This truly started my February with a bang. Y'all - I can't believe this is this author's debut. I'm stunned. I barely even have the words for how remarkably paced, written, and set up this entire book was. This was one of those books that I knew I was going to be in love with, but was so scared that it would fall below my expectations, so I kept putting it off. I'm so glad I stopped putting it off.
For a YA novel, Ace of Spades is f* horrifying. The drama is constant, it does not let you breathe for even a minute. Every single person every page is a suspect. I've been describing it to friends as "Get out" meets "Gossip Girl" meets "Pretty Little Liars" meets "Elite," because it has vibes of all of those particular works. It's a thriller that checks all of my boxes and even has queer representation. However, it goes so much deeper than just those things. At its core, this isn't just a story about an anonymous texter trolling these two students (Chiamaka and Devon). It is a harrowing tale of Institutionalized racism. The horrors within these pages are deep and dark, and worst of all, real. I loved it. If you're late to the hype train like me, I highly suggest you pick this up.
I hope this was a coherent review, my brain isn't at full working capacity. I'll add edits to this if I need to!
For a YA novel, Ace of Spades is f* horrifying. The drama is constant, it does not let you breathe for even a minute. Every single person every page is a suspect. I've been describing it to friends as "Get out" meets "Gossip Girl" meets "Pretty Little Liars" meets "Elite," because it has vibes of all of those particular works. It's a thriller that checks all of my boxes and even has queer representation. However, it goes so much deeper than just those things. At its core, this isn't just a story about an anonymous texter trolling these two students (Chiamaka and Devon). It is a harrowing tale of Institutionalized racism. The horrors within these pages are deep and dark, and worst of all, real. I loved it. If you're late to the hype train like me, I highly suggest you pick this up.
I hope this was a coherent review, my brain isn't at full working capacity. I'll add edits to this if I need to!