THOUGHTS ON ACE OF SPADES | mostly spoilery chat | [CC]
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ย. 2021
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🍂Hiii! Here are my thoughts on Ace of Spades. There is a brief non-spoiler part in the beginning and then mostly spoilers. Have you read it or are you planning to read it? If you have read it, please let me know any thoughts you have down below. Thanks for watching!
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"Because I can."
The most chilling line ever. Sums up the sums up the entire theme, and white supremacy.
And the lack of parent involvement REALLY bothered me, especially after the big dramatic ending
Like nothing from the parents after YOUR CHILDREN’S SCHOOL BURNED DOWN!?
@@JessOwens Yes! Especially because Devon’s mom said something like “I know you’ve been skipping school and we’ll talk about it.” I also really wanted to see Chiamaka’s parents reaction to everything because her dad seemed to be indifferent to the way his family treated her and his wife and her mom seemed to think everything was going great
@@Valentine-jo7ls Yeah I needed more from the parents. They were there... but not present? At some point, you gotta know your kids are lying and everything is NOT fine. And like Jess, said, especially after the school burned down and kids died. None of them... went home? It was on the news, but no parents called? If there was ever a time for parent involvement, that was their cue. At minimum, a conversation needed to be shown.
And they never mentioned what happened to the previous black students who also went through this and then disappeared. Likeeee…. I also feared her dad was into it too🤣 also the music teacher also being cruel was a strong point
YES. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM
I was waiting to find out what happened to the previous black students too. I can’t believe we didn’t get that!
Teens not talking to their parents/guardians (who are non-abusive and the kids have a seemingly good relationship with) about legitimately huge problems (ya know, like... someone at my school might be trying to get me expelled or killed) is quickly becoming one of my pet peeve tropes...
Also as far as my experience with the story, I really enjoyed it overall, but it took me forever to get through it because my anxiety kept spiking and I was really stressed reading it, especially in sort of the middle. So I took breaks reading it and reading comfort/lighthearted reads in between trying to finish this one.
Yes !! I know not all teens have good parental relationships but like every book, especially in YA, always leaves our parents or makes them nonexistent or dead.
why? did you talk to your parents? maybe because most people i knew had immigrant parents but literally NOBODY I KNEW would ever tell their parents about major issues that happened to them.
Yes. It would be nice to have lighter books with drama not based on the black character's race. But these books, films and shows seem to be loved by white gatekeepers. It's the stories they push the most
Definitely the most popular Black stories right now 😔
Ace of Spades was one of my favorites of the year so far. I enjoyed the thriller and gaslighting parts, but I do agree that the black pain/racism was very...heavy. I loved Devon's love interest, even though the beginning was a bit...shaky. The idea of the school being this big generational cult is...crazy.
I kept suspecting and side eyeing Devon’s love interest because I was convinced everyone was awful
Great review Jess!
I was listening to Ace of Spades on audio and when the part with Devon and his teacher happened, I had to backtrack and listen again to make sure I had heard right. Definitely the most chilling part of the book.
I had literal goosebumps
Please tell me what chapter it is
Black trauma for entertainment is exhausting. Especially for the 1619 Crew we are seeing a resurgence of this genre. Im guilty of this too because I looooved Lovecraft Country but I was more traumatized by the racism than the scifi.
I knowww. I can enjoy some but some others I don’t. I don’t know, but I wish there was just less overall
The setting didn't feel US to me at all. I went to US private school and that private school had UK characteristics and the town layout also didn't feel like US. The hood and the rich people areas are not in close walking distance to each other in the US. They are purposely away from each other.
Yes, I think the main plot was pretty strong but the smaller details were more messy. I hope the author grows on these things in her next books.
Good point. A noticeable giveaway that the author isn't from the US.
Yeah the town layout was very odd to me. I couldn’t get a handle on it and where they lived.
The author is from the UK and I think they wrote it in terms of how they know class division yet made the decision to make the book based in The states. I wish they would’ve done better research.
YESSSS she definitely should have changed the setting, would have been way better since the author wasnt very knowledgeable about certain things.
I have been waiting on this one! I agree with you completely.
Chiamaka took a while to grow on me but I liked her by the end.
I wanted more from the plot. I wanted to see the camp, know more about the Headmaster and the other people directly involved, I wanted more of them at school and doing normal school things and dealing with escalating micro aggressions. I had so many questions at the end that were not answered or were glossed over.
