Àbíké-Íyímídé did not include this trauma just because or to be edgy. The novel is excellent, and well worth reading, but I do think potential readers should be aware going in that it could be triggering. Both our heroes are Black and the racism is of course presented as exactly what it is, which is to say evil, but there is no way to get around the fact that this is a novel about teenagers being singled out for abuse because they are Black. The novel examines racism both institutionally and individually. Devon and Chiamaka are the only Black students at their wealthy private school, and Aces’ abuse of them is relentlessly and virulently racist. Young Black readers in particular may want to check in with themselves because Ace of Spades deals very directly with racism at its most violent and insidious. It should be said upfront that Ace of Spades is not an easy read, and I think that anyone wanting to engage with it should take care to look into the trigger warnings before doing so. Despite my busy schedule and sleep deprivation and the dozens of other things I had to do, Ace of Spades kept me breathlessly reading, both desperate to get to the end and terrified of what I’d find there. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, and the dawning horror of it was done masterfully. It is incredible and horrific and heartbreaking. But a good start of the year quickly turns sour when an anonymous texter with the alias ‘Aces’ emerges to threaten both their present and their future: private photos and dark secrets alike start spreading, and Devon and Chiamaka must find and stop their tormentor before it’s too late.Īce of Spades is widely acclaimed, and I absolutely understand why. Devon is a talented musician working on a composition that he hopes will get him into Juilliard and Chiamaka has been toiling her entire high school career to mold herself into the ultimate queen bee: perfect grades, top of the social structure, Head Prefect, and with-soon-the perfect boyfriend. Senior year at Niveus Academy finds Devon and Chiamaka planning for their futures. Even though that’s not one of my primary genres, I’ve read more than a few in recent years and haven’t been disappointed yet.

It has an eye-catching cover and an intriguing premise, and as a general rule YA mysteries and thrillers tend to be good. The characters between the pages are reflecting the real world more than they ever have before (which is not to say the genre isn’t still majorly white and straight).I’m not quite sure when I first became aware of Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, but it has long intrigued me. And with the recent popularity has come more representation in this historically white and straight-centric genre. The genre has exploded in recent years, too, with more and more published each season. Everyone is wearing wool pants and layered collars and oxfords.

Plus, the dark academia aesthetic is all over Pinterest. There are horror novels like Bunny and classics like Maurice and everything in between. A campus or private school or academia of some kind is typical, a dangerous twist or betrayal a given, but otherwise, it seems pretty flexible. Sweater vests and fallen leaves and college students quoting classic literature: it’s dark academia, baby! I don’t know what it is about books set on decorated campuses with pretentious professors and rich students making blood pacts, but I can’t get enough, especially queer dark academia.īut what exactly is dark academia? It turns out, it’s a bit flexible with what’s considered part of the genre. When the candidates are recruited by the mysterious Atlas Blakely, they are told they will have one year to qualify for initiation. Those who earn a place among the Alexandrians will secure a life of prestige beyond their wildest dreams, and each decade, only the six most uniquely talented magicians are selected to be considered for initiation. The Alexandrian Society is the foremost secret society of magical academicians in the world. The much-acclaimed viral sensation from Olivie Blake, The Atlas Six-is now newly revised and edited with additional content.

Ace of spades novel