Àbíké-Íyímídé (Ace of Spades) presents a powerful look at grief, rape culture, and moving on from loss in this exquisitely crafted paranormal mystery. Following her father’s death from a heart attack, recently orphaned Sade Hussein begins attending Alfred Nobel Academy, an elite boarding school. Soon after her arrival, her roommate Elizabeth goes missing. Elizabeth’s disappearance and school administrators’ commitment to sweeping it under the rug haunt Sade; unfortunately, hauntings are something she is well acquainted with. Death has always plagued Sade: her father’s, her mother’s suicide, and the drowning of her best friend, whose ghost often appears to her (“Sade felt her, the shadow girl from her nightmares, crawl into bed with her, and hold her close”). Suspecting foul play, Sade and new friend Basil embark on a mission to find Elizabeth and, with help from the Unholy Trinity—a group of popular girls who may know more than they’re letting on—the teens not only uncover clues about Elizabeth’s vanishing, but a culture of patriarchal violence terrorizing female students at the academy. Àbíké-Íyímídé employs exceptionally perceptive character dynamics rendered via beautifully twisty prose to deliver a searing indictment of sexual violence and the lengths to which corrupt institutions will go to discredit and silence survivors. Sade is Black and the supporting cast is intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Molly Ker Hawn and Zoë Plant, Bent Agency. (Mar.)

Gr 9 Up— British author &2;b&7;k&3;-&5;y&7;m&7;d&3; is back at it with another thriller in the same vein as her Ace of Spades . This time, readers are immersed in the prestigious boarding school Alfred Nobel Academy where main character Sade Hussein has recently transferred. Despite claims that the school is unwelcoming to new students, Sade is relatively quickly accepted by a handful of students just as her roommate goes missing. Meanwhile, Jude presents himself as a potential bad boy love interest. Turns out there's more to the bad boy edge than readers originally anticipate as Sade and friends uncover a sinister secret text thread where unscrupulous boys tell all, including date rape brags. As the finale is revealed, the perspectives shift multiple times, and unreliable narration is revealed. Overall, the work is ambitious, running long with too many characters and plot complications. The author wants to spend time establishing the setting and cast, but only the most determined readers will push past to the real intrigue. The book does have a nicely diverse cast, including a Black, Muslim main character. The LGBTQIA+ representation is excellent with two exceptionally well represented sidekicks whose identity is not just a plot device—readers will wish Basil was their bestie. VERDICT A decent thriller to add for &2;b&7;k&3;-&5;y&7;m&7;d&3;'s growing fanbase.— Leah Krippner