Aces Wild

What happens in Vegas when an all-asexual online friend group attempts to break into a high-stakes gambling club? Shenanigans ensue.

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?

"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

"DeWitt creates a vibe that’s Spy Kids by way of Ocean’s Eleven in the best way possible. . . . Rat-a-tat dialogue and well-developed relationships between Jack and his friends offer more highlights. . . . Aces Wild is a fast-paced exploration of the risks we take for the people we love."

—BookPage

"A thoroughly delightful book to be read over and over."

—Booklist