Aces Wild : A Heist
$12.99 USD
paperback
What happens in Vegas when an all-asexual online friend group attempts to break into a high-stakes gambling club? Shenanigans ensue.
"A fast-paced, thrilling diversion."—Kirkus Reviews
Some people join chess club, some people play football. Jack Shannon runs a secret blackjack ring in his private school’s basement. What else is the son of a Las Vegas casino mogul supposed to do?
Everything starts falling apart when Jack’s mom is arrested for their family’s ties to organized crime. His sister Beth thinks this is the Shannon family’s chance to finally go straight, but Jack knows that something’s not right. His mom was sold out, and he knows by who. Peter Carlevaro: rival casino owner and jilted lover. Gross.
Jack hatches a plan to find out what Carlevaro’s holding over his mom’s head, but he can’t do it alone. He recruits his closest friends—the asexual support group he met through fandom forums. Now all he has to do is infiltrate a high-stakes gambling club and dodge dark family secrets, while hopelessly navigating what it means to be in love while asexual. Easy, right?
Amanda DeWitt is an author and librarian, ensuring that she spends as much time around books as possible. She also enjoys Star Wars, Dungeons & Dragon-ing, and even more writing, just not whatever it is she really should be writing. She graduated from the University of South Florida with a Masters in Information and Library Science. She lives in Clearwater, Florida with her dogs, cats, and assortment of chickens. Aces Wild: A Heist is her debut novel.
"Jack's narration is by turns humorous and heartfelt, and his feelings for Remy are both sweet and fraught as he struggles to understand how to be in love while ace. . . . DeWitt skillfully employs a breezy narrative and tender emotional beats, centering found family and self-acceptance, to craft a rousing debut.."—Publishers Weekly
"Honesty, accountability, and family stand out as significant themes in Jack's character development. His all-ace friend group highlights the diversity of identities within the spectrum of asexuality and affirms the fluidity of sexuality. . . . A fast-paced, thrilling diversion."—Kirkus Reviews
"Amid the glittering world of high-stakes Vegas gambling, the author balances suspenseful heist shenanigans with explorations of Jack’s personal and family struggles. . . . Hand this Vegas-heist-meets-teen-drama to readers who are looking for breathing space in their adventures, shady ethics, and asexual representation."—School Library Journal
"DeWitt's work bundles the adventures of youthful card sharks with endearing familial ties. . . . The fact that novels like this include gender and sexuality as a complement to the story helps normalize situations teens have long struggled silently with."—School Library Connection
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