I'm not sure what I think about Queen of the Tiles. On one hand, it's very entertaining and makes you feel invested in the murder mystery. I also like how it deals with trauma, the Malaysian hijabi rep, and the fact that it's centered around competitive Scrabble. But then, it's hard to care about most of the characters since they're so antagonistic to one another. There's A LOT of teen drama.

One year after witnessing her best friend Trina Low literally dropping dead in the middle of a Scrabble tournament, Najwa has returned to the same annual tournament—to find answers, to make peace with her past, to continue Trina’s legacy? Or perhaps all three. When Trina’s old instagram account starts posting photos and stories of the tournament, most people dismiss it as a tasteless prank. But the clues in those pictures seem to be pointing at something: was Trina murdered, and had there been someone pulling the strings behind her death one year ago?

This book was a Ride; while I have never read or watched Queen’s Gambit, the concept of a protagonist who’s extremely gifted in a certain board game compelled me to make that association. I love the way Najwa makes sense of the world through obscure words and their definitions, how the theme of Scrabble extends beyond the game itself to become almost a living thing and a huge part of Najwa’s life, with or without Trina. I love how each chapter opens with a word, how many points it is worth in scrabble, and its definition. With this stylistic unity, the author gives us a world of young competitors, some of whom had known each other for years from playing against one another, their shared histories and the tensions between them. With the shadow of Trina’s death still hovering over the title of Scrabble champion, who will be her successor? And is it even right to want to be her successor?

I loved the way the author presented Najwa, her little quirks, her dissociative memory regarding the day of Trina’s death, her talks with her therapist and how she is still dealing with the trauma of it all; none of this particularly stops Najwa from functioning, it just gives her additional obstacles when facing people she’d known before as she tries to play detective and find out the truth about the tournament. As the reader, we are invited to play detective with her—and of course, things are not as ethically/morally straightforward as a cold-blooded murder. And while the topics of death and trauma weigh quite heavily on our protagonist, the book itself never felt unbearably heavy despite not trivialising either matter. In general, it was still pretty fun and compelling because of the plot, the unexpected turns, and the details into the key characters’ lives and their relationships with each other before and after the incident. Not to mention, unapologetically Malaysian? Yes please.

"Queen of Tiles" takes readers on an exhilarating ride through the competitive realm of Scrabble. In this unforgettable thriller, Najwa Bakri, grappling with the loss of her best friend Trina, finds herself embroiled in a quest to uncover the truth surrounding Trina's death when her dormant Instagram account reawakens with cryptic messages.

Author Hanna Alkaf masterfully crafts a narrative that seamlessly weaves together themes of friendship, ambition, and the power of words. The world of competitive Scrabble serves as a captivating backdrop, adding an intriguing layer of intensity to the plot. From the very first page, readers are transported into Najwa's journey of healing and self-discovery.

The character development in "Queen of Tiles" is exceptional, particularly with Najwa. Her determination to honor Trina's memory while navigating the treacherous terrain of her own emotions is palpable and relatable. As secrets unravel and the true nature of her friends is revealed, Najwa's resilience and intelligence shine through.

The author's prose is both eloquent and accessible, making it effortless to immerse oneself in the story. The pacing is well-executed, with a steady buildup of suspense and intrigue that keeps readers engaged throughout. Each twist and turn adds another layer of complexity to the mystery, leaving readers eagerly flipping pages to uncover the truth.

While "Queen of Tiles" thrives in the realm of mystery, it also delves into deeper themes of trust and betrayal. The exploration of friendship dynamics and the lengths people will go to secure their ambitions is thought-provoking and adds depth to the narrative.

Overall, "Queen of Tiles" earns a solid four-star rating for its compelling storyline, well-developed characters, and skillful blend of mystery and emotional depth.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

This book was so wonderful! Hanna Alkaf always has the best characters for young YA, and the complicated friendships felt so real. Her prose is great and she does a great job of putting us in the shoes of a scrabble nerd without making the world of competitive scrabble seem incomprehensible.

Ever wished for Scrabble and murder to go together? Then 'Queen of the Tiles' is perfect for you! Reminiscent of other fun YA mysteries like 'One of Us is Lying', this book is a play on the locked-room mystery with the addition of toxic friendships, suspicious incidents, and a protagonist who might be an unreliable narrator. Set over the course of a Scrabble championship, the plot moves quickly while allowing you to get to know the characters and all their quirks.

I'm not too familiar with Scrabble's rules so I thought the details in this book were fascinating to read, and the wordplay is brilliant. As in her other book 'The Weight of Our Sky', the main character has mental health struggles that reflect on her decisions and the way she sees others. I thought the mystery is pretty rote and doesn't bring anything new, but there are enough surprises to entertain. I did find the dialogue to be somewhat juvenile at times considering the characters' ages, but I appreciate the diversity of people and the use of their local language. I also liked reading about a Muslim protagonist whose conflict is not about her race or religion. Perhaps a bit safe but nonetheless an enjoyable, lighthearted YA mystery for readers wanting something different!