I also thought it took too long for Devon and Chiamaka to link up that made the book go slow for me.
Lastly poor Devon. What did he do to the author to deserve everything that happened to him? My problem was what he was going through wasn't equal to Chiamaka. She was haunted by the girl she thought they hit but it felt like there was heavier emphasis on Devon's pain. The author was coming with blow after blow to Devon and it hurt me. Especially the stuff about his dad. Like why was that necessary? Finding out about that wasn't resolved in the book, outside of one line in the epilogue. It had nothing to do with the actual plot. It felt like the author was just torturing Devon because she could and I wasn't here for that.
I initially gave it 4 stars (rounded down from like 4.5) because the mystery kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time and I was right about so much stuff. But the more I think about it the lower the rating is for me.
I also don't like black trauma. I am black. I live it every day. I don't need it in my fiction too. I tend to shy away from books that include black trauma because I'm kind of sick of it. Can we be ok in fiction?
Omggg I forgot about Devon’s dad 😔😔😔. She literally broke me with Devon’s story , I know these things happen but can we NOT in a fictional story !? 😭
@@JessOwens Devon spent the majority of the book legit scared his mother would stop loving him because he was gay. Heartbroken over his boyfriend (who I loved by the way I wanted him and Andre to be endgame no matter how unrealistic that would be) breaking up with him. And generally numb after getting blow after blow. It’s like I know bad things happen but you didn’t have to pile on like that! And with his dad. What was the point? He didn’t even confront his mom about it. There was literally a line in the epilogue about how he didn’t talk to her for a while then decided she was more important than being upset. Why even bring that stuff up?! It didn’t stop him from going through with the plan, it didn’t bring him closer to Chi or Terrell, it didn’t do anything except make him more miserable. Omg another rant. This book affected me more that I thought. I only read it because I know a girl named Chiamaka and the synopsis hooked me. 😩 I normally shy away from books that directly deal with racism against black people because I don’t see myself enjoying them and this is a prime example. I can deal with something that’s an allegory for racism like Amari and the Night Brothers. But something direct and set in the real world just brings my mood down.
I know exactly how you feel. I wish publishing would acquire more books by black authors where the characters are just involved in interesting situations with conflicts not tied to racism. I don't mind a few hints of racism because that's our experience, but why does it always have to be the main conflict? Why can't we have stories like white people with petty drama or paranormal things or mystery/murder or something weird? I ended up DNFing this because of the expectations I got with that Gossip Girl comp. I do wish it had been more light hearted high school drama with a murder or two, I was so excited about a black GG. It almost seems like publishing just picks up black stories that are going to resonate with white readers who want to learn what it's like to experience racism and I guess that's important sometimes. But I feel like in order to normalize being black, it's important to have regular stories with black characters that don't revolve around our discrimination.
Exactly! And as someone who read Black YA before it became trendy I can tell you while they were less visible and got less marketing before they definitely didn't center the white gaze.
@@MsWOCReader Definitely! The YA I used to seek out in high school (like a needle in a haystack honestly) was a lot more for us and dealt with many regular YA topics.
@@bicho6313 Yes. Harlequin had a Black teen imprint and though I couldn't always relate to every single story they were definitely written for Black teens. Lots of mentions of what was hot in Black pop culture at the time. Whole books with no a white child in sight!
Yes ! Give us Black teens with regular problems outside of racism because we do have those.
@@JessOwens Like worrying about college and prom and sports
I just finished this today and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. Like I liked it, but did I like like it?? I also was starting to suspect everyone. At one point I was like is Chi actually Candace Owens and she’s out for Devon too?? Also who is sending their kids to a school where there is literally only 2 blacks kids every 10 years?? Like that doesn’t seem sus to anyone? Anyone???
LMAO not Candace Owens 💀💀💀💀 but honestly, none of the parents ever heard of the Black kids that go missing once they attend this school ????
I just wanted to say that I thought the reason why Chiamaca and Devon didn’t immediately think they were being targeted because of their race was because they had been in that school system for so long and the author was trying to show how it’s easy to get “used to” or turn a blind eye to something. That racism can effect people so deeply that they don’t even see something that everyone else can see.
At one point, I think Devon, even mentions to his friend outside of the school “don’t place the race card” or something like that. His friend points out that he can’t even think of anyone who’s nice to him and Devon still didn’t want to see it. And I believe this is definitely something that probably happens in real life where you have friends or you have a mentor and you don’t want to believe that they could want to hurt you in that way.
