Ace of Spades is easily one of the most hyped YA books of the year, and all that hype had me very eager to read it. From the first page to the last, I was hooked. I sped through the entire book in less than a day because I so desperately wanted to know what the hell was going on.

All of the characters were complex and well-written. I really liked both Chiamaka and Devon, and I felt bad as more and more awful things kept happening to them. I found Chiamaka especially interesting, and as the story progressed, was rooting for her even though she wasn’t a typical nice or likable character.

This story goes in a lot of unexpected directions, and seriously messed with my head. I never knew who to trust, and quickly learned that I shouldn’t trust anyone except the two protagonists. I love books like this, where the stakes are high and nothing is certain. Not only are they completely engrossing, I find it fun to theorize who’s behind what and ultimately see if I guess correctly.

Another thing I liked was the slow but steady friendship that formed between Chi and Devon, and the fact that there wasn’t an ounce of any romantic feelings on either end. It would’ve been so typical for one of them to have a secret crush on the other, or grow attracted to each other as they worked together. Nope. Not only is Devon gay, thus making such scenarios impossible, but there’s hardly any romance in the book at all. Both protagonists have relationships on the side, but they’re mainly focused on uncovering Aces’ identity. While I do usually prefer romance in the books I read, it’s refreshing to read some occasionally where it’s on the back burner or not present at all. In this case, the emphasis on plot felt right, and I’m glad the author took that route.

The only reason I didn’t give this book five stars is because I was able to guess a few of the larger twists. Don’t get me wrong, there were still plenty of things I didn’t expect, and I still found the story gripping and enjoyable. There just wasn’t quite as much shock value as there could’ve been.

A couple of things: one, I was possibly too happy when I found out that Jamie was one of the three people that died in the Niveus fire. On one hand, he was a despicable person, but on the other, I don’t know if I should’ve been so thrilled at the news of a character’s death. 🌚

Two, I really liked the epilogue. I liked that Chi and Devon not only got the futures they wanted, but also co-founded an organization to prevent any students from suffering the way they did. It seemed very fitting. But I didn’t understand why it mentioned Headmaster Ward at the very end. It felt really random. Maybe I’m just missing something?? Who knows.

Overall, this book is definitely worth the hype it’s gotten. I recommend it to those who can handle the content (as it’s a heavy read in more ways than one), and am looking forward to seeing what Àbíké-Íyímídé does next.

Representation