Thank you to Salaam Reads and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

This was a super intriguing, fast-paced read from start to finish, and I greatly enjoyed it! I loved the uniqueness of it in that it's a mystery but it's entrenched in this world of competitive Scrabble. It gives it so much life to the story and gives it that little extra that other YA mystery's just don't have.

I loved the way this all came together, though others have called the reveal anticlimactic, I think that it fit the story perfectly! This idea of friendship and loyalty was woven throughout the story, and it all wrapped up perfectly at the end. Even though it's over a weekend, there's such growth with the characters and their stories, and I loved watching them go through that over the tournament!

My one issue was always that there seemed to be no police investigation? It's mentioned that it was cardiac arrest of unknown cause, but it seems like she never had an autopsy? You're telling me a teen randomly dies and they don't do an autopsy? You're telling me that a year later a teenage friend can find out that there was a possibility or serotonin syndrome? That all just seemed weird to me.

If you're a YA mystery fan, you won't want to miss this one!

One of my favorite reads in 2022! Well-written, gripping, and heart-tugging. Looking forward to reading more from this author!

All hail the queen !

The word "regression" is followed by "regret" in my dictionary since highschool.

Coincidentally, these 2 words also encapsulated Najwa's emotions in this book.

Queen of the Tiles is a standalone with approximately 100,000 words.

Combine all of that and you're left with sentences that realistically express sadness then anger, humor and fear.

(Alkaf is a true wordsmith!)

I took my time in reading this ARC due to its subject matter; when your toxic relationship suddenly ends (either romantic or platonic), is there something left of you without that bond?

I always gravitate toward this angst when reading contemporary YA, especially if it's related to friendships.

Despite its heavy subject matter, this novel is thrilling and funny! I was pleasantly surprised with the big reveal.

Each time I read a YA mystery/thriller, I find myself wanting to read more and more. This was no exception.

Queen of the Tiles tells the story of Najwa Bakri, a competitive Scrabble player who is returning to the game after the death (potential murder?) of her best friend who was the reigning champion. Now that the throne is empty, everyone is vying for the chance to be the best, leading Najwa to wonder if one of them is responsible for what happened to her friend.

This was a little slow for me to get into at first, but once the events started unfolding, I found myself to be riveted by it. Najwa’s brain works in such a specific way, so it was very interesting seeing how she approached the events, using Scrabble words and point values to mirror what was happening in the story. The intrigue and drama was made better by Najwa revisiting the events of the previous year through fresh eyes whenever new information comes to light.

Overall, this was well-plotted and a great read. It made me want to break out the Scrabble board, but definitely without all the suspected murder.

Najwa loves to play Scrabble. It’s been difficult for her to get interested in the game after the untimely and sudden death of her best friend, Trina, at a competition last year. Now Najwa is back, determined to keep the title “Queen of the Tiles” from anybody else so the memory of her best friend isn’t tarnished. But after a questionable photo is posted to Trina’s Instagram account on the anniversary of her death, Najwa begins to suspect that maybe Trina’s death wasn’t a fluke after all.

I loved the writing style of this book. The use of the Scrabble words throughout the book was so much fun. I loved the setting and I loved the characters. It was a beautiful book about grief and friendship, with great words and a mystery on top of everything else. There was so much to love about this book and it was a great read.

Review published on Goodreads, 5 September 2022:

I'm a Scrabble-loving word nerd as well as a mystery fan, so I was all in for this YA whodunit. Bonus that it's set in a country that's not America (Malaysia), features a Muslim heroine (whose religion/lifestyle is simply a part of her, not the focus of the story), and indulges in a lot of geeky Scrabble talk (including a bunch of dizzying power words that I need to memorize STAT). Alkaf writes well and knows how to create lively, likable, differentiated characters. I cared about Najwa, even though I couldn't understand what she (or anyone, for that matter) saw in Trina. She just seemed like a spoiled, narcissistic mean girl, without a lot of depth. As far as plot goes, this isn't the fastest moving novel in the world. I was never bored with it, really, but I would have liked more action. While I saw the culprit coming from a mile away, I was a little surprised by how the book ended.

Except for one F-bomb and a few milder expletives, QUEEN OF THE TILES is actually pretty clean, something I always appreciate. There's no drug use, no sex, no graphic violence, and no real crudeness. It's got a wholesome vibe for the most part. One beef I do have, though, is that I wanted a more authentic picture of what it's like to be a Malaysian teen. I like that Alkaf refers to Malaysian food and uses phrases in the language without translating them, but all the kids in the book talk like middle-aged Americans with affected, formal speech that doesn't sound natural for Americans, let alone foreigners. It wasn't so irritating that I couldn't read the book, but it did bug since it just didn't seem authentic. Unless this is actually how Malaysian teens talk??