I mean, it’s hard to believe in general, that people are capable of committing such heinous crimes anyways.
My opinions on Ace of Spades:
When I first read I loved most of the book and didn't care for some of it. But for Andre and Devon alone I gave it 5 stars.
Then I read a review by two Black people who noted that this book appeals to white gaze on some instances and shows the Black community in a negative light.
After that I realized that this book was so similar to Legendborn. I also wish that the Black community on a queer lens was shown in a pos light.
Chiamaka father is clearly racist bc he tolerates the racism his side of the family spews on his own wife and child. I think that would've been a perfect note to expand on Chiamaka's feelings toward her white peers.
I also understand this is supposed to be Gossip Girl but why does that mean mainly promoting white brands everyone already knows. I would have loved for Chiamaka to have been wearing high Black fashion.
And on Andre and Devon their story was so touching to me and I wish they had a different ending. Andre clearly was the one who saved Devon from drowning and they mean so much to each other *I gotta go cry now I reminded myself of the last time they saw each other*
Andre and Devon 🥺. Not gonna lie, I spent a lot of time being suspicious of Andre because everyone else was terrible LOL. I really wish Chiamaka had more awareness to challenge her father and his family but alas …
@@JessOwens And I mean, with good reason. Andre faltered for a moment because they got to him, too, but he pulled it together in the end.
It makes sense to me though that Chiamaka would wear white brands because she wants to prove herself/fit into the social hierarchy in her school and her world. She straightens her hair and is not outwardly proud of her culture outside of home.
I think we needed both Devon and Chiamaka’s parents to know about what was going and have some time seeing how that would effect things. Like for the entire school to know about it and not just like maybe a handful of powerful people didn’t fully make sense, not because they wouldn’t do it or they’re good people, but because if this takes place in the modern day and in a high school how could you trust every student and teacher to not slip up or accidentally reveal something within those 4 years of school. Also, the existence of social media too which is what ultimately exposed the school. And now that I think of it, why would they be using school computers to do Aces scheming when these people are rich and have their own devices and the headmaster is probably the main one in charge of it?
You voiced my thoughts exactly.
Yes! I want a fluffy book that features black people without all the heavy stuff. Why am I not allowed to lose myself in a world without having to think about the problems of the real world?
@@jeilee3860 For real tho. I read books to have fun, not be upset
@@monster-enthusiast right?! I don’t and to think about the world. I live in the world and it sucks lol
@@jeilee3860 exactly
Trauma sells for sure and I hate it. Please give me regular petty drama because it does happen to Black people too
I loved the concept! But I think it would have been cool to focus more on the micro-aggressions of racism, with a small group of students spearheading this, not the whole student body and faculty. People are racist, but people are also lazy and the collective amount of effort this level of espionage would have taken was absolutely insane.
Also totally agree that this would have been better set at a boarding school. Especially because the parents were barely relevant.
in an interview with sincerely tahiry, the author said it took her a month to write the book. A MONTH!!! that's just so incredible 😱
ONE MONTH!?!?!? excuse me
The teacher scene was so fucked up. I was so upset when i read that, I nearly threw my book across the room.
That one hurt me
This book bored me and I also noticed the lack of positivity. And Chiamaka was hard to connect to. Her characterization was lacking. Devon had way too many stereotypes piled on him. There was no positive depiction of Blackness whatsover in this. It felt like Blackness was written as some burden to endure. I ended up rating this a 3 star. The racism was way too over the top for me. Who is spending all that time plotting and planning just to hurt 2 Black kids? And this felt like another book where the Black author was trying to get white people to see Black people's humanity. I have read Gossip Girl as a teen and nothing felt Gossip Girl to me. It wasn't that lavish/lux like Gossip Girl. Also a Nigerian reviewer pointed out that Chiamaka is half Italian with married parents, yet has a Nigerian last name and her 1st and last name are from two different ethnic groups in Nigeria.
Devon suffered from every single traumatic thing possible. My God. And I get Chiamaka was a spoiled rich girl, but that was her entire personality ?
I think it would have made more sense if it was just a select group doing the scheming. For that many people to be in on it and it being high schoolers and modern times, the secret would have gotten out in those four years. I think the twist could have been cleaned up a little better if someone sabotaged or murdered the last Headmaster and the new one started Aces.
