Publishers Weekly
★ 04/12/2021
An anonymous texter known as Aces reveals secrets about an elite private school’s only two Black students in this bracing debut that hauntingly explores systemic oppression in predominantly white institutions. On the first day of senior year, Devon Richards, an unpopular scholarship student from “the side of town... where people can’t afford food or health care,” is stunned to suddenly be named a Niveus Academy Senior Prefect. Less surprising is the Head Prefect selection: popular, wealthy queen bee Chiamaka Adebayo. Chi works hard to stay at the top of the high school social hierarchy, but when another girl thwarts Chi’s plan to establish the perfect high school power couple with best friend Jamie, it becomes the talk of the school. Musician Devon’s aim to perfect his Juilliard audition piece is disrupted, meanwhile, when a picture of him kissing another male student begins to circulate, outing both without warning. Àbíké-Íyímídé excels in portraying the conflict of characters who exist in two worlds, one of white privilege and one in which Black-ness is not a disadvantage but a point of pride. The story feels slightly overlong, but Devon and Chiamaka are dynamic and multifaceted, deeply human in the face of Aces’ treatment. Ages 14–up. Agent: Molly Ker Hawn, the Bent Agency, on behalf of Zoë Plant, the Bent Agency. (June)
From the Publisher
2022 NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Literary Work - Youth/Teens
2022 William C. Morris Award Finalist
2022 Edgar Award Nominee for Best Young Adult
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A YALSA 2022 Best Fiction for Young Adults Finalist
An Amazon Best Book of 2021
A School Library Journal Best Young Adult Book, 2021
A BuzzFeed Best YA Book Covers Of 2021
A Boston Globe Best Book of 2021
An Autostraddle Best Queer Book of 2021
A The Young Folks Best Book Debut of 2021
"Àbíké-Íyímídé excels in portraying the conflict of characters who exist in two worlds...Devon and Chiamaka are dynamic and multifaceted, deeply human in the face of Aces’ treatment." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Readers will love this thriller-mystery... A revelatory, buzzworthy debut." —School Library Journal, starred review
"Told in alternating chapters that capture each character’s unique voice and personality, Àbíké-Íyímídé’s adeptly crafted debut brings to life an unforgettable thriller that fuses intricate world building with compelling character development." —Booklist
"Ace of Spades is a clever thriller that, just as you think you've got it figured out, pulls the rug out from under you. What makes the twist all the more chilling is its plausibility. Debut author Faridah Ábíké-Íyímídé is a revelation, her protagonists — Chiamaka and Devon — are wonderfully captivating and nuanced. And her epilogue is the best I've ever read. This is one magnificent debut!" —Angeline Boulley, New York Times-bestselling author of Firekeeper's Daughter
"Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is an absolute artist of crafting tension and suspense. Ace of Spades will leave readers tearing through chapters, desperate to see what happens next. Packed with killer twists that gave me goosebumps, Ace of Spades is a phenomenal debut here to knock you off your feet and send your heart racing." —Aiden Thomas, New York Times-bestselling author of Cemetery Boys
"Every so often a book comes along that perfectly captures the strength and resilience it takes to survive the visceral terror of being a Black person trying to thrive in a society designed to destroy you. Ace of Spades is that book." —Roseanne A. Brown, New York Times-Bestselling author of A Song Of Wraiths and Ruin
"Not only is this page-turner full of drama, mystery, and intrigue, the salient presence and expert handling of marginalization and complex social dynamics left me not only titillated, but full to the brim and fired up to continue the good fight. ACE OF SPADES is the thought-provoking thriller we ALL need." —Nic Stone, #1 New York Times-Bestselling author of Dear Martin
"Àbíké-Íyímídé deftly reimagines the prep school thriller in this positively suspenseful takedown of institutional racism, homophobia and classism. ACE OF SPADES manages to empower and infuriate while also being just a whole lot of genre-blending fun." —Christina Hammond Reeds, New York Times bestselling author of The Black Kids
“Thunderous and terrifying. There’s no way you’re putting this down until you get to the last page.” — Maureen Johnson, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Truly Devious
"Àbíké-Íyímídé's stunningly brilliant thriller weaves teen drama, thriller, and protest novel in a story like you’ve never seen before. A complete game changer." —Camryn Garret, author of Full Disclosure
"Harrowing, breathtaking, and entirely unputdownable, Ace of Spades will linger long after you've read the final page." —Marieke Nijkamp, bestselling author of This Is Where It Ends
"Spine-tingling, full of twists and turns, Ace of Spades is a thriller that'll knock you off your feet. Undoubtedly the best thriller of 2021, Ace of Spades keeps you guessing, and leaves you wanting more." —Namina Forna, New York Times-Bestselling author of The Gilded Ones
"A fast-paced, edge-of-your seat thriller that’s part dark-academia, part chilling mystery, and wholly, beautifully queer. This book is for those who enjoy thrillers that sneak up on them and encompass them with an inescapable, heart-pounding dread. Àbíké-Íyímídé’s debut is captivating, nuanced and brilliant, and definitely not one to be missed!"—Sophie Gonzales, author of Only Mostly Devastated
School Library Journal
★ 07/01/2021
Gr 9 Up—Chiamaka Adebayo and Devon Richards are selected Senior Prefects during their final year at the elite Niveus Academy. Chiamaka is ambitious, unapologetic, and social climbing. She sets her sights on the Snowflake Ball, a Yale acceptance letter, and legacy rich boy Jamie Fitzjohn. Devon is low-key, inhibited, and reserved. He does not want to make waves with his music, Juilliard aspirations, and homosexuality. Chiamaka and Devon are surprisingly linked when a shady figure known as Aces exposes their secrets and lies to Niveus and Devon's impoverished neighborhood through harassing texts. They slowly discover their friends, classmates, and faculty as fairweather and realize they are not only targeted because of the secrets and lies: Their status as the only Black students poses a threat to a secret white supremacist network at Niveus. Chiamaka and Devon must work together to ensure they make history as the first Black graduates or die trying at the hands of Aces, who will do anything and everything to prevent their upward mobility. Readers will love this thriller-mystery reminiscent of Gossip Girl and Get Out. The plot keeps readers guessing. Themes of systemic racism, structural white supremacy, microaggressions, class distinctions, and LGBTQIA+ identities will also resonate with readers. VERDICT A revelatory, buzzworthy debut.—Donald Peebles, Brooklyn P.L.
JULY 2021 - AudioFile
Narrator Jeanette Illidge portrays prideful Chiamaka (Chi) Adebayo. It’s no surprise that her stellar academics and popularity result in her landing the honor of being head prefect in her final year at the prestigious Niveus Private Academy. In contrast, narrator Tapiwa Mugweni presents the surprise and meekness of music student Devon Richards when he is also named a prefect. But soon an unidentified school bully begins harassing both students. Illidge captures the pair’s anxiety and voices their determination to discover who is attempting to intimidate them and why. Though both characters are Black, neither imagines how far back the hatred goes. The author narrates an afterword that explains her process and the background of the story. S.W. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
