Queen of the Tiles

(Hardback)

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They Wish They Were Us meets The Queens Gambit in this stunningunforgettable (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 friends death, its with the intention to heal and move on with her life. Perhaps it wasnt 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, shes not ready to give up Trina just yet.

But the same cant 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. Alls fair in love and Scrabble, but all bets are off when Trinas formerly inactive Instagram starts posting again, with cryptic messages suggesting that maybe Trinas death wasnt 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, its up to Najwa to find out whos behind these mysterious postsnot just to save Trinas memory, but to save herself.

Reviews

PRAISE FOR QUEEN OF THE TILES

* [A] raw, moving exploration of complicated grief, a celebration of teenage determination and a nail-biting murder mystery set at a cutthroat Scrabble tournament in Kuala LumpurReaders will be guessing until the very end of this ensorcelling (15 points), sesquipedalian (26 points) mystery.BookPage, starred review

Genius wordplay, fantastic representation, and a tense whodunit make this one to recommend.SLJ

Suspicious characters, red herrings, a cutthroat atmosphere, and plenty of obscure Scrabble words intersect to form an engaging mystery with a compelling protagonist. Bingo.Booklist

PRAISE FOR THE WEIGHT OF OUR SKY

A Kirkus Reviews Best of YA Books 2019

Winner of the 2019 NCTAsia Freeman Award for Young Adult/High School Literature

* This stunning debut from Malaysian author Alkaf filters Melatis sympathetic internal narrative through a mental illness barely understood and poorly treated for the era, and the setting and secondary characters convey a visceral, nerve-wracking moment in time. This isnt an easy story by far; an authors note warns of graphic violence, death, racism, OCD, and anxiety triggersbut their inclusion makes it no less essential, no less unforgettable.Publishers Weekly, starred

* This is a brutally honest, no-holds-barred reimagining of the time: The evocative voice transports readers to 1960s Malaysia, and the brisk pace is enthralling. Above all, the raw emotion splashed across the pages will resonate deeply, no matter one's race or religion. Unabashedly rooted in the author's homeland and confronting timely topics and challenging themes, this book has broad appeal for teen readers.Kirkus Reviews, starred

* At the sentence level, Alkafs use of first-person narration expertly (and, in some cases, painfully) places readers inside Melatis head as she experiences internal and external horrors....Echoing contemporary race relations, the subject feels especially relevant. VERDICT Alkafs immersive, powerful writing make this a must-purchase for all YA collections.School Library Journal, starred

* Alkaf's succinct prose, peppered with unflinching details, is captivating, in this candid and open young adult novel.Shelf Awareness, starred

Author Bio

Hanna Alkaf is the author ofThe Weight of Our Sky,Queen of the Tiles,The Girl and The Ghost,andHamra and the Jungle of Memories, as well as coeditor of the young adult anthologyThe Grimoire of Grave Fates.She graduated with a degree in journalism from Northwestern University and has spent most of her life working with words, both in fiction and nonfiction. She lives in Kuala Lumpur with her family.