Preach! I was so tight about how the hood Devon lived in was just an amalgam of popular stereotypes (and couldn't believe this wasn't mentioned in most reviews I read before opening the book). As Ms. WOC Reader mentioned, there were no positive/celebratory things mentioned about his hood (e.g., no kids playing around open fire hydrants, no block parties, no central location most peeps in the neighborhood hang out in, etc.).
I credit this to the story being designed primarily for the white gaze and the author (while Black) not actually being from this kind of place.
For those reading this, if you want to see hood stories done well in all their grime AND glory, Angie Thomas still reigns supreme.
Just to touch on the last points- the book does mention that Chiamaka’s mother is both Yoruba and Igbo; so having names from different ethnic groups is not a groundbreaking. Secondly, it is not uncommon for kids to have their mothers last name even if their parents are married sometimes it is to “preserve” it especially if it is a rare name 😊
@@SimplyJoan14 The reasoning for having her mother's last name wasn't explained and it's more common to hyphenate last names vs just go by the mother's last name. Especially when her father was a rich white man. They big on passing on family names to their children.
I wanted to know what happened to Dre. I feel like I shouldn’t like him too much cuz he let Devon get beat up. But I can’t help it. Also Devon said he tried to kill himself on the beach once (from Chimaka view) I wanted to know exactly when that happened.
your thoughts are 100% valid. i know 'ace of spades' made a lot of black people anxious and uncomfortable and i'm sorry that was also your experience with the book. take care, jess 💖
Great review with intelligent opinions. Nigel biting the mic was everything I needed today.
Love the tiny microphone. ❤️❤️ Haven’t read this, but always enjoy hearing your thoughts. 🎙🎙🎤🎤
I feel the same way about The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalilah Harris. It’s kinda like devil wears Prada meets get out. I think it has a better execution than ace of spades, but it’s still so heavy on the Black trauma. I get that it’s The Point™️, but I just want to read about Black characters dealing with drama or crime that isn’t racially motivated like you said.
That book was nothing like The Devil Wears Prada. That may have been the comp but the only thing they had in common was taking place in an office.
Yes, can they please find a new theme because every book’s conflict bring racism is exhausting
@@JessOwens I'm surprised people glossed over the stereotypes in their reviews
I’m so glad you finished it I’ve been waiting for this review 🥺🥺🥺
Really appreciated hearing your thoughts on this book! Ace of Spades is already pretty low on my tbr and now I’m thinking it might just be a read for some time next year. Great review!
I just finished the book and had so many thoughts. Excited to hear yours!
Nigel is just TOO darn CUTE!!!..... 😁😂🐶🐶😊😊🐾🐾
ha - Nigel and the mic! And appreciated the review!
I just finished this tonight and MY GOD you and me have the EXACT same thoughts. All I want is a YA dark academia that’s isn’t revolved around the “black struggle”. The book was a 3 ⭐️ for me.
I wish they touched more on Chiamaka’s classism and her dad being racist( why would her mom accept that?) I wish Devon had called her out before their relationship developed because there are a lot of scenes where she says things looking down on him for his clothes,shoes,and the comments she made about Terrell’s house. And in his pov he comments on it and In chiamaka’s pov we notice him being visibly upset that she made a comment about him wearing vans at the snowflake ball, but he never says anything directly to her
I never saw Gossip Girl. This book terrified me and shocked me. But I didn't have to hold all the Black pain in this because I'm white. I do agree I wanted Devon and Chiamaka to be closer. I gave the book a 5 star rating. I would totally read it again. Thank you for your review. It made me think a bit deeper about the story plot and some of its flaws.
I think it's also because I tend to rate books by trans people, especially BIPOC trans people higher.
I have this on my tbr but seeing some of these comments I definitely agree with you, sometimes I just want some escapism and not go through all the trauma! Many of us read for escapism and not have to deal with this irl. While it's great it's being recognized and acknowledge, it's also tiring. I'm not sure what's best though, I hope young readers can at least feel validated and see themselves now in ways we didn't get to when we were younger.
I am gonna read it and come back to finish this video tho do I'm not spoiled too much 😅
I know this is sort of old but I came back to this video because I realized a major plot hole. How can they expect the entire school, meaning every child to not somehow let it slip what is going on? And did it never occur to the school that they could be sued by someone like Chiamaka’s parents? I’m pretty sure Devon said something like he could never do that because of money but Chiamaka’s parents have money.
EXACTLY! Not one person told !!!???