All in all, I quite liked QUEEN OF THE TILES. It kept me both engrossed and entertained, despite being predictable. If I could, I would give it 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I'm rounding up.

This was a fun read! I had no idea the competitive Scrabble existed, so that was definitely my favorite part of it. Alkaf did an amazing job building suspense using Scrabble as a device, and the Scrabble games were some of my favorite moments. I wasn't as impressed with the mystery, but it kept me intrigued. I do wish we'd gotten more of Trina and Najwa's friendship, but that's a minor complaint. I still really liked this one, and it was a refreshing rea

First Impressions: I went into the book without reading the synopsis so I was not at all expecting a murder mystery at the scrabble competition. Really unique story

I love Hanna Alkaf’s writing and will definitely be reading more of her books. I enjoyed the system this book followed. Presenting rules and words for scrabble and using them to examine grief and loss. There were a ton of characters. I'm amazed I kept them all separate in my head. While the ending was realistic I definitely was hoping for more of a shock, like maybe Trina faked her own death?! I know that's ridiculous and ppl would be leaving book review complaints about the book NOT being realistic.

I would recommend this book to scrabble fans, word nerds, teens and patrons who like reading diverse mysteries (Maybe even a cozy mystery?)

I am between 3.75 & 4 I always round up for WOC.

I love Hanna Alkaf's writing in The Weight of Our Sky, it's vivid and colourful and it was not disappointing either in this latest work of hers. I am totally in awed with the Muslim representation and as someone who used to be an avid Scrabble player, this book was everything! I wish this book was longer that's all, and I really need more characters developments since I'm a fan of that. Looking forward to more books from the majestic, Hanna Alkaf!

[tw: grief, death]

okay, i'm genuinely surprised by how much i enjoyed this.

i say this because while i thought that Alkaf's first novel, The Weight of Our Sky was an important book highlighting a part of Malaysian history, i didn't LOVE it as much as i did this one!

i think i actually like mysteries a whole lot more than i thought... the speculations until we get to the bottom of things 🔍 QoT gives us this and more — it gave me grief, friendship, nerdy Scrabble action, and representations of very real characters (including someone nonbinary!). this book was also a fairly easy read and a page-turner throughout; pulling me in more and more as we got closer to the "truth".

i'm obsessed with how we have Scrabble trivia interspersed with word play in every sense of the word. as a fellow nerd with a highschool WhatsApp group literally titled 'logophiles' (noun. a lover of words), the world Alkaf built was a haven.

this book doesn't try too hard to be this, but it is Malaysian through and through; we see this in the dialogue (and unbridled use of Malay words with no glossary in true Alkaf fashion) and the setup of the scene. i enjoyed reading this a lot, it's been a while since i breezed through a book like this.

there were some parts i wish we delved into a little more, such as the idea of toxic relationships, both platonic and romantic. i felt like the story eluded to this but did not elaborate, would've liked to see it play out more! but that's just a small bone to pick in the grand scheme of things.

This was a very interesting and fast paced mystery that really dove into the word of competitive scrabble. I really did find the characters compelling and the mystery fun to follow. I'm not sure I totally understood all the character motivations, especially the ex boyfriend, but overall I had a great time reading it. While I did enjoy this book, I'm not sure this will appeal to a large audience, but I will certainly recommend it. I also learned a lot of new words along the way!

I am not usually one to seek out mystery novels, but this one completely had me hooked! Each character was so carefully crafted that my thoughts on who had killed Trina Lowe and who was behind the hacked instagram messages were constantly shifting with every new bit of information our protagonist, Najwa, discovered.

With the heart of the story taking place at a Youth Scrabble tournament, I appreciated how Alkaf was able to use words and the rules of Scrabble to leave subtle clues throughout the novel. It also opened the door to have interesting, realistic characters that reminded me of so many of the AP and Speech kids I remember from high school. With each character having their own distinct voice, it was easy to see the motives behind each character as Najwa interacted with them.

Additionally, I found the ending to be satisfying, especially for a mystery novel. While they are not usually my go to genre, I find that it can be so easy for an ending to feel lacking if it was too easy to figure out the plot or frustrating if it seemed to challenging. This book seemed to walk that line perfectly.

Highly recommend checking out this book! It is definitely one I would consider buying in the future, and it got me to download Words With Friends again!

This book was completely stunning. Alkaf's writing is exquisite and the story and characters were compelling.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. All the views in this review are purely my own and not affiliated with any brand.

This was an interesting book. Took me a minute to get into but once I did, it was so good! I"m really glad I stuck it out. Hanna Alfa writes such a fun and compelling story. I can't wait to see what she comes out with next.