Summary
*They Wish They Were Us* meets The Queen’s Gambit in this “stunning…unforgettable” 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…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781534494558 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1534494553 |
| Author: | Hanna Alkaf |
| Publisher: | Simon & Schuster |
| Imprint: | Simon & Schuster |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 304 |
| Release Date: | 1 June 2022 |
| Weight: | 383g |
| Dimensions: | 25mm x 140mm x 210mm |
| Audience Age: | 12 |
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Critics Review
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 Lumpur…Readers 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 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
Hanna Alkaf
Hanna Alkaf is the author of The Weight of Our Sky, Queen of the Tiles, The Girl and the Ghost, Hamra and the Jungle of Memories, and The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette’s, as well as coeditor of the young adult anthology The 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.
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