This is an old comment but yes! And I was thinking how could NOT ONE of the racist people interacting with Chi and Devon not let something racist slip out on accident? When hatred of Black people is that deep and intense I don’t see how they would keep it all in and get so close to them. Not everyone is a great actor.
I liked this book but I agree with the frustration about it not being set anywhere specific! It made sense ones I read the author's note, but I kept trying to place it in a specific city!
!!!! The entire time I kept trying to figure out where it was set LOL
Aw sweet first 😃💜
I only watched up to the point where spoilers started, but thanks for reviewing this. I still may read it, but I have adjusted my expectations based on this and some of the comments.
me too!
Nigel thinks you're holding a treat for him! 😂
yeah i was into the mystery of it all and the PLL feeling of it and then it was like oh wow this got dark real quick. i wasn't ready for where it went and i think i'm also glad that this book exists for the readers that are being challenged by it but yeah for folks dealing with this day in and out it's a lottt.
Hahahaha the dog wants the mic
it took me a month to read this book because i just couldn’t stomach that nothing good was happening to the characters. i try not to read books or watch movies/tv with black trauma but it’s what’s on the market now so i’ll just suffer 😭
Literally this book gave me heartburn lmao
You’re just like me i try to avoid black trauma movies, shows and books
Thank for the spoilers my tbr is too long and this book would've irritated me to
Honestly I'm living for the day that we get a Black focused book where the focus is on anything but their race
I just finished this book! What a coincidence!
I love Nigel so much!!!!!
I felt similarly. I think it's good and mostly well-done (though I agree the ending was weird), but I can't say it was a fun time to read. Which not all books need to be, but I somehow got the impression from others who read it that it was some kind of fun juicy romp. I wasn't sure if maybe I was just missing that vibe because I'm not generally into Gossip Girl type drama filled with awful people being awful. I did suspect the big conspiracy from the start and was constantly on edge like "F*ck these people. How can you guys possibly trust anyone ever!". I felt myself wishing the characters at least had one consistently supportive relationship in their lives that was a safe space for them, whether between the two of them or with their families or something, but I also recognized that's me wanting a break from things people can't always take a break from in real life so I couldn't fault the author for not taking it easy on us. Lots of mixed feelings!
I got this book pretty much blind. I didn’t expect anything that was going to happen and pretty much thought it would be the typical trigger warning stuff but was thrown out of whack the entire time. However, I’m curious about the bonus chapters the author talked about in the exclusive summer edition, specifically the one about Belle and Dre after everything, but I can’t find it anywhere since I was late but I’m begging for answers😭
I definitely went into this one thinking it was going to be a little lighter. It wasn't an enjoyable read for me, either, but major kudos to the author because I was STRESSED the entire time. She really makes you feel the tension and the horror the main characters are experiencing.
I read this a while back and I'm still confused by the fact Chi flat-ironed her hair every school day, because most straightened styles last at least a couple days when maintained right. A girl like her would've either gotten sew-ins or full-lace if she wanted to stay natural, or she would've just relaxed her hair. Like, did she never wrap her hair and that's why it never lasted and she had to get up and flat-iron it every day? Could she not do a search for who in her area did a silk press? I know Chi's hair was fried/super damaged, like I get the comment the author was trying to make when Chi couldn't flat-iron her hair and had to go to school with it curly, but if she had almost 6-7 years of heat damaged, Chi would've had almost non-existent "waves" lol. It's just weird that this never crossed the author's mind.
LOL great points though ! Now that I think about it, Chi would’ve definitely had a nice sew in or lace front. It’s little things like this that stick out. Maybe the author doesn’t wrap her hair? Idk
There's was so much else that bothered me I just glossed over that. Why did she have a Nigerian last name instead of an Italian one? Plus a Nigerian reader said her 1st and last name were from 2 different tribes lol
@@MsWOCReader Chiamaka’s mom is from the 2 tribes. That’s why her name is from both, but I agree her last name should have been Italian, unless her mother didn’t take her husband’s name and did the same for chiamaka.
@@chichi7706 And most people reading that wouldn't have even known because we never got much about Chiamaka's heritage.
Yes the hair thing stuck out for me too. Why is a black girl straightening her hair everyday😭 no bonnet nothing?
The absolute lack of good things in this book just made it feel weird to read. The section with the homophobic hate crime with Devon felt so absolutely graphic and in my opinion as a queer person, added nothing to the overall story. It totally didn't need to be in there like that and it really hurt to read. I did really like the book, but it's weird to see it recommended so casually when it borders on trauma porn for me.
