Ace of Spades (4.5/5)

Ace of Spades follows the stories of two young black people as they explore their life throughout their prestigious high school. Though both are head prefects, they lead very different lives, Chiamaka is cunning and will do anything for power and to get into top schools. Everything she does has been planned meticulously whether it be her dating status or her friends. She wants to be the best and owns the school. She always plays her cards right and falters heavily when things go wrong. Devon is a quiet student who uses the music room to escape and pursue his passion for getting into Juilliard. He doesn’t have too many friends but has had a toxic relationship with a theater boy who was using him because he hadn’t come out yet. He constantly feels isolated because he is one of the few people in this school who was admitted through a scholarship as this is a VERY expensive school. Additionally, he is one of the only Black kids and is Queer. The psychological mystery follows after an anonymous texter known as "Aces" starts to reveal many secrets of the students at the Acadamy. This exposition alters the carefully planned life of Chiamaka and Devon's quiet life because they are the most targeted. Together they work to reveal the identity of “Aces” while going through their wrath. This was a great read, there were many good parts and exciting scenes however sometimes I got a heavy load of secondhand embarrassment and cringed. This doesn’t necessarily mean the book was bad however it did make me physically recoil. I was really into the themes reflected in the novel, I enjoy reading about identity and mystery because I feel like it makes you think and truly understand the book. I was able to pick up the book whenever and immediately the storyline would flow back. They touched on a lot of elements of teenage social conforms which is very surprising considering that many teenage books are cringy and hard to read. They go over many topics and the characters feel very real, even though they are rich and bratty. I really like how you could really see the thought process of Chiamaka and understand her trauma and desire to do great. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy young-adult thrillers.