Ace of Spades (novel)

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For other uses, see Ace of Spades.
Ace of Spades
Ace of Spades book cover.jpg
Cover of Ace of Spades
AuthorFaridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
LanguageEnglish
GenreYoung adult fiction, Mystery, Thriller
PublisherFeiwel & Friends
Publication date
June 1, 2021
Media typePrint
ISBN9781250800817

Ace of Spades is a 2021 young adult thriller novel by British Nigerian writer Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, published June 1, 2021 by Feiwel & Friends.[1][2][3][4]

Plot[]

Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo are the only two Black students at their private school, Niveus Private Academy and exist in completely different social spheres. However, on the first day of school, they are both named as school prefects. One day, a group message from "Aces" is sent to the student body that shows Devon kissing another male student, outing both students and sending the school into an uproar. Soon, more and more incriminating texts and images are sent about both Devon and Chiamaka, forcing them to work together to discover who Aces is, why they selected Chiamaka and Devon to humiliate, and why they want to ruin both students' futures.

Near the end of the book, Chiamaka and Devon learn that Aces is not a single entity but rather a large swathe of the student body, working in tandem to destroy the lives of Black students. They discover that Niveus Private Academy is one of many private institutions across the country that, due to age-old ties to slavery and the Confederacy, rarely accept Black students, but when they do, their goal is to perform social eugenics by allowing the students to climb in the school, then, in their senior year, destroy their futures, disallowing Black individuals to succeed in the world beyond high school.

Reception[]

Ace of Spades received a starred review from School Library Journal[5] and Publishers Weekly,[6] as well as a positive review from Booklist.[7]

In their review, Publishers Weekly noted, "Àbíké-Íyímídé excels in portraying the conflict of characters who exist in two worlds, one of white privilege and one in which Blackness 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."[6]

School Library Journal,[8] and The Boston Globe[9] named it one of the best young adult books of 2021. The Young Folks called it one of the best debuts of 2021.[10] Buzzfeed said it had one of the best young adult book covers of young adult books for 2021.[11]

Awards for Ace of Spades
Year Awards Result Ref.
2021 Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fiction Finalist [12]
2022 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Top 100 [13]
Best Fiction for Young Adults Top 100 [14]
YALSA's William C. Morris Award Finalist [15][16]

References[]

  1. ^ Fawehinmi, Yolanthe (2021-06-18). "How a 22-year-old British-Nigerian student landed a million-dollar book deal". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  2. ^ Danielle Prescod (2021-06-21). "'Ace of Spades' Is This Summer's Must-Read YA Novel". Marie Claire Magazine. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  3. ^ "21-year-old young adult author gets 7-figure book deal". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  4. ^ "21-year-old young adult author gets 7-figure book deal". ABC News. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  5. ^ Peebles, Donald (July 2021). "Ace of Spades". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2021-12-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ a b "Children's Book Review: Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, $18.99 (432p) ISBN 978-1-250-80081-7". PublishersWeekly.com. 2021-04-01. Retrieved 2021-12-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ Cohen, Stephanie (May 1, 2021). "Ace of Spades". Booklist. Retrieved 2021-12-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ Carbone, Emma; Goldstein, Susannah; Leffel, Ashley; Mastrull, Amanda; Simmons, Florence (November 22, 2021). "Best Young Adult Books 2021 | SLJ Best Books". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2021-12-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ Aparicio, Raquel (December 2021). "The Best Books of 2021". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2021-12-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ "Best 5 Debuts of 2021". The Young Folks. 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2021-12-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ Strolle, Rachel. "All The Best YA Book Covers Of 2021". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  12. ^ "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Young Adult Fiction!". Goodreads. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  13. ^ "2022 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2022-02-03. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  14. ^ "2022 Best Fiction for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2022-02-04. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  15. ^ Serbekian, Michael (2021-12-14). "YALSA announces 2022 William C. Morris finalists". American Library Association. Retrieved 2021-12-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ "2022 Morris Award Finalists Announced". School Library Journal. 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2021-12-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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