Just endless sadness and pain in this book
I am commenting to show support but I will need to come back to this video because I haven't read the book yet.
💜💜💜
i just finished the book and being white i feel kinda ??? about it . i enjoyed the tension of the story and how often it had me second guessing my theories , but like you and many others have said , it was just so SAD . of course stories about racism and trauma are important bc they’re REAL , but that’s all we see in the media , and it sucks especially bc ace of spades was marketed as a story where black characters would thrive and be popular and stuff but instead every single time something good happened to devon and chiamaka it was just . stripped away from them in the most painful way possible . there were so many parts where i had to just put the book down bc i was disgusted with the stuff happening .
although the story hurt so bad bc i was attached to both of the main characters so much (especially chiamaka . i didn’t like her at first like lots of people but she really grew on me i love her🥲) , i was really intrigued the entire time . i felt really betrayed when each character turned out to be racist , esp belle and devon’s teacher . it definitely kept me on my feet the whole time but idk if it was in an enjoyable way or not considering the contents of the story .
i wish the thing with chiamaka’s dad was explored more , bc having her dad be casually racist without it playing into the main plot of the story really just felt like they were adding stuff just for the sake of making chiamaka suffer . i don’t really have a problem with the pacing , but the general plot was a bit weird to me . i get that it’s fiction and doesn’t have to be completely realistic , but the whole protest at the dance thing felt kinda like the author didn’t know how to resolve the situation . i also think the whole “enrolling 2 black kids every 10 years” thing was weird . while i think the fact that this went under the radar makes sense (since clearly the media is in on the whole aces thing too) having a schedule like this makes them INFINITELY more suspicious .
overall i don’t know how to rate it . i don’t think i’ve ever been more engrossed in a book and anxious to see what happens next , and i was also super attached to all the characters , so it’s a 5/5 stars on that part . but being attached to the characters is like a double edged sword bc it was hard to ENJOY the book bc these 2 characters that i loved so much were going through so much pain and at the end it was just pulled together by saying “well now they’re both in happy relationships and spend their lives fighting against institutional racism” , which didn’t even feel satisfying bc them being selfless and helping other young black kids meant that their lives were STILL being consumed by this prejudice they had tried to free themselves as high schoolers . so i really can’t rank it high in terms of being “enjoyable” bc it was just so SAD , no matter how much the narrative intrigued me .
Love you have a typo in the title.
Thank you ! Corrected 💜
Definitely not the most important point of this video, but Fitzpatrick means Son of Patrick so Fitzjohn is like Johnson
Interesting, thank you for sharing that !
Just came back here after finishing the book and I'M NOT THE OBLY ONE WHO WAS SUS ABOUT THE MOM 🤣 I liked it overall and it's so cool to have a story like this but I agree the pacing and some details on this one was kind of weird lol
Nigel is so cute 🖐🏾😊
I haven't read this book, but I was thinking the same thing about books written about and by People of Color, it seems that in the majority of the books I have read over the years, racism, injustice, poverty and struggle seems to be the underlying themes no matter the genre. I know that these things exist, I have lived it, but I read to escape reality and I don't always want it in my face all the time. I feel I am in a Catch 22, I love books written by people of color because they are relatable but I want them not to be so relatable sometimes. Lol
The dog is cute🙂
I was reading this book and the whole time I was thinking "gossip girl" or pretty little liars/get out 🤣🤣 but than I got to the end and discovered that the author said that she was inspired by gossip girl and she wanted to do one with colored characters. The author also was trying to explore their own experiences with being colored in primarily white "spaces"
I’ve literally just finished reading this and watched the video straight after. It was such an odd read for me. I think the tension was good and there were some chilling moments like with Devon’s teacher but equally I did see that coming which was a shame. I also think the location let the story down. I honestly thought it was set in the UK til I remembered that Devon was applying to Julliard. It just felt very UK-centric which I guess makes sense given the author is from the UK, but as a UK reader it felt off to me once I remembered it was meant to be America. Part of me did wonder if it was a bit like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and there’s the original UK set version and then the US release was changed to make it set in America but that also wasn’t the case.
She really was unlikable. I wanted the two mc's to bond as well. I think, personally I liked the book but it was a bit trauma-porn for me and I'm just done with that for the time being.
