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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Queen of the Tiles takes place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our main character is a hijabi Muslim teenager named Najwa. It's been a year since Najwa's best friend Trina—Queen of the Tiles—died suddenly during a Scrabble tournament. Najwa is now determined to win the Scrabble competition to honour her late best friend. But things get complicated when Trina's inactive Instagram account starts posting cryptic messages, implying that Trina's death may have involved foul play. Najwa is then forced to trace Trina's steps a year ago to find out what really happened to her best friend.
I don't usually read YA, but I had to pick this one up because HELLO? A hijabi heroine playing detective and solving mysteries?! Yes, pls & thx!! The unraveling of a mystery during a Scrabble competition is so unique! I love the way Najwa's mind works, the way her brain is wired to associate words with everything and everyone that she comes across. I honestly didn't realize how dumb I was at Scrabble until I read this book 😂
The beginning of this book explores Najwa's grief after such a painful loss. I think the author did a really good job exploring themes of death, grief, and mental health. The beginning of this book also introduces the primary set of supporting characters, some of whom later on become suspects. As a result, it takes some time for the mystery-solving to actually start.
As I was reading, I worried about potential plot holes and loose ends. I had so many questions, like, what exactly did the police miss in their initial investigation? And how is Najwa, a teenager, expected to solve something that the police overlooked? But as I got closer to the end of the story, everything made complete sense. And I really like how everything ultimately came together!
Overall, despite the slow beginning, I ended up really enjoying this book. @publishers if you're reading this review—I need more unique and interesting books with hijabi heroines (not just YA) that are not about tragic Muslim lives and Islamophobia. Better yet, give me an adult mystery novel with an adult hijabi heroine as the main character, pls & thx!
Queen of the Tiles takes place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our main character is a hijabi Muslim teenager named Najwa. It's been a year since Najwa's best friend Trina—Queen of the Tiles—died suddenly during a Scrabble tournament. Najwa is now determined to win the Scrabble competition to honour her late best friend. But things get complicated when Trina's inactive Instagram account starts posting cryptic messages, implying that Trina's death may have involved foul play. Najwa is then forced to trace Trina's steps a year ago to find out what really happened to her best friend.
I don't usually read YA, but I had to pick this one up because HELLO? A hijabi heroine playing detective and solving mysteries?! Yes, pls & thx!! The unraveling of a mystery during a Scrabble competition is so unique! I love the way Najwa's mind works, the way her brain is wired to associate words with everything and everyone that she comes across. I honestly didn't realize how dumb I was at Scrabble until I read this book 😂
The beginning of this book explores Najwa's grief after such a painful loss. I think the author did a really good job exploring themes of death, grief, and mental health. The beginning of this book also introduces the primary set of supporting characters, some of whom later on become suspects. As a result, it takes some time for the mystery-solving to actually start.
As I was reading, I worried about potential plot holes and loose ends. I had so many questions, like, what exactly did the police miss in their initial investigation? And how is Najwa, a teenager, expected to solve something that the police overlooked? But as I got closer to the end of the story, everything made complete sense. And I really like how everything ultimately came together!
Overall, despite the slow beginning, I ended up really enjoying this book. @publishers if you're reading this review—I need more unique and interesting books with hijabi heroines (not just YA) that are not about tragic Muslim lives and Islamophobia. Better yet, give me an adult mystery novel with an adult hijabi heroine as the main character, pls & thx!
This was okay, the plot was fine but I didn't love the characters.
A solid mystery plot that kept me guessing and an interesting setting. I learned quite a bit about competitive Scrabble, which is far more math and strategy than I would've guessed. I loved Alkaf's use of language, which fit the setting nicely! Probably the biggest draw for me as a reader was the exploration of grief.
I wrote a longer review for the library's blog: https://carnegiestout.org/queen-of-the-tiles-staff-review/
I wrote a longer review for the library's blog: https://carnegiestout.org/queen-of-the-tiles-staff-review/
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
A sudden mysterious death at an ultra-competitive Scrabble tournament. Was is an unfortunate accident, or murder?
This is a fantastic mystery that looks at the layers of grief and how one person's death reverberates to those around them. Set at a Scrabble competition with the clock ticking, this book is fantastic.
This is a fantastic mystery that looks at the layers of grief and how one person's death reverberates to those around them. Set at a Scrabble competition with the clock ticking, this book is fantastic.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this book. It definitely wasn't what I expected and it was really good. I really wanted to find out the mystery. I actually learned a lot about Scrabble and how the competitions work and stuff. I also liked how the beginning of each chapter there was a word and a definition which I thought was interesting and I liked how the words connected to story. I recommend!
Well paced murder mystery that takes place at a scrabble tournament.
Malaysian and Muslim MC written by a Malaysian author.
Malaysian and Muslim MC written by a Malaysian author.