Ace of Spades

Author: Faridah Abike-Lyimide
Pages: 480
Overall: 4.5/5
Setting: 5/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot and Themes: 5/5
Cheers Factor: 4/5
Pairing: Aces
This drink has one of my favorite gins. If you have been here for a while you know that's Empress so I naturally had to use it again.

Ingredients
-2oz Grapefruit Juice
-1oz lemon juice
-½ oz simple syrup
-1 ½ oz Empress Gin
-ice
-Lemon Wheel for Garnish

Instructions
-Combine grapefruit juice, lemon juice and simple syrup in a shaker with ice
-Shake and strain into glass with fresh ice
-if using optional garnish of lemon wheel(s) place in glass with ice before adding gin
-Gently layer gin
-Enjoy responsibly

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“Small, because the smaller the group, the less people know about you - and the more they want to know.”


Take a Shot: Chiamaka and Devon are two students at Niveus Private Academy. They are also the only two black students and when a suspicious anonymous online bully by the name of Aces starts spreading the secrets of both Devon and Chiamaka we start to find that it might have more to do with the color of their skin than we originally thought. 


Setting
I loved the private school aspect that we get from this title. I think that the idea of a private school is always illustrious to those of us who never went to one. I also like the combination of a US private school using british private school concepts like Head Prefect and Head Master. 


Characters
I really loved the characters of this with the exception of Chiamaka at most times. I felt her to be wholeheartedly mislead in a lot of her beliefs and I wanted to shake her when it became wildly apparent what was happening. As such an intelligent character it took her far too long to figure it out and discover that her friends would be the first to betray her.


Plot and Themes
I loved the truth to the story and the authenticity of the plot. I knew it was written so well when I felt angry and frustrated enough to want to put the book down. Kudos to the author for such an enthralling tale of injustice.


Conclusion
If you like Gossip Girl mixed with the evil A from Pretty Little Liars then this is the book for you. The author even mentions both of those concepts as inspiration for Aces and I had said that before even finishing so it hit the nail on the head. 
Reasons to Raise a Glass: Stellar writing, easy emotional investment, stand alone, LGBTQ+ BIPOC!!!
Too Strong: Chi annoyed me sometimes with her optimism


“I lose parts of him constantly. This was bound to happen someday.”


Warning spoilers ahead if you click read more. Proceed at your own risk.

    Okay I’m gonna do this as a bulleted list because I think that’s the best way to do it.

• I hate Jaime
• I love LGBTQ representation
• I hated that I had such a healthy amount of distrust of EVERY character and then it was all proven to be necessary
• I really liked the relationship Chi and Devon develop and the way that their futures became so intertwined and they found happiness and a way to help others going through what they went through so that it might never happen again

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“But the world isn’t ideal, so why poison my mind with thoughts that won’t make a difference.”