work together to ensure they make history as the first Black graduates or die trying at the hands of Aces, who will do anything and everything to prevent their upward mobility. Readers will love this thriller-mystery reminiscent of Gossip Girl and Get Out. The plot keeps readers guessing. Themes of systemic racism, structural white supremacy, microaggressions, class distinctions, and LGBTQIA+ identities will also resonate with readers. VERDICT A revelatory, buzzworthy debut.-Donald Peebles, Brooklyn P.L.
Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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Publishers Weekly, starred review
2022 NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Literary Work - Youth/Teens
2022 William C. Morris Award Finalist
2022 Edgar Award Nominee for Best Young Adult
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A YALSA 2022 Best Fiction for Young Adults Finalist
An Amazon Best Book of 2021
A School Library Journal Best Young Adult Book, 2021
A BuzzFeed Best YA Book Covers Of 2021
A Boston Globe Best Book of 2021
An Autostraddle Best Queer Book of 2021
A The Young Folks Best Book Debut of 2021
"Àbíké-Íyímídé excels in portraying the conflict of characters who exist in two worlds...Devon and Chiamaka are dynamic and multifaceted, deeply human in the face of Aces' treatment." - Booklist "Told in alternating chapters that capture each character's unique voice and personality, Àbíké-Íyímídé's adeptly crafted debut brings to life an unforgettable thriller that fuses intricate world building with compelling character development."