I had a better time with this than you, probably because I love Chiamaka, and I didn’t take the story that seriously. I definitely have a soft spot for the Mean Girls, so Chiamaka is 💞. Love that she shows up to their stakeout with balaclavas in hand.😆
You’re right that having seen Get Out, you kind of know where the story is heading. I definitely wasn’t surprised by the reveals. Except for Terrell and Jack. But I still had a reasonably good time with the paranoid storytelling style.
I also agree it’s fairly apparent from the text that Àbíké-Íyímídé isn’t from the US. Because a lot of Black Americans have written about their experiences attending white colleges and high schools, and there are a bunch of small details that just aren’t present in Ace of Spades. But since this is a YA thriller, I sort of let it slide.
Can you please tell me more with what you meant
@@voilarebz5753 Err, which part?
@@eriklonnrot3578 about the black American experience and why you knew she wasn’t British because of it
@@voilarebz5753 I'm guessing you mean: how did I know she isn't from the US? (Àbíké-Íyímídé _is_ British afaik)
Obviously, every single person has their own unique experience. There are also regional differences in the education system and changes over time. But a unifying and particular feature of the US school system is the funding of schools based off of property values that is in turn created through segregation. A Black American might very well have a different experience attending a private or public school, a predominantly white or predominantly Black school, but a lot of these choices are what they are in the first place because of the overall system. A writer doesn't need to tackle these issues directly in their writing, but usually when writing about schools, the implications of living in this system will bleed through.
I think it's admirable that Àbíké-Íyímídé presents two different Black experiences in her book. There is Chiamaka, whose parents are immigrants and professionals, and who is biracial. And then there is Devon, whose father is incarcerated and whose mother is poor and working class. Àbíké-Íyímídé does contrast their experiences at Niveus Academy, but as others have said, her depiction of the school experience and the college admissions process is kind of vague. And arguably, in a more US-specific context, the contrast between Chiamaka and Devon's experiences would be even sharper than it is in the book. Because if college is the end goal, Chiamaka and Devon cannot be playing the same game. For example, Devon worries about his family's finances, but he doesn't seem to think much about the cost of college. And that seems like a glaring omission. Even if he has a full-ride scholarship to Juilliard, there are still living expenses to think of. And there are conditions to being a scholarship student. The application process as a performing arts student, as a scholarship student are different, with its own recruitment network and hoops to jump through. All of this is sort of glossed over in the text. And since this is a YA thriller, which follows certain conventions and works a certain way, I don't really hold it against the book. Realism isn't necessary in a thriller. But a memoir I read recently that does deal directly with the US system from a Black American perspective is There Will Be No Miracles Here by Casey Gerald.
@@eriklonnrot3578 True i think the book should’ve been based in the UK bcs she’s from there and she clearly doesn’t how it is in the U.S
They paint Chiamaka to be smart but she was pissing me off when she wasn’t suspicious of belle hiding that photo like you said. She’s shown time and time again that she can’t trust the people in her school and then she makes decisions that realistically make no sense. Especially when they emphasize how cunning and aware she is in the first few chapters.
i JUST finished ace of spade and i now have trust issues 😭 it was worth it tho
Sounds like there were a lot of missed opportunities in this book.
the writing was good overall, but i was disappointed that Aces was targeting the only two black kids in school? like oh no i wonder what this is about 🙄 it seems very lazy to me, like i feel like we heard the prestigious school with a society that has been set for over 100 years a lot before, i wanted more, even out of the characters, it had the potential to be a really good book, i gave it 3 stars
Have you ever been the only black person in school or an organization? The only two black folks are rarely friends. You need about 30% black population before black folks start getting together. Plus homegirl is half black.
I felt that way about the City We Became by N.K. Jemisin. The book is so good, but I had a hard time reading it. That struggle and it's the struggle of the oppressed (queer people of color in this book) dealing with whiteness.
Damnit, haven’t gotten to that one yet but plan to soonish
I cannot say as a white lady. But I feel like it would be the same way I feel about LGBTQIA always having problems only relating to their sexuality rather than just life. One of the reasons TJ Klune feels so nice to read. The acceptance is just there and they just have problems.
Burn it down! 🔥😎💋
This book makes be unreasonably mad cuz it's titled Ace of Spades and it's NOT about asexuality
I think the author was using the poker angel like the book Ace of Shades did
@@JessOwens lol probably
Seriously??? Fitzjohn is definitely a name. We have Fitzjohn avenue here in London. You can't think something is terrible because you've never heard of it. That's on you! How have Americans never heard of Fitzjohn?