The Queen of Tiles by Hanna Alkaf (Paperback) (With Signed Bookplate & FREE Enamel Pin*)

Product Description

They Wish They Were Us meets The Queen’s Gambit in the world of competitive Scrabble when a teen girl is forced to investigate the mysterious death of her best friend a year after the fact 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 might be even though Najwa’s 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.

Review

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 Melati’s 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 isn’t an easy story by far; an author’s note warns of ‘graphic violence, death, racism, OCD, and anxiety triggers’—but 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, Alkaf’s use of first-person narration expertly (and, in some cases, painfully) places readers inside Melati’s head as she experiences internal and external horrors....Echoing contemporary race relations, the subject feels especially relevant. VERDICT Alkaf’s 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

PRAISE FOR THE GIRL AND THE GHOST

“Grippingly heart-wrenching and speaks to deeper themes of family, trauma, and friendship…a fascinating, page-turning tale.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))

“Alkaf’s middle-grade debut is unapologetically—and beautifully—Malaysian… it sizzles with tension and safe-but-ghoulish imagery, without letting go of the heartfelt thread of love between a girl and her ghost.” (Booklist)

"I can’t stop thinking about THE GIRL AND THE GHOST, a desperately beautiful novel about the many ways people can be haunted and the transformative power of friendship and love. A spellbinding story, told with an enormous heart." (Anne Ursu, author of the National Book Award Longlist title, The Real Boy)

"Delightfully gruesome, humorous, haunted and heart wrenching, The Girl and the Ghost is an intense tale of grief, family, friendship and forgiveness.”  (Robin Yardi, author of The Midnight War of Mateo Martinez)

Author Collection

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (March 28, 2023)

Language ‏ : ‎ English

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1534494561

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1534494565

Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 years and up

Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ HL750L

Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9

Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds

Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches