Faridah Abike-Iyimide
Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, 2021
415 pages
Grades 9-Up
Mystery
Alternating points of view tell the story of the only two black students at prestigious Niveus Private Academy. Both are made senior prefects. Chiamaka is not surprised. This is her fourth year as prefect and as the school queen bee it is simply another planned step on her path to Yale. Devon, who flies under the radar, is very surprised. He only has one friend and is often buried in the music that he hopes will carry him to Julliard. At the start of senior year unexpected events begin to happen. Anonymous texts, signed only by "Aces", are sent to the entire student body divulging Devon and Chiamaka's secrets one by one. Both have things to hide and find themselves dropping in status as their private loves and poor choices become public. As the teens try to save their reputations, they find themselves unjustly in trouble at school with consequences that could send their futures down the drain. Who is Aces and why are Chimaka and Devon being targeted? The two team up to find answers and make it stop before they have no future. As their lives spin out of control the shocking truth is slowly revealed and is worse than they could ever imagine.
Abike-Iyimide makes her writing debut with a powerhouse of a book. As much of a suspense/thriller as a mystery, it proves to be a book impossible to put down. The rollercoaster ride starts out typically enough with two unrelated kids getting cyber-bullied and then the twists and turns head off the rails as more layers are added to the story. I don't want to reveal any spoilers, because there are a few cool surprises, but this is definitely more than a mystery. There are powerful messages of feminism, entitlism, gay rights, and Black Lives Matter contained within the pages. Readers will witness systemic racism at its worst and feel for the young people as they have nowhere to turn for help and no one to trust. The mystery of the identity of Aces is revealed in a surprising turn and other little mysteries are cleared up along the way. Nothing is left dangling and a satisfying epilogue and ending will offer proper closure to teen readers. A fun and fast escape for the videogame generation with a lot of meat and social awareness between the crazy plot developments. An author's note discusses the personal journey and inspiration for writing the novel, lending a voice of authenticity and relatability.
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