I believe I was reading a post about dark academia when I stumbled onto this novel. Thrillers aren't typically my genre, but I was promised a critique of institutional racism in the education system, so I picked it up. Overall, I think this book was very well done; it was quick, it had high stakes, and it had characters that you really felt for, even with all their flaws. The main reason why I'm giving it 4 stars is because I felt the ending was rushed and relied on way too many coincidences. But other than that, I enjoyed the reading experience.

WRITING: Àbíké-Íyímídé's prose is gripping and easy to read. I felt like it balanced showing and telling well, and it moved at a pace that felt neither too slow nor too quick. Dialogue felt natural, and though there are some instances of slang or pop culture references, I don't think they'll be too much of a drag on the writing as the book ages.

PLOT: The plot of this book follows Devon and Chiamaka, the only two Black students at an elite private high school. Devon and Chiamaka find themselves targeted by a mysterious figure named Aces who leaks their secrets to the student body via text. These secrets threaten to get the two kicked out of school and denied acceptance to college, so the two team up to take Aces down before their futures are destroyed.

Overall, I think Àbíké-Íyímídé did a great job crafting suspense. The bullying (for lack of a better word) is not your typical everyday harassment (not that bullying is ever "normal" or insignificant), but life and future-threatening actions that make the stakes incredibly high. There also aren't a lot of dull moments where characters are sitting around; it felt like every scene was purposeful, whether to advance the plot or develop character relationships, so even though this book was over 400 pages, it moved quickly and kept me engaged.

The only part of the plot that I didn't think was well-done was the ending. Without spoiling anything, I will say that I think the ending relies on too many coincidences to happen - things that are outside the characters' control. I also felt like after everything was done, there was a sense of finality and security that just didn't seem quite believable, and though I don't want the characters to be tormented for the rest of their lives, I do think things ended a little too suddenly and neatly.

CHARACTERS: Devon, one of our protagonists, is sympathetic in that he struggles with trying to belong while also feeling guilty about his privilege. Devon comes from a low-income neighborhood and attends school on a scholarship; his mother barely has enough money to cover bills and fees, and Devon sometimes resorts to drug dealing to help out. Devon's perspective is incredibly insightful for the way it examines the struggles of Black kids from low-income families to fit in with white kids; not only does Devon have to contend with feeling like an outsider, but he has to confront those from his own neighborhood who resent him for his opportunities.

Chiamaka, our other protagonist, offers a different perspective. She is a biracial girl from a wealthy family, and she is highly ambitious. She uses the people around her to get what she wants, and to be honest, I kind of liked her ruthless pursuit of her goals. Of course, there are moments when Chiamaka's behavior is problematic, but I loved watching her put her mind and her scheming to work.

Belle and Terrell were the biggest surprises, and I really liked how Àbíké-Íyímídé used them to A.) give our protagonists a confidante, and B.) explore tangential themes such as queerness, education and class, and family.

Still, I think this book would have had a greater emotional impact if a little more was done with certain characters - namely Jack, Andre, and some of then teachers/staff at the school. While the way they are written now is fine, I think I would have had a bigger reaction to their arcs if they were more involved with the plot earlier on. I feel the importance of these characters to the protagonists are told to us rather than shown, and we were expected to care about changes to their behavior before it was established (emotionally) what they meant to the protagonists.

TL;DR: Ace of Spades is a dark academia thriller that critiques the systematic racism present in the education system. While the ending left a lot to be desired, the complex protagonists, quick pace, and high stakes meant that I was highly engaged, and I look forward to more from this author in the future.

WOW…… I’d like to have a few words with Mr. Taylor.

4.5 stars

This book had me HOOKED! It was a bit of a slow start but once I got into it I couldn't stop -- I stayed up until 5am trying to finish it last night. Just an extremely gripping, original, well-written book. I do have a couple of minor complaints about a few small things but nothing big enough to affect the star rating. Can't wait until the book comes out and I can get a hard copy in my hands!