ItвЂ™s there in flashes only to be smothered again before coming back. But, honestly, things just keep happening to these two as events spiral more and more out of control.ДЄce of Spades needed more joy, fight, and anger. ThereвЂ™s just no room for satisfactory development of their begrudging friendship which is meant to be founded on their desire to stop Aces. But it also wants to be part contemporary romance along with being a thriller, and the two leads as a pair get lost in it. The book essentially is a discourse on the pervasiveness of whiteness, even in marginalized communities, as a corrosive element within institutions and society as a whole. I just wish that Ace of Spades wasnвЂ™t bogged down by so many relevant conversations happening at once. Yes, there are twists and turns in this book that will have you flipping the pages anxiously, but they hold up past the initial adrenaline rush because of her work on developing Devon and Chiamaka.

In spite of what often feels like yet another tragic piece added to an already devastating puzzle, ГЂbГkГ©-ГЌyГmГdГ©вЂ™s deft ability in fleshing out these characters compels the reader to become invested. What keeps the story chugging forward is the strength of ГЂbГkГ©-ГЌyГmГdГ©вЂ™s voice. Large swathes of Ace of Spades are spent on unpacking all of this to the point that it takes a considerable amount of time for Devon and Chiamaka to interact let alone team up against Aces. SheвЂ™s also learning more about her sexuality as she begins to fall for a girl she shouldnвЂ™t. Chiamaka has constructed an image of herself to fit in, but sheвЂ™s hiding an immense amount of trauma. SheвЂ™s a brown-skinned mixed girl of Nigerian and Italian descent whoвЂ™s ostracized from her fatherвЂ™s family because of their racism. Her non-romance with her best friend Jamie has very unsettling implications in it from an accident that happened in their Junior year to a drunken night before school started. ThereвЂ™s her conniving crew of friends who only hang out for appearances.

In comparison, Chiamaka doesnвЂ™t have as much going on but itвЂ™s still a lot to work through. As well as a love interest from his past who he wants to trust but is suspicious of because of everything going on. His current boyfriend is one of his best friends and also runs a ring of dealers to make ends meet. He has an emotionally abusive ex-boyfriend who kept him a secret. HeвЂ™s not out to his mom who works three jobs to put him through school while raising her three boys from different fathers. Devon is carrying the weight of being a young gay Black teen living in a poor community thatвЂ™s rife with drugs, violence, single parents, and incarcerated family members. ГЂbГkГ©-ГЌyГmГdГ© threw everything into Ace of Spades. ThereвЂ™s no balance between these leads just a lot of Black pain. ChiamakaвЂ™s are all manufactured and meant to weigh on her mental health and sanity. Whether itвЂ™s a previous relationship, an intimate moment, or his current boyfriend. However, it doesnвЂ™t quite work.Д®very one of DevonвЂ™s secrets Aces exposes is something that actually happened to him. Presumably, the multiple romances weaved in and out of the plot are meant to provide some kind of buffer between the abject suffering Devon endures on a daily basis and ChiamakaвЂ™s slow realization that the facade she built is crumbling to pieces. Her narrative isnвЂ™t a powder keg, itвЂ™s a simmering fire growing hotter as Aces throws more and more kindling onto the blaze. ГЂbГkГ©-ГЌyГmГdГ© spends a lot of time unpacking issues of assimilation, homophobia, and poverty creating an insufferable environment with very little light pouring in. With exception to the romance in Ace of Spades linked to explorations of identity, self-acceptance, and a firm stance on self-worth, there is a disparity of joy in this book. Ace of Spades is a promising thriller but itвЂ™s bleak and tries to do too much However, the mysterious Aces is not only hellbent on disrupting their plans, they also want to ruin their lives. Devon Richards, in contrast, is a scholarship kid from an underserved community whoвЂ™s just trying to get through high school, get accepted into Julliard, and provide his family with a better life.

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