Queen of the Tiles (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781534494558)

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.

Author: Hanna Alkaf
ISBN-10: 1534494553
ISBN-13: 9781534494558
Publisher: Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for You
Language: English
Published: 04/19/2022
Pages: 304
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.70w x 1.20d

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.3
Point Value: 11
Interest Level: Middle Grade Plus
Quiz #/Name: 521059 / Queen of the Tiles


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 02/15/2022
Publishers Weekly 04/18/2022
Booklist 05/01/2022 pg. 54
School Library Journal 05/01/2022 pg. 80
BookPage 04/01/2022