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YA Book Prize shortlist: Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé talks about Ace of Spades
Caroline CarpenterCaroline is deputy features editor at The Bookseller and chair of the YA Book Prize, as well as being a co-host of children's book radio ...more
Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé answers our questions about her novel Ace of Spades (Usborne), a high school thriller with a dark twist, which has been shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2022.
Caroline is deputy features editor at The Bookseller and chair of the YA Book Prize, as well as being a co-host of children's book radio ...more
How would you describe Ace of Spades to someone who hasn’t read it?
"Get Out" meets "Gossip Girl" but gayer.
What inspired the story?
I was inspired by my experience of moving from my large multicultural town in south London to a very small mostly white Scottish town for university. Prior to university, I didn’t realise I was working class – I come from a very working class area, so it was my norm. I also had never really experienced the overt microaggressions or seen the real-world impact institutionalised racism could have until I came to Scotland. Seeing the immense class and racial privilege people had was so shocking to me and I felt so isolated and it made me really question what it would have been like to "come-of-age" in such a white space – what that does to your psyche. As I was mostly a loner at university, I used writing Ace of Spades every day after classes as a form of solace. Something to help me work through the complicated feelings and experiences I was having. I set out to write Ace of Spades first and foremost as a love letter to queer Black people, and so in some sense a love letter to myself.
Which character in Ace of Spades is your favourite, and why?
It’s both easy and hard to pick a favourite in Ace of Spades. Easy because most of the characters are terrible people, and hard because the characters who aren’t terrible people are so deeply deserving of everyone’s love. I will say, I have a soft spot for Bullshit the cat. I think Bullshit brings a lot of levity to an otherwise darker plot. I love Chiamaka and Devon for very different reasons and couldn’t choose between them.
What’s your favourite scene in the book, and why?
I really love the scene at the end at the beach where Devon, who is often quieter and doesn’t let his walls down much, tells Chiamaka about his suicide attempt. I love this scene because it is brimming with hope for the future. As someone with mental health issues who has battled suicide ideation since childhood, having that hope was so important for me. I remember feeling really emotional as I finished that final chapter, knowing that despite how dark the world sometimes feels, especially if you’re marginalised, there is always always hope.
What does being on this year’s YA Book Prize shortlist mean to you?
I am still in so much shock. Being on the shortlist means the world to me. I am so thrilled to be on this shortlist with these amazing authors, some of whom I grew up reading books by!
What’s the best thing about writing for young adults?
I think writing for young adults is so special because for many of us it is often the time where a love for reading is really cemented. Being able to make someone a reader or have them be able to escape into a story with like-minded characters is just the best thing in the world really.
What was your favourite book as a teenager?
Such a hard question – I had so many favourites. I was a huge fan of We Were Liars by E Lockhart which is quite big again on TikTok now. I was also a huge fan of all of Holly Bourne’s books and David Levithan’s books.
What is your top writing tip?
Write like no one’s watching. That first draft, no one has to know it even exists, make it as bad as possible, and don’t put pressure on yourself for it to be great. You can’t edit a blank page and so you can always work on making it great once it’s finished. I love this tip because it really takes the pressure off. Writing is meant to be fun, so I like to remind myself and others to focus on that part.
What songs would be on a playlist for your book?
"Circus" by Britney Spears; The Mean Girls Broadway Musical song "Someone Gets Hurt"; "Ignorance" by Paramore and "Crazy, Classic, Life" by Janelle Monae
Which book, film or TV show would you recommend to someone who enjoyed your book?
I have a few! "Squid Game", "Dear White People", "Gossip Girl", "Pretty Little Liars" and "How To Get Away With Murder".
Read the first chapter of Aces of Spades here.
