Queen of the Tiles

Books | Young Adult Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories

Hanna Alkaf

They Wish They Were Us meets The Queen’s Gambit in this “stunning…unforgettable” (Publishers Weekly) thriller set in the world of competitive Scrabble, where a teen girl is forced to investigate the mysterious death of her best friend when her Instagram comes back to life with cryptic posts and messages.CATALYST 13 points noun: a substance that speeds up a reaction without itself changing When Najwa Bakri walks into her first Scrabble competition since her best friend’s death, it’s with the intention to heal and move on with her life. Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to choose the very same competition where said best friend, Trina Low, died. It seems that even though Najwa is trying to change, she’s not ready to give up Trina just yet. But the same can’t be said for all the other competitors. With Trina, the Scrabble Queen herself, gone, the throne is empty, and her friends are eager to be the next reigning champion. All’s fair in love and Scrabble, but all bets are off when Trina’s formerly inactive Instagram starts posting again, with cryptic messages suggesting that maybe Trina’s death wasn’t as straightforward as everyone thought. And maybe someone at the competition had something to do with it. As secrets are revealed and the true colors of her friends are shown, it’s up to Najwa to find out who’s behind these mysterious posts—not just to save Trina’s memory, but to save herself.

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More Details:

Author

Hanna Alkaf

Pages

304

Publisher

Simon and Schuster

Published Date

2022-04-19

ISBN

153449457X 9781534494572

Community ReviewsSee all

"3.5. I enjoyed the twist of the book because in a way it was unexpected. Would I reread it? No, it just wasn’t my favorite, nor was the plot and sequencing of events super captivating. I will however say that I have never read a book where the sole focus was a Scrabble tournament. So points for creativity. I also loved that the main character was Muslim and these cast of characters came from different backgrounds around Asia."

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Zariah Grant

"A must read for Scrabble and mystery lovers! A YA book that kept me interested and had some real characters. "

Kalena Medina

"This was a breezy, super fast read but also a sensitive portrayal of grief and how that changes people. The Scrabble content was actually really fun and exciting - I have no idea how the author manages to pull off high tension while describing Scrabble plays - and most of the characters were interesting. Some of them made very over the top decisions but they are teenagers so I'll allow it. I did think the amnesia was a bit silly and things got a little convoluted toward the end but overall I really liked this."

awesome_user_984860

"Really well written and nothing I have read before. Kept me on my toes. Such a good book!! Plus love that it has a hijabi on the cover. "

Jacqueline Larden-Bullinger

"Wow! This book had me going and then made a 360 and I never even suspected the turn till it was way too far into the endgame. I really enjoyed this book! I love Scrabble and this book has been on my radar since before it was published. I loved all of the elememts of this book from the unique setting to the enthralling plot to the one of a kind characters especially Najwa! I am so glad that this book did not disappoint because it was worth the long wait! Please, please give it a listen or a read!!"

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Allison Freeman